Supranational Organizations in a Globalized World

Introduction to Supranational Organizations

• Globalization: Shrinking of the world due to interconnected economies, communication, travel, and culture.
• Supranational Organizations: Formed to facilitate global cooperation.
  • Examples: World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Focus: United Nations as the predominant supranational organization.

The United Nations (UN)

• Formation: Created post-World War II to prevent wars and encourage international cooperation.
• Predecessor: League of Nations (failed due to lack of enforcement authority).

Key Bodies of the UN

General Assembly

• Membership: Includes 193 out of 195 states.
  • Permanent Observers:
    • Vatican City: Official state of the Catholic Church, avoids international politics.
    • Palestine: Applied for membership multiple times but denied.
• Function: Discusses and makes policies for member nations, often with humanitarian focuses.
  • Example: Creation of UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) in 1946 for child welfare.
• Growth: Expanded significantly during the era of decolonization, became a forum for addressing post-colonial issues.

Security Council

• Members: 5 permanent members (US, China, France, Russia, UK) and 10 rotating members.
• Veto Power: Each permanent member can veto any policy, leading to controversial decisions.
  • Cold War: Veto power used to protect national interests.
  • Recent Example: Russia vetoed a condemnation of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
  • Palestine Issue: US and UK likely to veto Palestine’s membership due to historical ties to Israel.
• Functions: Maintains global peace, sends military peacekeepers, imposes economic sanctions.
  • Success Example: Ceasefire agreement in Liberia (2003).
  • Failure Example: Slow response in the Rwandan Genocide (1994).

Conclusion

• Role of UN: Significant in global cooperation and peacekeeping despite challenges.
• Impact of Globalization: UN fosters continuous global collaboration.

Final Notes

• Course Wrap-Up: End of the curriculum; prepare for exams with provided review materials.
• Encouragement: Wishing students success on their national exams and future studies.

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• Additional Resources: AP World History review guide available on the channel. Subscribe for more study material.