Overview

The United Nations is a global organisation. It was founded in the year 1945 after the devastating Second World war. As it was initially committed by 51 member states for global peace, development, social equity and setting human rights standards, the course is to train the UG students with old and new issues that confront an international organisation like UNO. The significance of UNO lays in the fact that today at least 193 member countries are on board. It is an apex body that has an overall supervisory role in ensuring freedom and rights across the borders. Its main organs like the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, etc., have been playing critical roles. Due to its critical nature of intervention, often it has faced conflicts with the member states. However, it is pertinent for students to know that a strengthened UNO is to ensure the interest of the weak and even the stronger nations; a win-win situation. It not only deals with global states, but also takes up disadvantaged issues and peoples’ rights. For instance, human rights in conflict zones, fair trial, speedy justice, freedom to dissent, protecting environment through sustainable development, etc.

Syllabus

Week 1: 1 The need for an international order 2 The scope of UNDHR 3 Peace and Ideologies 4 Objectives of UNO Week 2: 1 Liberal principles of UNO 2 Precedents of minority rights 3 UNO and Women’s rights 4 UNO and Indigenous rights Week 3: 1 Structure of General Assembly and role 2 Security Council: Its Structure Veto system and Security Council 3 Veto system and Security Council 4 Economic and Social Council Week 4: 1 Contributions of ECOSOC 2 Idea of ICJ 3 Landmark interventions of ICJ 4 Specialised agencies: Its importance Week 5: 1 ILO: Structure and Role 2 ILO: Issues and Labour rights 3 UNESCO: Main contributions 4 WHO: Issues and Contributions Week 6: 1 WHO: Fighting Pandemics 2 UNICEF: Structure and Function 3 UNICEF and Child rights 4 UNDP and its Functions Week 7: 1 UN Environment Programme and global climatic issues 2 UNCHR: Refugee questions and stateless people’s rights 3 Some distinctive contributions of UNCHR 4 Peace Keeping: UN’s Role Week 8: 1 Millennium Development Goals: The case of developing countries 2 Causes of Korean war 3 Fallout of Korean war 4 Global dynamics and Korean war Week 9: 1 Korean War and UN 2 Korean crisis and arm race 3 Vietnam War: Causes 4 USA and Vietnam war Week 10: 1 Internal sovereignty and regional power struggle in Vietnam 2 Military alliances and ideological consequences 3 Vietnam war: Hope and Despair 4 Afghanistan war: The cold war politics Week 11: 1 Politics of Detente 2 Afghanistan and global power dynamics 3 The rise of militancy in Afghanistan as a fallout 4 9/11 attacks and Afghanistan Week 12: 1 Balkan Conflict: Identity politics 2 The question of Serbs 3 The Bosnian dream 4 Balkanisation: The Ethnicisation Week 13: 1 The Human rights issues in Balkans 2 The issue of reforming UN 3 The issues raised by Global south 4 The problem of veto system Week 14: 1 Reforming the Security Council system 2 WHO and Critical claims 3 Demand for expanding security council 4 UN and lingering conflicts around the world Week 15: 1 The question of Non-Self Governing territories 2 UN and Climate change: Challenges and Prospects 3 Climate change and Responses of the Industrialised countries 4 Role of the developing countries and climate change