International Organizations and Treaties (Essay Sample)

The Existence and Operation of International Governance Structures Threaten the Sovereignty of the Nation-state
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Introduction
Over many years, several nation-states remained unchallenged regarding their sovereignty, and they had nearly absolute rights over their territorial boundaries. The countries ensured that every of their citizens strictly obeyed their constitutional rules by observing the laws and regulations (Christopher, 1999). Most of these countries tightly controlled their economies and many investments decisions often remained to the state as its prerogative and exclusive right. The period that saw this s somewhat strictly controlled economies came after the First and Second World Wars. However, the cold war period presented a different scenario with about three different global structural systems. On one side was the capitalistic economic system whose proponents were the western countries such as the United States, Canada, most European countries and Oceania countries like Australia and the New Zealand. Capitalism sharply contrasted the communist economic ideologies practiced by the USSR (Russia), China and a few other Eastern and Eurasian countries. In addition, some countries especially the developing countries found themselves roped in the dilemma of cold war conflict. While many of these developing countries were swayed to either side of the ideological divide, a good number of them remained non aligned hence the birth of non aligned movement which consisted of countries like Egypt among others. This paper looks at the rapid growth of globalization through the framework of international governance structures and its threats to sovereignty of individual countries.
Globalization began from time immemorial when countries, empires, nations, kingdoms and states sought to cooperate and interact through trade, festivals and wars (Christopher, 1999). The most notable moment of globalization process was when treaty of Versailles was signed just after the First World war to try to bring a global principles of understanding on common goal and shared values with regard to pursuing world peace and tranquility. However, the treaty achieved little and the world had to experience another battle merely 17 year later. It is after the Second World War that serious globalization took shape with the formation of the United Nations with most of its offices spread across the world. The organization has very many agencies including World Trade organization that regulate global economy and trade terms and agreements. These international agencies govern global matters of interest and they include organizations like the International monetary fund (IMF), The World Bank among others. Apart from these international bodies, there are also international and regional trade and custom unions, trade agreements, treaties, Non Governmental organizations and the even the internet. These developments threaten to a great deal the sovereignty of individual nations because they are may a times forced to oblige by the decisions taken by the international groups. For instance, Morocco was forced to concede the fact that Western Sahara became independent as a breakaway country. Taiwan too pulled out of the United Nations for similar reasons.
The existence of international organizations like the United Nations has decreased the level of superiority since same policies govern most countries under the United Nations (Christopher, 1999). These organizations determine how the government operates. He also adds that the global market determines political structures of most countries. This in turn affects the sovereignty of nations negatively. One means by which the international structures of governance threaten sovereignty of independent nations is through enacting of laws that govern countries on human rights, freedom of expression, right to information and political pluralism through political parties. Countries that violate the members rule usually face mostly economic sanctions hence many member states to the international grouping usually abide by the treaties. A case in point is how North Korea has faced economic sanctions for its closed economy, violation of human rights on association, speech, as well as its obsession with nuclear weapons quest. The consequences have been dire on the economic growth retardation of the country hence making it remain poor and lagging behind its once economic peers like South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia among others. Zimbabwe is another example of a country that has faced economic sanctions for violating universal fundamental human rights. Most of its government officials have been banned from travelling abroad and much of international financial and economic aid cut. The result is that there have been extreme inflation in the country leading to rationing of basic facilities to the public.
International organizational structures such as the Non-governmental organizations and international legal institutions like the International Criminal Court have had profound influential on the activities of many countries (Krasner, 2001). For example, some dictatorial world leaders who engaged in war crime have been charged at the court to account for the atrocities committed under their regimes against their own citizens or in neighboring countries. A once Bosnian leader has been tried in the court. Other notable examples are the indictment of the Sudanese president Omar El basher for genocide related war crime in the Dafur region of his country. Charles Taylor of Liberia, has actually been charged tried and imprisoned despite the fact that he was once a president. The latest cases ate the Kenyan president and his deputy who were charge for war crime committed during the disputed 2007 general elections.
Technology has made it much easier for these organizations to make public policies to govern a state (Krasner, 2001). Activists can have an influence on foreign countries, which in turn influence the internal government in making decisions proving a weakness in the state’s sovereignty. Information technology development has made globalization much easier and enhanced its pace because the internet networks the globe and turns it into a single village. By application of technological facilities and opportunities available at the disposal of the international agencies, it has been possible for them to share information with different people from different countries sin any part of the world. Furthermore, the rapid development of information technology is faster that the governments are left behind such that they cannot enact relevant laws at par with the challenges presented by the internet boom. Technology has even made it easier for criminal groups to advance their activities on the cyberspace through cyber crime. Current global challenges such as increased terrorism have made more sense to globalization since countries need to share resources in order to mount an effective response to the challenge. For instance, France and Russia are fighting a common enemy in Syria in the name of ISIS, yet on normal circumstances the two countries share contrasting economic and governance views.
Technology enables people to share many things like cultural practices, songs, videos, and language at ease since around the world, people have adapted the same technology and proves difficulty in finding a society where one specific culture is only shared among them (Meyer, 1996). The spread of technology and internet globally has reduced the superiority of all the countries. Improve transportation and relaxing of international travel rules make globalization more realistic. Today different innovative scientific ideas emanate from different parts of the world right from Africa, Australia, China, USA, Russia and any other country because of shared knowledge and technology thereby reducing the monopoly of one nation dominating the field. Once countries appreciate the synergies from other nations, they develop respect for internationally shared norms, values and standards hence formulate and observe universally agreed ethical standards concerning certain practices.
Even though some people feel that the sovereignty of a country determines its security and safety, it is agreeable that not one of the most militarily powerful countries has shelled terrorism attack and insecurity. There have been terror attacks on US embassies abroad, bombing of its World trade Center, as well as countable gun shootings. Russia on its part has had its equal share of terror attack on its citizens either at home or abroad like the case of the recent shooting down of its airline in Egypt on the Sinai peninsula. France only adds to the long list and therefore it is only prudent to conclude that countries need globalization the more for them to collectively tackle global challenges , which are no longer local. The countries are then forced to look for help from international organizations as the current case of Syria in which the international community has brokered a political process for dialogue (Ripsman & Paul, 2010).
According to Wall, (2012), the presence of international organizations or missions have profoundly affected the economies, cultures and even p...