“International Organizations”

Training Session 11 Feb 2015

UN

• The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organisation established 24 October 1945, to promote international co-operation.

Security Council• The Security Council has primary responsibility for the

maintenance of international peace and security. – Takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the

peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, it can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

• It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. – Five permanent members with veto power and ten non-

permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term.

Veto Power

• Veto power is wielded solely by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States), enabling them to prevent the adoption of any "substantive" draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support for the draft.

• Is this a good thing?

Peacekeepers

• The UN, after approval by the Security Council, sends peacekeepers to regions where armed conflict has recently ceased or paused to enforce the terms of peace agreements and to discourage combatants from resuming hostilities.

• Since the UN does not maintain its own military, peacekeeping forces are voluntarily provided by member states.

ICC (International Criminal Court)• The ICC is legally independent from the United

Nations.• Can trial people for things such as war crimes and

crimes against humanity• Problems:– Important international players, such as the USA and Israel,

are not members– The ICC has been accused of bias and as being a tool of

Western imperialism, only punishing leaders from small, weak states while ignoring crimes committed by richer and more powerful states.

“Drones”

Training Session 11 Feb 2015

What are they?

• Unmanned (combat) aerial vehicles• Pilotless planes• Getting more and more advanced– Can carry 2 hellfire missiles

When are they used?Benefits:• Remote piloted• Reduce the need for ground forces

First Used:• Bosnia 1995 for reconnaissance• 2001 Nevada – first successful payload delivery

Where are they used?• Yemen• Pakistan• Somalia

Chain of Command

• Not covered by defence• CIA command structure• President signs off on every drone strike• Changes from Bush to Obama administration

Chain of Command

Pakistan

2004 Drone Strikes begin.• killed 5–8 people including Nek Muhammad

Wazir and two children, in a strike in South Waziristan.

• CIA covert action authority

Current position of Pakistani Government is that they don’t consent to drone strikes (in reality do)

http://drones.pitchinteractive.com/

Yemen and SomaliaYemen• Civil War• 2011 Revolution • Al Qaeda haven in the Middle East

Somalia• Al Shabaab ‘The Youth’– Ahmed Godane

• Surveillance against piracy

Debating about drones

FOR• More efficient• Better targeted• Reduce collateral

damage• Less risk to troops• Can be used for

surveillance

AGAINST• No more efficient• Lack of oversight• Indiscriminate• Remoteness of killing• Radicalisation