Tuesday, November 09, 2004
- US-EUROPEAN RELATIONS
Lecturer: Prof. dr. Ruud Janssens
Political Relations: UN and Bilateral Relations. Presentation by Rhonda, Liang Xin & Carlein.
Very good presentation today (I'll post it shortly.) Rhonda exuded tranquility as she discussed the history and the functioning of the UN. Liang Xin did a great job at describing the inherent weaknesses of the institution, and Carlein made some useful and interesting remarks about the problem of sovereignty and -last but not least- about the role of the UN (or lack thereof) in the war on terror.
Comments by Prof. Janssens. The Original Mission of the UN. If we take into account its original mission (to prevent a new world war), then the UN has been rather successful. As a matter of fact, most conflicts have been internal conflicts -- "ethnic cleansing", revolutions, etc.-- about which the UN was not meant to interfere.
Intervention & the UN Dilemma. After Somalia and Rwanda, the UN dilemma can be stated like this: if it does intervene, it risks a Somalia-style fiasco; but if it does not, then the risk is a new Rwanda. Not an easy one!
The Role of the People's Republic of China. Although a member of the UN Security Council, the People's Republic of China does not seem willing to actively participate in UN-led initiatives. It often uses its veto power and it does not contribute to peace-keeping operations. This is bad news for the UN, because it depends on the participation of its members.
Lecturer: Prof. dr. Ruud Janssens
Political Relations: UN and Bilateral Relations. Presentation by Rhonda, Liang Xin & Carlein.
Very good presentation today (I'll post it shortly.) Rhonda exuded tranquility as she discussed the history and the functioning of the UN. Liang Xin did a great job at describing the inherent weaknesses of the institution, and Carlein made some useful and interesting remarks about the problem of sovereignty and -last but not least- about the role of the UN (or lack thereof) in the war on terror.
Comments by Prof. Janssens. The Original Mission of the UN. If we take into account its original mission (to prevent a new world war), then the UN has been rather successful. As a matter of fact, most conflicts have been internal conflicts -- "ethnic cleansing", revolutions, etc.-- about which the UN was not meant to interfere.
Intervention & the UN Dilemma. After Somalia and Rwanda, the UN dilemma can be stated like this: if it does intervene, it risks a Somalia-style fiasco; but if it does not, then the risk is a new Rwanda. Not an easy one!
The Role of the People's Republic of China. Although a member of the UN Security Council, the People's Republic of China does not seem willing to actively participate in UN-led initiatives. It often uses its veto power and it does not contribute to peace-keeping operations. This is bad news for the UN, because it depends on the participation of its members.
# posted by Agustin @ 5:00 PM 
