CCT 754 Blog Post: R2P and International Norms

There are many kinds of institutions – networks of relationships – today.  There are networks of both domestic and international activists, some with cross-cutting ties between the two levels.  There are the networks of state relationships – trade, security, law, culture, through institutions such as the WTO, NATO, the UN, countless formal bilateral agreements, as well as bonds of friendship and statesmanship between leaders.  On the one hand, these institutions may be said to be very effective, as they have allowed us to go 60+ years without a World War, have allowed us to respond to countless emergencies and horrors, from September 11, 2001 to tsunamis in South-East Asia.  On the other hand, these institutions have failed to enact new international norms, including environmental standards (Kyoto), common agreement over the management of oceans (Law of the Sea), or the forceful condemnation of the targeting of civilians in violent conflicts, whether with a genocidal purpose or simply to inflict mass casualties (R2P).  Furthermore, norms that once stood solidly, such as the Geneva Conventions, are now at risk as more and more states openly torture, led by the US.

New Blog, CCT 754, and Paper Abstract

I’m continuing to work on this idea for my CCT 754 paper about R2P.  The original question was how does the existence (and complete failure) of the R2P doctrine stymie the international discussion on conflict intervention? I still think that’s a good question, but after a thoughtful conversation with my Methods prof (chief blogger at DemocracyandSociety.com), I’ve started to expand the idea a little to looking at the creation and enforcement of international norms.  Barak also encouraged me to submit an abstract for the paper to a “Democrats, Dictators, and Demonstrators” symposium, so Friday night I wrote this:

Why are some norms established and effectively enforced and not others?  There has been a long evolution of human rights as a system of international norms, beginning with the abolitionists in the 18th and 19th centuries and the Geneva Convention in the mid 1800s.   More recent targets of human rights activists have been female genital mutilation (FGM), torture, and genocide.  The International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) began working to create a new international norm to prevent genocide with the release of their 2001 report, A Responsibility to Protect (R2P).  Yet, despite admirable principles, an unprecedented moment of international solidarity and goodwill in the wake of September 11, 2001, and the support of the UN Secretariat and a coalition of dozens of international nongovernmental organizations, R2P has yet to be seriously invoked or acted upon.

Reasons for R2P’s failure include the lack of political will, lack of resources, inefficient or ineffective networks, and the well-established norms of national sovereignty and self-interest.  Yet obstructive  norms, and the lack of resources and access to power, etc, are not new problems, and were effectively overcome by the Abolitionists and supporters of the Geneva Convention.  Successful norms frame the issue in a way that actualizes state self-interest, and mobilize international support.    Using these case studies, this paper will examine the process of issue framing, actor mobilization and network utilization to answer the question: Given the domestic and international networks in which actors are embedded, how do we create effective norms and institutions?

The blog post for CCT 754 (that will follow) is an attempt to start thinking about this topic, and maybe build up an outline, since if accepted, my final paper will be due by Nov. 27, and I already have 35 pages about Uganda’s sector investment to write in the next two weeks.

CCT 754 Paper Topic

It’s getting the time of the semester that profs start requesting paper topics be chosen.  For CCT 754, I have to actually post a brief intro/outline of my paper topic, and do so tonight, which means that I should probably actually chose a paper topic.  My current top contenders are:

1. A continuation of my previous post on R2P: how does the existence (and complete failure) of the R2P doctrine stymie the international discussion on conflict intervention?
2. Under which circumstances does technology democratize international relations, especially activism, but also diplomacy?

#1 seems like a fairly straightforward (and possibly easier topic), but since it is a networks class, I’ll probably have to look at the networks of military action and international diplomacy at a bilateral and also regional/international level (NATO, UN) and then of course historical/colonial ties and how those influence current events.

#2 is a more recent, and probably farther reaching question, and one that I definitely intend to pursue, but I’m thinking that I’ll write about #1 for this semester.  R2P is a subject I’ve been struggling w for a while, and it feels good to be motivated enough by the assignment to finally begin work on it again.

