The United Nations System
International Organizations
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Foundations of the UN
 1941,
The Atlantic Charter
 Security system and economic
collaboration
 Sovereign equality of member states
 Five permanent members as a guarantee
for the SC decisions
 The US to adopt the UN charter in 1945
 50 states initially agree on the
arrangements for a better world
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Underlying principles of the UN
Charter
 States
shall refrain from the threat or use
of force against the territorial integrity or
political independence of any state
 Settle international disputes by peaceful
means
 States are obliged to fulfill in good faith all
the obligations assumed under the charter
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
The UN and World Politics

1946-50s emerging Cold War for years shaped the
politics of the SC and the UN
 Vietnam war led by the US and Soviet invasion of
Czechoslovakia and Hungary circumvented the UN
 Possible nuclear treat shaped the global politics and
augmented the role of the UN
 Mostly peaceful decolonization and emergence of new
states via smooth transition due to the global stage
 The North-South conflict, G-77, NIEO, Kyoto protocol
 Post cold war politics of peace and the greater role of the
UN
 Democracy spreading further to such regions as Latin
America
 Globalization and pressures to create world governance
structures in the new millennium
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Reform?

All agree that finances
need to be reformed:
sustainability
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Other reform issues

Coordination and
management: How to
improve ECOSOC?
 Dialogue with IMF
and WB
 Structural reform of
the Security Council:
away from P-5 or
what is the formula?
 NGOs demand
openness of SC
The Security Council is the United Nations'
most powerful body. It has "primary
responsibility for the maintenance of
international peace and security." Five
powerful countries sit as "permanent
members" along with ten other member
states, elected for two-year terms. Since
1990, the Council has dramatically increased
its activity and it now meets in nearly
continuous session. It dispatches military
operations, imposes economic sanctions,
mandates arms inspections, deploys human
rights and election monitors and more.
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Regionalism
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
The Roots and Dynamics of Regionalism


Regionalism=geographical proximity + degree of mutual
interdependence
Regionalism can be defined as:
Essentialist approach
Constructivist approach
There is a natural core of
The region is a
economic, security,
sociopolitical construct
religious and cultural links with concepts, metaphors
among the states.
and practices driving it.
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Political factors driving regionalism

Identity (Constructivism) as the shared
perception externally and internally, such as
economic or security threat or cultural and
religious congruence
 Internal and external threats (Realism) such as
the Cold war and the creation of NATO, EC,
China vs. ASEAN, Arab League vs. Israel,
 Domestic politics, such as industries rallying for
closer economic ties and MERCOSUR
 Leadership of certain states or individuals, such
as Indonesia and ASEAN, Canada and NAFTA,
etc.
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Economic factors driving regionalism
 Economic
interdependence, more
particularly trade flow intensity
 Larger market creation for bigger FDIs
 Further political and security reasons for
cooperation
 First wave of R: 1950-60s, i. e. NATO,
OAS
 Second wave of R: 1980-90s, i. e. EU,
CIS, MERCOSUR
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com
Some regionals

NATO the most organized security regional organization,
started with the Cold war it is now a peacekeeping force,
maybe to become a piece of UN puzzle?
 EU the best developed regional unit that has come to
replace the national states, can it become a model for
other regionals?
 Hemispheric regionalism, i. e. OAS, subregional
cooperation MERCOSUR, NAFTA
 Balancing against China and Japan, ASEAN, APEC
 Dealing with traumas of a colonial legacy, AU
Nvard V. Manasian
manasian@arminco.com