International Organizations: EU, UN, NATO, and More

• There are many international organisations that promote collaboration between countries. The EU, UN, NATO, the Commonwealth, WTO and Council of Europe are explored below

European Union (EU)

• Founded in 1957, the EU is a political and economic union of 27 European member states.
• Its aims are economic development, cross-border trade, security, cultural exchange, and political cooperation.
• It was created to encourage economic cooperation following WWII.
• Economic interdependence was intended to prevent conflict within the EU.

European Citizenship

• Nationals of any EU country automatically gain EU citizenship.
• EU citizens have the right to live, work, study, and retire in any EU country.
• EU citizens can vote and run in European Parliament elections and can complain to the European Ombudsman.

Timeline of Europe

• 1951: The European Coal and Steel Community was established.
• 1957: The European Union was founded.
• 1973: The UK, Denmark, and Ireland joined the EU.
• 1986: The EU flag was unveiled
• 1995: The Schengen Pact was formed, initiating borderless travel.
• 1999: The Euro was introduced in 11 countries.
• 2004: The EU expanded to include 10 new countries.
• 2016: Britain voted to leave the European Union.
• 2020: Brexit took place on January 31, 2020.

European Union Members

• Current members includes Spain, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Greece, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, France, and Portugal, and Ireland.
• There are 27 members overall

How to Join the EU:

• Countries must adhere to rules like fair treatment of citizens and respect for human rights.
• Countries need to demonstrate a well-managed and beneficial economy.
• Some countries may need to adjust domestic laws to align with European laws.

Brexit Referendum

• 17.4 million voted to leave the EU compared to 16.1 million who voted to remain.
• The leave vote won by approximately 1.3 million votes.
• The Conservative Party's 2015 manifesto included a referendum on EU membership before the end of 2017.
• In 2016, 52% voted to leave, and 48% voted to remain in the EU.
• Prime Minister David Cameron, who favored remaining, resigned after the referendum result.

Timeline Leading to Brexit Referendum

• 2013 (Jan): David Cameron expressed support for an in-out referendum on EU membership.
• 2015 (Apr): The Conservative Party Manifesto pledged an in-out referendum on EU membership before 2017.
• 2015 (Dec): The European Union Referendum Act was enacted.
• 2015-2016: The Prime Minister attempted to negotiate a new settlement with the EU.
• 2016 (Feb): The EU referendum date was announced after securing a deal on Britain’s membership.
• 2016 (Apr): The government published and distributed a leaflet arguing for remaining in the EU.
• 2016 (Jun): The UK held a referendum where the majority voted to leave the EU (51.9% versus 48.1%).
• 2016 (Jun): Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to resign.
• 2016 (Jul): Theresa May became the new UK Prime Minister.
• 2017 (Apr): Prime Minister May called a General Election to be held on June 8, 2017.

Remain Campaign

• "Britain Stronger in Europe" asserted that the UK is stronger, better off, and safer within the EU.
• Leaving the EU would risk the economy and jobs.

Leave Campaign

• "Vote Leave" argued for leaving the EU to "take back control".
• The UK would stop sending £350 million per week to Brussels, instead spending it on UK priorities, like the NHS.

Article 50

• Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon allows any EU member state to unilaterally leave the EU and outlines the procedure.
• The leaving country has two years to negotiate an exit deal.
• In 2018, the Electoral Commission found the "Vote Leave" campaign guilty of breaking electoral reform rules.

The United Nations

• The United Nations was formed in 1945 after WWII.
• The aim was to increase political and economic cooperation among member countries to prevent future world wars.
• The UN works on economic and social development programs, human rights improvements, and global conflict reduction.
• 51 countries signed a charter in 1945, creating the United Nations.
• In 1948 the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, supervised by Eleanor Roosevelt, granted all citizens 30 protections and freedoms.

United Nations Today

• There are 193 Member States.
• Each member is represented in the General Assembly.
• States are admitted by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
• The UN addresses issues like peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, and food production.

Timeline of United Nations

• 1919: The League of Nations was the fore runner for the UN.
• 1945: The United Nations Was founded.
• 1948: The Universal Declaration on Human Rights was formed, and the first peacekeeping mission occurred.
• 1954: The UN High Commission for Refugees won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1960s: The UN adopted the Declaration on the Rights of a Child, campaigned against apartheid, and sent peacekeepers to Cyprus.
• 1994: The UN failed to protect the Tutsi in Rwanda during the genocide.
• 2003: The UN failed to intervene in the Darfur crisis.
• 2012: The UN failed to intervene in the Syrian Crisis due to the Power of Veto.

