EQ3 Geopolitical Interventions
- Created by: elshuntt
- Created on: 14-04-18 18:37
View mindmap
- EQ3 Geopolitical Interventions
- 1. Development aid
- financial aid given to developing countries to support their long-term economic, political and environmental development
- Aid comes from
- The governments of developed countries
- The UK donates £12 billion a year
- CASE STUDY: In 1970, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution under which wealthy countries commit 0.7% of their GNI each year to developmental aid
- In March 2015, the UK government made this commitment a legal requirement, becoming the first G8 country to do so.
- Since 1960, the total amount of global ODA given each year to developing countries has risen. Since 2000, there has been an increase of 82.5% and by 2015, global development aid totalled US$146.68 billion, which was a rise in 6.9% that year.
- However, while the total amount of ODA has steadily increased since 1960, the level of ODA when measured as a percentage of GNI has decreased.
- Since 1960, the total amount of global ODA given each year to developing countries has risen. Since 2000, there has been an increase of 82.5% and by 2015, global development aid totalled US$146.68 billion, which was a rise in 6.9% that year.
- In March 2015, the UK government made this commitment a legal requirement, becoming the first G8 country to do so.
- IGOs
- e.g. the UN, the World Bank and the EU
- Intergovernmental organisation: an organisation involving several countries working together on issues of common interest
- NGOs
- Oxfam
- Non-governmental organisation: a non-profit organisation, independent from any government
- The governments of developed countries
- Interventions by countries and international organisations to defend human rights, or to address development issues, generally take one of the four forms: development aid, trade embargoes, military aid and military action.
- Geopolitical - the influence of geography on politics, especially on international relations
- 2. Trade embargoes
- a governmental or international ban that restricts trade with a particular country
- it's a political tool, used to encourage a country to change its policies or actions by hindering its economy, or by reducing its access to specific products like military supplies.
- often used in response to perceived threats to international security, or to force an end to human rights abuses.
- e.g. in the 1980s, the UN imposed an embargo on oil and military supplies to South Africa, in order to pressurise its government into ending the policy of Apartheid.
- Can prohibit all trade, or simply ban the trade in certain items, while continuing to allow trade in other items. In late 2016, the UK had arms embargoes on 17 countries.
- e.g. in late 2016, the UK had arms embargoes on 17 countries.
- Individual countries can impose embargoes, but often they are implemented by IGOs.
- e.g. in 2011, the UN security council imposed an arms embargo on Libya in response to human rights violations.
- a governmental or international ban that restricts trade with a particular country
- 3. Military aid
- consists of money, weapons, equipment or expertise given to developing countries to help them protect their borders, fight terrorism and combat piracy or drug and people trafficking.
- sometimes given to opposition groups fighting for democracy against an authoritarian government
- e.g.the USA and UK have sent vehicles and protective armour to some Syrian rebel groups fighting President Assad
- In 2016, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) changed its definition of official development assistance/overseas aid to include some military spending. Donor countries can now use part of their 07% aid target to support military forces in developing countries where further economic development or human right are being put at risk by conflict.
- However, this change has been controversial: 1. The OECD argued that tackling violent extremism was a development activity, with over 90% of militant attacks happening in countries with weak governments and poor human rights records. 2. Charities expressed concern that this change woul lead to less money being spent on poverty reduction.
- The USA is the largest contributor of military aid to other countries. It provides some form of military aid to over 150 countries each year. Much of this aid is given to protect the US interest and security abroad.
- Validity of intervention
- often there are disagreements regarding whether invention is justified
- difference of opinion
- the different perspective or aims of the organisation or countries concerned
- opposing views about whether the stated outcomes are achievable
- concern over disregard for national sovereignty
- National Sovereignty
- the idea that each nation has a right to govern itself without interference from other nation
- fundamental principle in internationa law
- has limits as instances of governments abusing the rights of their own people have given increasing weight to the responsibility to protect
- CASE STUDY: the R2P and Libya
- The North African county of Libya, situated on the northern margin of the Sahara is entirely desert. Its location gives it an important geopolitical position in Europe - enhanced by the fact that Libya has the world's tenth largest oil reserves. Its capital, Tripoli, was once of Africa's wealthiest cities.
- gained independence in 1951 from the Italian Rule
- Colonel Gaddafi seized power in 1969 and ruled unchallenged for 42 years. However, in 2011, many Libyans began to demonstrate against him government, of which inspired the 'Arab Springs' across North Africa.
- Demonstrators were brutally repressed causing the UN to urge the government to meet its responsibility to protect its citizens. However, the government failed this causing the authorisation of force to protect its citizens, through bombing raids by the French and British, in support of rebel forces in Benghazi, against Gaddafi's Tripoli based government.
- This was the first use of 'Responsibility to Protect' by NATO forces
- Demonstrators were brutally repressed causing the UN to urge the government to meet its responsibility to protect its citizens. However, the government failed this causing the authorisation of force to protect its citizens, through bombing raids by the French and British, in support of rebel forces in Benghazi, against Gaddafi's Tripoli based government.
- The North African county of Libya, situated on the northern margin of the Sahara is entirely desert. Its location gives it an important geopolitical position in Europe - enhanced by the fact that Libya has the world's tenth largest oil reserves. Its capital, Tripoli, was once of Africa's wealthiest cities.
- National Sovereignty
- e.g. in Yemen in late 2011, when protests calling the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh turned violent, Saudi Arabia intervened on behalf. The UK government supported the Saudi actions by providing military aid. But several humanitarian organisations - including Human Rights Watch and Oxfam - say Saudi's actions in Yemen are worsening the human rights situation.
- 1. Development aid
- considered last resort
- Direct action, e.g. air strikes or troops on ground. For example, in 2003, the USA and UK were among a coalition of countries who sent troops and carried out air strikes in Iraq against the government of Saddam Hussein.
Comments
No comments have yet been made