International Politics: Theories and Conflicts

• Ukrainian forces are reclaiming territory from Russian forces north of Kyiv.
• The goals include evaluating information for analyzing academic questions, utilizing political science theories, exploring national and international matters, assessing international law, scrutinizing human rights institutions, and examining international political systems concerning conflict resolution.

The International System

• The UN headquarters is located in New York City.
• Risk, the board game, serves as a basis for understanding international politics, where "inter" signifies between and "national" refers to states.
• International politics revolves around interactions and policies among states.
• Competition for land and resources exists, leading to conflicts like the war in Ukraine.
• Global politics involves various actors beyond states such as international organizations and corporations.
• Theories attempt to explain why conflicts persist, with realism emphasizing power balance, liberalism stressing cooperation benefits, and constructivism questioning inherent animosity.
• The main issues are: the structure of the system, and how it's understood; and how international actors relate, whether through conflict or cooperation.
• International systems are characterized by lack of central authority and extensive collaboration through international law.
• The UN serves as a platform for global cooperation.
• Realism, liberalism, and social constructivism offer theoretical frameworks for understanding international politics from different perspectives.
• The theories have strengths and weaknesses in explaining the international arena.

International Anarchy

• Hierarchical systems operates with a vertical distribution of power, where entities at the top govern those below.
• States possess differing degrees and types of power, impacting their autonomy in international affairs.
• The international system lacks a centralized law-making body and worldwide governing structure.
• The international system is based on the principle of anarchy, lacking a superior authority akin to a domestic government.
• Formally, states are equal and have the freedom to act as they choose.
• Sovereignty dictates that states have control over themselves,
• External sovereignty means self-governance without external interference,
• Internal sovereignty implies authority within borders without internal challenges.
• All states are fundamentally sovereign.
• Norway decides its handling of international economic crises and its involvement in military operations.
• Being sovereign means states are free to make their own decisions.
• States influence each other, and decisions are made on behalf of others sometimes
• Membership in organizations like NATO can limit autonomy in military operations.
• International collaboration may reduce a country's sovereignty.
• Focus should shift from the concept to the degree of sovereignty, considering states' desire for collaboration and its implications.

Actors in International Politics

• States are primary actors.
• A state is defined by its territory, population, and sovereignty.
• "Land" is a colloquial term that lacks precision in political and human rights discussions.
• States are complex entities with internal factions and external influences.
• State actions result from processes and compromises.
• A nation-state is composed of a nation sharing political and social bonds based on language, history, culture etc.
• A nation-state is when the majority of a population identify with a shared sense of community.
• Many states are not nation-states and some nations lack states.
• Samis are a nation residing across multiple states.
• Kurds seeks their own state, face challenges due to territorial disputes.
• An idea emphasizing self-determination was important with the constitutional development on May 17th.
• States and nations are international actors.
• International participants comprises actors and handlers in international systems.
• International organizations can be state-founded entities.
• The UN, EU, and NATO, non-state bodies like Amnesty International, and transnational businesses are further actors.
• Various actors wield varying degrees of influence on the international stage,

World Order

• Anarchy doesn't mean an absence of international norms and rules.
• Trade fosters stability and order.
• Trade needs common rules and structures that can be relied upon.
• Trade is an instance of states forming international agreements.
• Agreements is a way of creating international agreements.
• Several conventions and declarations dictate international law, like: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Paris Agreement on climate, and the Lisbon Treaty.
• Treaties is an example of international law.
• International law applies to the relationships states have with each other, including cooperation among organizations.
• There are shared agreements on wide norms.
• Declarations are broad international agreements which are not legally binding.
• Treaties are legally binding for specific matters.
• Treaties and conventions apply to specific subjects.
• Customary laws comprises unwritten rules and norms that evolve over time and become established practices such as the prohibition of torture.
• International cooperation involves legal agreements.
• International agreements can be bilateral or multilateral.
• Most bilateral agreements is in the form of trade agreements.
• A multilateral agreement example is the Paris Agreement on climate change.
• Multilateral agreements occur in organizations like EU or UN.
• Participating parties sign the agreements, signifying consent to its contents.
• A state ratifies an agreement by formally committing to its stipulations.
• Agreements come into force when enough states ratifies them.
• The UN is seen as a place of creating legal agreements.
• The UN was established in 1945 after two world wars, with the aim of creating international laws.
• The aim was to prevent such human suffering again.
• According to Dag Hammarskjöld, the purpose of the UN is to prevent people from going to hell.
• The UN's Declaration on Human Rights emphasizes equality and rights.
• Human rights is the most important.
• UN is one of the organization to work the most for human rights.
• The UN protects state sovereignty.
• State sovereignty handles who controls the state.
• Sovereignty doesn't entail criteria on how a state governs.
• UN balances between ensuring state sovereignty and interfering for human rights.
• Securing state interests creates tension.
• All 193 UN members participate in the General Assembly where each state has one vote.
• The assembly decides directions and policies for the UN.
• Decisions here indicate what the state is doing, on issues like development, security, and human rights.
• The UN charter is needed, with basis on sovereignty and prohibits attacking or threatening militarily another.
• The ban is called the non-interference principle and using military power violates it.
• There's an exception to this such as acting in self-defense.
• Every state defends itself if attacked.
• A state can be on the land of another if the other state allows this.
• Suzerain states are allowed to do this.