So there’s my paper topic.  Now to write an actual summary of it for class….

R2P or Not(2P); That Shouldn’t Be the Question

NB: This post for CCT754 is admittedly very incomplete.  I’m working on an idea for a final paper for the class, and this post serves, not even as an introduction to that idea, but as an intro to the universe of ideas from which it comes.  I ultimately don’t think I will write about R2P, but I’ve needed to say some of these things for nearly 2 years now, and finally did.  As the topic evolves, I’ll be sure to post.

China’s Arrival: The Long March to Global Power

9.24.2009
830 – 9 AM  Coffee and Registration
9 – 1145 AM  Event Program

China’s rise is one of the most significant geopolitical events in modern history, with important ramifications for U.S. interests, regional power balances, and the international order. As the Obama administration confronts a broad set of worldwide challenges, questions remain as to how the United States should engage China amidst uncertainty about its long-term intentions and how to balance this important relationship against concerns regarding China’s behavior in the international community.

The event on September 24 will mark the release of CNAS’ new report, China’s Arrival: A Strategic Framework for a Global Relationship, which examines the ever expanding U.S.-China relationship and proposes a strategy for future engagement.  There to discuss the report and the important issues it raises will be a distinguished panel of leading Asia and national security experts including Dr. Patrick Cronin, Abraham Denmark, Dr. Michael Green, Dr. G. John Ikenberry (Invited), Robert Kaplan, and Nirav Patel. Providing remarks on the Obama Administration’s vision for the future of the U.S.-China relationship will be U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg, a long-time Asia expert and leading Washington decision-maker on Asia policy.

Featuring:

• The Honorable Dr. Patrick Cronin,
 Director of Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University
• Abraham M. Denmark, 
Fellow, CNAS
• Nathaniel Fick, 
Chief Executive Officer, CNAS
• Dr. Michael J. Green
, Associate Professor of International Relations, Georgetown University 
Senior Adviser and Japan Chair, CSIS
• Dr. G. John Ikenberry (Invited), 
Professor, Princeton University
  Robert Kaplan
, Senior Fellow, CNAS 
Correspondent, The Atlantic Monthly
• Nirav Patel, 
Fellow, CNAS

Keynote Address:

• The Honorable James B. Steinberg
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

Click here to RSVP.

And Headlines (Quicklinks) Are Back!

School weapons crackdown in ZA

Kenya human rights activists head to the Hague to demand justice

Mouseveni continues to deal w fallout from the Buganda conflict violence

KwaZulu-Natal govt to pay for funerals of two girls trampled to death during a stampede at a traditional dance

A minister has dirt on former Zambian Defense Minister George Mpombo

ICC Documentary ‘The Reckoning’ to Appear on PBS

From the Enough Project:

Tune in for Public Broadcast of The Reckoning

At Sundance and in specialized theaters around North America and Europe, the film The Reckoning has been educating audiences about the quest for an international justice system that began in Nuremberg after World War II and came into being as the International Criminal Court. Now, the film will fan out to the masses in their living rooms across the United States through its national broadcast premiere on July 14th.

The Reckoning follows the first six years of the International Criminal Court, from the court’s headquarters in The Hague, to the scenes of the crimes – in eastern Congo and northern Uganda – to the U.N. headquarters in New York, where the court has met some of its toughest critics. The Reckoning has a captivating way of weaving together the strong personalities of individuals into a gripping narrative, such as a young Ugandan woman who survived a rampage by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, passionate judges inspired by the work of establishing standards for global justice, outspoken critics of the Court, and a dynamic lead prosecutor who has become the face of the struggle to bring justice to victims in Darfur.

So tune-in to PBS tomorrow, July 14th to catch the film. Then, join the Enough Project for a live web conference with ICC expert Colin Thomas-Jensen. Join Colin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15th for a discussion of recent ICC activity and send him your questions about the court.

More info here.