When you think about international relations, perhaps you picture leaders of different countries having meetings and signing treaties with one another. This is a major feature of international relations, but it is far from the whole story.
Relationships between countries are rarely as simple as one government agreeing with another. Governments may have agreements to support each other in time of conflict, even if they strongly disagree about many other issues. There may also be countries that are political and military allies, but that at the same time compete to sell goods and products to other countries. In addition to the direct relationships between governments, international relations are conducted by organizations that bring together countries with shared interests. Good examples are the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (see pages 16 and 17). Other countries group together around specific interests, such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which has members in Asia, Africa, and South America. OPEC's members are all big producers of oil.
There are also many organizations that are not made up of countries, but that are active in many parts of the world and play important roles in the international community. These organizations can have a big influence on international relations. These range from charities and groups supporting specific causes, such as the environmental group Greenpeace, to religious organizations like the Catholic Church. Multinational corporations with businesses in many different locations also have a major influence around the world.
Terrorists and guerrillas
Some of the global organizations that affect international relations are much less welcome for many people. These include terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda, which has launched attacks against the United States and its allies, but also against countries in the Islamic world that it sees as being corrupt. Other guerrilla groups can be supported by one country against another.
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Examples include militants in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir (see pages 50 and 51) who, according to the Indian government, receive support from neighboring Pakistan. 1
THE UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations (UN) was created in 1945, following the two world wars. Its aim was to promote peace, solve economic and social problems through international cooperation, and safeguard
human rights.
The UN now has more than 190 member countries and is led by a secretary-general, who is elected by the member countries. These countries send representatives to the UN General Assembly, which meets in New York City. Other UN bodies include the Security Council, which deals with peace and security. The Economic and Social Committee gives a global focus to these issues, while the International Court of Justice handles disputes between countries. 2 The UN does a lot of work to prevent conflict and meet its other aims. However, it is often limited by disagreements within the Security Council and other bodies. 3
Approaches to international relations
There are a number of different approaches that governments or other organizations can take in their relations with other countries and global organizations.
Use of power
Some would argue that international relations are a constant struggle for power. This theory is based on military power. Italian thinker Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince , one of the most influential texts on government, set forward these ideas. According to this theory, countries only achieve what they want by demonstrating their power. Those that do not or cannot show strength will lose out in the international struggle, or they will need to build alliances that give them the necessary levels of security.
This negative view of international relations has been seen in history—for example, in the period known as the Cold War (see pages 15 and 16). The Cold War alliances that built up between the United States and its allies and between the Soviet Union and its allies were based on these ideas.
Machiavelli was a statesman in the republic of Florence, in what is now Italy. He used his experience in government to write one of the most influential political books in history, The Prince (1513). This was a handbook for gaining and using power. Machiavelli argued that, in order for a prince to gain power and lead a state, it was important to be strong. He argued that this might mean lying or using unethical means. 4
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A connected world
An alternative theory is that different people around the world are interconnected. This theory emphasizes the many things that people share, ranging from natural resources like oil and water to the interconnected global economy. For example, multinational corporations often have more wealth and power than many countries, and they operate in many different areas. Followers of this idea of an interconnected world would argue that this interdependence helps to create peace and prosperity for all. 5
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In 1989, many communist governments in Europe were toppled by popular protests. This marked the end of the Cold Wa Many people hoped this would lead to more cooperation among countries. But military power still remains a central part of international relations today.
The real world
Most countries and organizations steer a course somewhere between these opposing theories. The United States is the biggest military power in the world and has the ability to enforce its will through military force, similar to what is described in Machiavelli's theories. However, like all countries, it needs to build alliances. The United States also needs to buy and sell goods around the world. So, it cannot simply be aggressive all the time. Instead, it must keep up good relations with much of the world.
At the same time, the idea of a world based solely on peace and prosperity through interconnectedness is very different from the world that exists. At any time, there are many wars and conflicts going on around the world. Many of the world's biggest issues, such as environmental change, are not tackled by the world as a whole because they do not reflect the immediate interests of some individual countries (see pages 38 and 39).
This book will look at how the international community deals with these issues,- as well as the ethical questions that arise. But first we need to understand how today's complex system of international relations has developed.
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