The Security Council concerning the UN

• The UN security council breaks sovereignty.
• The SC handles world peace and safety.
• The UN can make changes to rules that members must follow.
• The SC is a supranational authority in the system of states.
• The SC handles threats to the peace.
• The SC can endorse military actions.
• In the UN, the SC can permit violating member's sovereignty.
• 15 nations sits in the SC, 5 of these are permanent being the USA, UK, France, China, and Russia, which represents states in the second world war.
• 10 states sits in the council and is elected to sit for two years, such as Norway has done.
• For a decision need nine out of 15 countries, the five permanent has vetorett, so they can stop a decision.
• The five permanent has immense influence.
• Alliances influence how the SC is run.
• The permanent members influences decisions in this institution which has spurred debate.
• Brazil, Germany and India are not permanent members when some think they ought to because they are populous and large.
• The UN has been known for securing human rights.
• UN can use military actions to protect the population if abused.
• This protection is called "responsibility to protect". If state fails to protect own population then the world can help them.
• R2P means states must protect the people and help if states perpetrates abuse.
• R2P was made because of the Rwanda folkemord where 800.000 died and the UN did not involve itself and because of that states were forced to protect civilians.
• A military can be used to remove those committing the abuses. R2P was used in Libya because of death threats.
• NATO took over the military, led by Libya.
• NATO lacked strategy and went further than UN permitted them.
• Gaddafi was killed.
• Intervention in Libya has multiple motives.
• The intervention has complexities.
• UN isn't easy and they must encourage decisions made to be followed.

The Human Rights Council and other orgianzations in UN

• The UN human rights council handles human rights non-militarily.
• The UNHRC is based in Geneve.
• In 2006 R2P was secured.
• UN general assembly says which countries sit in HR council.
• The 47 member states must be elected with half of the general assembly voting for it.
• The HR council passes resolutions condemning human rights.
• The council handles claims, investigates abuse and appoints special rapports.
• They also review periodically.
• Often the leader sits in HR council regarding the review.
• Reports are discussed and recommendations are given on how to better human rights.
• A country responds to recommendations.
• The state of Norway had in UPR in 2019 and again in 2023.
• The human rights council has received criticism regarding abuse.
• These states has influence and decide what important.
• The tension in UN is the priority between state sovereignty og human rights.
• Those in the council should be able to sit there, because it's internal policies.
• If human rights supersedes sovereignty, it doesn't allow states to commit gross violation of human rights.
• The high commissioner handles high rights with organ made in 1993.
• The office must see after the human rights by gathering knowledge etc.
• The office often helps the HR council.

Indicators for working with human rights, organizations and trade etc.

• It has developed a number of indicators that it uses when working with international development in order to map a country 's work with human rights.
• The indicators, split into: -Structure: What has the state done to incorporate human rights into national legislation? -Process: What measures has the state implemented to fulfill its international human rights obligations? -Results: is What are the results of these measures?
• The World Trade Organization contribute to freer trade.
• Trade barrier is things like taxes and standards for production.
• Lowering taxes is WTOs way of making it cheaper exchanging with each other.
• Harmonization is agreeing how a product must look, function and be produced to make trading cheaper.
• WTO has it forum for solving disputes.
• Having trading relations makes it easier for countries to corporate.
• Yet sometimes there isn't agreement in WTO and country can disagree.
• Development is being prioritized in some countries.
• Theories are from how anarki and legal code control how states choose to act.
• How important is actors.
• Political science contains different direction with various looks on this , and we will now account for three.
• Realism, liberalism and constructivism.
• There will be different syn on what it looks like.
• The theory is about why is it hard to gather about climate.
• Realism will say whether its good that state prioritize wealth.
• Theories is about different aspects depending on if it's about economy, war or peace.

Realism; Theories on power, anarki and actions.

