University of the
Department of
Government
GT12A Introduction to International Relations
Lecturer: Ms. Diana Thorburn
Lecture
13
Topics:
Current issues in International Relations; International Relations of the
Objectives
1.
To have
an understanding of the principal issues in contemporary mainstream
international relations
2.
To know
the main issues in contemporary international relations of the
One. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Main issues in contemporary international
relations
1.
Who is the world superpower, and who is in a position
to become a superpower
2.
The status of sovereignty as a basic principle in
international relations
3.
Environmental issues—global warming, energy resource
depletion
4.
World population growth and demographic concerns (also
related to the environment)
5.
Economic globalisation
6.
The North-South divide
7.
Human rights
8.
The spread of Western democracy
Pertinent questions to be answered
Key
questions to help understand the nature of the international system
These
questions help to give an idea of what the main issues in international
relations are today
N.B. Many of the answers to such questions are less
certain now after Sept 11
1.
Will
state sovereignty be eroded by supranational authority?
2.
Will
norms of human rights and democracy become global?
3.
Will the
UN evolve into a world government?
4.
Will the
number of nation-states increase?
5.
Will
6.
What
effects will further improvements in communications and information technology
have on IR?
7.
Will
traditional military strength continue to determine power in the international
system?
8.
Will
weapons of mass destruction proliferate?
9.
Will
there be a single world currency?
10.
Will
there be a global market with no barriers to trade?
11.
Will the
world’s citizens develop a global identity, or will national/local identities
become stronger?
12.
Will
world culture become more homogeneous or more pluralistic?
13.
Will
current trade blocs become political blocs also?
14.
What
will be the effects of global environmental degradation? Can technology be
developed to avert this?
15.
Will
population growth continue or decrease?
16.
Will
developing countries become developed?
Who is world leader?
What is the nature of the international system? Unipolar or multipolar?
Is there a world hegemon?
§
A hegemon is a dominant
military and economic power
§
During the Cold War there were two hegemons
–
§
If we accept argument that
§
However freedom from the constraints of the East-West
divide has allowed other countries to pursue their own ambitions to world superpowerdom
§
E.g.
Sovereignty
The principle of sovereignty is changing in the
post-Cold War era
Traditional sovereignty challenged by:
a.
Global market forces
b.
Environmental concerns
c.
Global communication
d.
Nuclear weapons
e.
Terrorism
f.
Drug trade
g.
Human rights and humanitarian law
h.
Domestic monopoly of violence within states (internal
challenge to sovereignty)
The Environment & Population Growth
An issue based on the belief that increased human
economic and social activity is harming the natural/physical environment that
sustains us
As the world’s population grows, and as people pursue
higher standards of living, the environment seems to be more threatened
Threats to the environment come from:
1.
Increased food production to meet the needs of
increased population
2.
Need for food in places where the land does not have
the capacity to provide adequate supplies
3.
Increased industrial production – depletes natural
resources and produces polluting emissions
- The
extent and seriousness of environmental degradation is unknown
- Heavily
debated topic
The global
environment as an IR issue
How does the environment affect relations between
nation-states and other actors in the international system?
1.
Conflict between countries over scarce resources e.g.
water in the
2.
Conflict between countries over the effects of one’s
pollution on the other
3.
Internal environmental problems can cause instability
for a nation-state that might filter into its foreign policy
4.
Refugees fleeing problems caused by environmental
degradation will bring about immigration issues between countries
5.
Most environmental issues cannot be solved by
countries on their own
6.
Some environmental issues do not correspond to single
nation-states but to many countries, and even to mankind as a whole
7.
Environmental degradation can lead to widespread
poverty in nation-states, spilling over into instability in the international
system
Globalisation
Globalisation is the spread and intensification of
economic, social and cultural relations across international borders
As an international issue globalization comprises many
different issues, such as sovereignty, spread of cultural norms, and the
conflicts that the spread of cultural norms might engender
E.g. “Clash of Civilizations” thesis
Increased economic interdependence
Shift towards a world economy that is no longer based
on autonomous national economies
Emergence and consolidation of a global market-place
for production, distribution and consumption
Facilitated most by technological change and increased
economic competition between firms
Also by countries’ own domestic trade and financial
liberalisation and export policies
Argument that globalisation is not new, it is just
more intense now and more of the world is involved in the post-Cold War era
Is globalisation biased towards or against developing
countries?