United Nations Security Council Members 2018

• Permanent members include the United Kingdom, Russia, United States, China, and France.
• Non-Permanent members include Peru, Bolivia, Sweden, Poland, Kuwait, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire.

General Assembly

• The General Assembly is the main policymaking and representative part of the UN.
• All 193 Member States are represented.
• Decisions on peace and security are made here.
• Each year, a new General Assembly President is elected for a one-year term.
• The UN has a set of Millennium Development Goals.
• The UN currently has 110,000 peacekeepers in 14 operations worldwide.
• They all wear a blue helmet.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• NATO was set up in 1949 after WWII to counterbalance Russia and its allies.
• It is a military alliance of 29 independent western countries, based in Brussels, Belgium.
• Members agree to a collective response if any NATO member is attacked.
• NATO has worked with Afghanistan to train their security forces, involving over 12,000 personnel.
• NATO has been involved in missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Mediterranean.
• There are currently 18,000 personnel on missions around the world.
• The UK contributes to the total NATO defence budget.
• The UK and US are two of the top five financial contributors.

Timeline for NATO

• 1949: Established after WW2 with 12 countries.
• 1950: The European Council adopted the European Convention on Human Rights.
• 1966: France pulled out from NATO integrated military command (resumed in 2009).
• 1989: The Berlin Wall fell, and the Warsaw Pact dissolved. The Soviet Union ceased to exist.
• 1990s: NATO enforced a UN-backed arms embargo on the former republic of Yugoslavia.
• 1990s: NATO helped end the Bosnian war and prevent ethnic cleansing on a global scale.
• 1999: NATO enlarged to include former Warsaw Pact countries (Poland and Hungary).
• 2001: The terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in the USA led NATO to invoke Article 5.

NATO Contribution

• NATO's work in supporting military missions is helping to make the world a safer place.
• It is establishing peace, providing security, and developing bonds with non-NATO members.

NATO Members

• Members include the UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
• There are 29 members in total.
• Before the Twin Towers attack in 2001, no NATO member had been attacked in over 50 years.

The Commonwealth

• The Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth) is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states.
• It was formed in 1931, largely consisting of former territories of the British Empire.
• The Queen is currently head of the Commonwealth.
• The aim is to maintain global unity through shared language, history, and culture, despite growing independence.
• It is estimated that over 2 billion people belong to the Commonwealth representing one-third of the world population.
• Countries are said to be united through their common values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
• The Commonwealth has drawbacks including high AIDS prevalence and wealth disparity.
• It has been criticised for being slow and ineffective and its leader is not elected.
• In 2013, the Commonwealth released a charter, containing 16 core beliefs.
• Leaders of the Commonwealth nations meet every 2 years at the Heads of Government Meeting and all members have an equal say.

Commonwealth Games

• The Commonwealth Games involve athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations.
• Member countries are UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, India, Ghana, and Botswana

Commonwealth Charter 2013

• Sets out the core values of the Commonwealth.
• A firm commitment from all 53 members, focused on promoting equal rights, rule of law, democracy and human rights.
• It was officially signed by Queen Elizabeth II and contains a total of 16 core beliefs.

WTO

• The World Trade Organization (WTO), created in 1995, has over 164 members.
• It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
• Their goal is to help producers of goods, services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
• They aim to settle any trade disputes fairly, promoting the concept of ‘free trade’.

WTO Members

• Members include the UK, Spain, Germany, Peru, America, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Russia, China, India, Argentina, and Mexico.
• There are 164 members in total and around 20+ observer governments.

The Council of Europe

• Established in 1949, the UK is a founding member of this organisation
• Established after the second world war to promote and protect human rights for all European citizens.
• It also aims to safeguard democracy and uphold justice for all of its members.
• The CoE enforces the European convention on Human rights [ECHR] through the European Court of Human rights [ECtHR]

Council of Europe Timeline

• 1949: Established after the second world war
• 1950: The European Council adopted the European Convention on Human Rights
• 1950: The European Court of Human Rights is established
• 1994: The congress of the Council of Europe is established

European Court of Human Rights

• This court allows citizens to submit an application about any violation of their civil, human or political rights, which are set out in the ECHR.
• Over the past 50 years, the court has ruled on over 10,000 cases.
• The court is responsible for the human rights of over 800 million citizens.
• Final rulings in this court are legally binding for the countries involved.

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)

• An international treaty that members of the CoE agree to abide by which prohibits use of the death penalty, slavery, torture and forced labour.
• The treaty also protects freedom of expression, thought and the right to life.
• The WTO is formed of 600 people, including lawyers, statisticians, economists and communication experts