States and globalisation

GiH 3 ESO > The political organization of society > States and globalisation

Globalisation has given rise to a worldwide system formed by states. To make this system work, states have entered into agreements with each other and created supranational organisations.

Relationships between states: treaties and conventions

States develop in constant contact with one another, so many problems affect a large number of countries in the same way and can only be resolved by working together.

A number of joint action initiatives are taken:

The signing of international treaties, conventions and declarations on human rights in which states undertake to carry out or avoid certain measures.
The creation of supranational organisations, to which states delegate certain functions.

Numerous international treaties and conventions concerning a range of issues have been signed by states: arms control, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, climate change, etc.

Supranational organisations

After the Second World War, many international organisations were created in order to find joint solutions to the problems caused by the rise in relationships between countries.

There are global organisations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and continental and regional organisations, such as the European Union (EU) and the Arab League. These organisations carry out important work in the areas of political coordination, economic and technological development, and the promotion of health, education and peace.

States and regionalisation

Globalisation has also caused regions and major cities to highlight their economic, historical and cultural importance. This has also caused them to insist on managing their resources and sharing powers.

There are many types of regions.

Stateless nations such as Quebec in Canada.
Well-established, distinct regions, such as the Free State of Bavaria, in Germany.
Large urban areas and global cities, such as New York, Tokyo and London, which are centres of global activity and decision-making, and therefore transcend purely state functions.

The United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is the largest and most important supranational organisation.

It was founded in 1945 by 51 states and today includes almost all the world's states.

The goals of the United Nations are laid out in its founding charter. These goals are:

to maintain international peace and security.
to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.
to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian nature.
to promote and encourage respect for human rights.

Over time, other organisations have been created within the UN framework. These make up the United Nations System and set out specific goals.

THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM

This is made up of the United Nations itself and numerous affiliated organisations, which are known as programmes, funds and specialised agencies. These include UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund).

Each has its own membership, leadership and budget processes. For example, the programmes and funds are financed through voluntary contributions, while the specialised agencies are autonomous organisations funded by both voluntary and mandatory quotas.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

"THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims this UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction."

The United Nations, Geneva.

Globalisation pros & cons

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