Some developing countries are now developed countries
for having taken advantage of globalization e.g.
Some developing countries are worse off as they cannot
compete in the global marketplace due to internal political, social or economic
patterns
The North-South Divide
Replaced the East-West divide
Issues based on differences in levels of wealth and
human consumption between countries
An international issue due to:
a. Foreign
policy priorities of developed countries based on moral/ethical/altruistic
objectives
b. Awareness
of possibility that internal conflicts brought about by poverty could
destabilize the international system (e.g. AIDS in
Human Rights
Human rights are the political rights and civil
liberties recognized by the international community as inalienable and valid
for individuals in all countries by virtue of their humanness
The freedoms and dignity that all human beings are
entitled to—violated by nation-states either during war, or through internal
policies against, say, minority populations
Human rights an IR issue when governments abuse the
human rights of their own people
Other countries or international organizations may
intervene in a country committing human rights abuses against its citizens
This is a challenge to sovereignty
Nevertheless this continues to be an increasingly
important IR issue
Countries address human rights issues especially in
neighbouring countries to try to prevent migration or instability affecting
their own countries
International organizations address human rights
issues because of core ethical principles and standards, and also to prevent
national conflicts from causing international instability
Human rights an issue in the post-Cold War era
During the Cold War the
Amnesty International now one of the most influential
international NGOs because of its role in pressuring governments on human
rights issues
Countries might be punished for human rights abuses by
economic sanctions (
Human rights main stated area of conflict between
Pinochet case was about human rights violations in
Democracy
“End of History” thesis – Francis Fukuyama
Major powers linking their foreign policy to democracy
International organizations’ work in many areas
focussed on spread of democracy
End of East-West divide meant that Western democracies
such as USA and Western Europe no longer willing to overlook anti-democratic
regimes in order to maintain political alliances
Why therefore does US
maintain such close ties with
Two. CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE
Three standard issues since
one. Regional integration
two. Economic development
three. Prestige and status in the international
system
These issues remain but have been added to by:
four. International drug trafficking
Globalisation has changed the nature of these issues
and added new variables to them
Regional
Integration
Has been an issue for
First attempt was the West Indies Federation 1958-61
CARIFTA – Caribbean Free Trade Association – formed
after independence
CARICOM established in 1973 – included CARIFTA
Realization that such small states have to integrate
for economic and political reasons
End of Cold War brought greater imperatives to integrate
CARICOM restructured in 1991 to try to meet new
post-Cold War global challenges
“Time for Action” report – landmark in
o
End of
Cold War meant new realities for
§
§
No
guarantee of financial aid whether direct or through trade preferences as
payment for political allegiance in the East-West divide
§
Globalization
of world economy meant that inefficient production would no longer survive in
the global market
§
Historical trade preferences would be jeopardized
§
Small
states without valuable natural resources, no longer necessary as political
allies in East-West divide, have less prestige and status in international
system—by speaking in one voice they would have more influence
§
Functional
cooperation more important as states scale back on expenditure in social
sectors
Other
integration initiatives have emerged due to similar factors
Association of Caribbean States
Free Trade Area of the
Economic
development
Much of
Regional integration seen as necessary for economic
development due to expanded market and greater economies of scale
New challenges with globalisation:
§
Trade and economic development in a liberalized world
economy
§
Agriculture (especially bananas and sugar)
We now have to ask: What is our comparative
advantage in a globalised world economy?
Tourism
Financial services
Telecommunications services
Manufacturing assembly operations
Export of skilled labour in exchange for remittances
Prestige
and status
Attempts to take leadership positions
Realization that participation necessary to maintain
presence on international stage, particularly in an international system where
Protection of sovereignty also an element of this
issue
Four
aspects of the drugs issue
one. Internal sovereignty threatened
by both foreign actors (international drug traffickers) and by local figures
whose drug wealth and arms possessions make them rivals of the state
two. External sovereignty threatened by
drug-importing countries seeking to interdict drug traffickers in territorial
waters
three. Affects diplomatic relations between
countries—countries can be punished for not taking enough action in stopping
some aspect of drug trafficking, or can be rewarded for taking actions desired
by drug-importing countries
four. Primary issue in US-Caribbean
relationship—perhaps the most important relationship for the