• Man has less conflict internal if it's handled regulated.
• There are different syn on the matter, like on the International level there isn't authorities.
• constant is being unsafe and their are risk for conflict.
• It's up to the states to secure themselves and their own interests.
• Realists will show why states act.
• The structure shows the anarki leads to a security dilemma.
• If a states securing themselves, it might instill uncertainly into others.
• All states is only interested in securing themselves, they look at what leads to gain.
• Organizational actions is seen as what countries benefits from.
• The agreement is hard because they think states are egoistical.
• They think international collaboration is hard to implement.
• Its most important to secure the international system and it's peace, central is the states share on power.
• The balance leads to stable system, otherwise their will erupt conflicts.
• During the cold war there where USA and the Soviet Union for an example on Bipolar
• This had right direction.
• Something has to be in order for it to work.
• Smaller states get bind to large states in the bipolar, which makes that stabile.
• Unipolar is when a state have more to say, like America i 1990.

Concepts of worlds, theories and issues.

• Might not be an anarki which becomes like something hierarchical.
• Today its about multipolar with more centre where no rules apply.
• Stability is at what we relates to which threats states must respond about.
• Might not be the right word, because we lacks aspects like human rights og the state have to take care of the population.
• Theory will not give and decent explanation.
• Theory is good for telling why things ends up badly but it is not good at telling why, when waiting.
• It's largest priority is its possibility to have knowledge about leading something to war.
• Everyone is mainly looking after their own and have thoughts about those they threatening with.
• Liberalismen is great and has been known for its ideology in society, were word points to that it is mainly focusing on human freedom
• Agreement from realisten where the international agreements are with one another and how states motivate themselves, mainly from one benefit at making at doing what their doing, if they not cooperating with others or states.
• Cooperation it's the state is about wanting and to come with collective, to be able to come over anarchies if anything.
• States is affect by event that is over what happens outside, it made the population depended to make condition complicated, condition for complicated , makes for increased rules like handelsavtales if you think and that others is about building after obstacles that is made to others, this means a lot internally and the state does this.
• Can also make a break so it won't be easy to get your interssests to work in a good way.
• The freedom helps for others also gains them, the different has that realism that the freedom also the benefit others.

International organizations, trading, cooperation

• There is high international organizations and with high grade of globalization its important to separate the communities in the last 30 years.
• To say at same time, that the globalization is an alike and as important trend today.
• Regionaliseringen means to be short, that international is working good in an geographic region like EU.
• European group and de afrianske is to say for an example.
• Many of these group hols good economic communities in start as important motivation.
• Regionaliseringen can to both be seen for something lasting globalization if the motivation is strong.
• Often there is made many arguments that can create common communities that helps to maintain.
• At one side tank there isn't something you can agree on and you need to be strict on the rules and limitations and have strictness inside the corporation who gets approved.
• EU has often gotten criticism that they are building something like "Fortress Europe", there European states are kept out, criticism handle people it wishes to come from,
• Then it may question is what most important: is it increasing the potencial for increasing more inside the region, and or that aiming for an equal increasing bigger amount in the world?

Realism, theories, and constructivism regarding states

• Realism can say this is a response to superpower America, as well the leader, as well a shared agenda that both the FN and WTO and World's bank would have.
• The is'nt unipolar with states, and one more strength center in the world will make states be better at being one another and influence more.
• If we follow realization arguments, then this might be better with the balance if we get the polls in the anarchistic systems.
• The regional groups can have coordination functions together it wishes to be participate with.

Weakness and strong side with liberalism

• We can say that liberalism has strength with helping us to be able to understand relationships and great development.
• Has done this when world has look to be great together and at 1990 almost all the countries went together to be able to have development.
• Has it neighbor to the east and an opportunity to have a very developed organization right in the neighborhood but they are collaborating that makes the world to be better at what it is.
• To make it better so that countries more earlier has seen.

Theory of why cooperating can be hard when it comes to important stuff

• Liberalismen get it problem solved to why cooperate might be the solution if their would happens strong situations it wanted to working at.
• At what all the states will be in future at all living places, why is it that difficult to get it take? what is it great for these states so the thing they are taking about, and even though there are very powerful, it can see bad.
• Constructivism and the view on the topic.
• In 1992 a famous quote by theory which is "Anarchy is what state makes up", there the state might have had there minds with one an other,
• There has been organization in this, all by men and might have had their eyes opened because of this.
• States in which what the most important is to be good, means that at its that its a good land, with help to take care and be respective and also that you be what is the best that you can to get the most out of education.

Explore international relations, examining political science theories and global political systems. Understand state interactions, competition for resources, and conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Learn about the roles of international organizations and the UN headquarters in New York City.