http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/united-nations Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:19:31 -0400 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:19:31 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1642/libya-2011-exploring-the-implementation-of-the-responsibility-to-protect By Andrew R. Aubuchon - This article explores the role that the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) played in the 2011 intervention in Libya. It examines the R2P legal framework in coordination with events on the ground in Libya during the early part of 2011 in order to thoroughly explain that R2P was correctly invoked by the United Nations Security Council in order to uphold international law. The article argues that this mandate allowed for the lawful intervention by NATO thereafter. However, the R2P was not fully carried out. The law clearly mandates actions that must be taken upon the conclusion of fighting carried out... Thu, 11 May 2017 10:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1642/libya-2011-exploring-the-implementation-of-the-responsibility-to-protect http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1539/gender-equality-in-international-institutions-progress-and-challenges-in-moving-toward-gender-parity By Lyndsay B. Thompson - The International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda, for the first time in international law, recognized sexual violence in conflict as crimes against humanity and grave breaches of international law. Subsequently, the International Criminal Court was created with a gender-mainstreamed focus on international issues, and UN Resolutions required states to make gender parity in representation and gender equality national goals. However, when faced with changes in formal rules, institutions often react to reinforce old traditional gender norms... Sat, 18 Feb 2017 09:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1539/gender-equality-in-international-institutions-progress-and-challenges-in-moving-toward-gender-parity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1382/the-development-agenda-after-the-millenium-development-goals-is-the-post-2015-agenda-truly-transformative By Florence Lee - In 2014, the United Nations called for "a truly transformative agenda to follow the Millennium Development Goals." This study applies a critical qualitative discourse and textual analysis to examine the first priority of the agenda—to end extreme poverty and hunger—set fourth in The Action Agenda for Sustainable Development Report (SDSN) and assesses the extent to which this ‘transformative agenda’ is likely to be achieved. This study found that the report's goal of ‘ending hunger and poverty’ encouraged implementation strategies that were conceptually narrow... Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:49 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1382/the-development-agenda-after-the-millenium-development-goals-is-the-post-2015-agenda-truly-transformative http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1192/us-policy-toward-africa-application-of-us-africa-command-signals-africas-increasing-strategic-importance By James DeTemple - The U.S. has a responsibility to defend its security interests globally and be ready respond to emerging crises anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. The global U.S. military command and control structure divides the world into various geographic regions for the employment of U.S. military forces in support of the U.S. national security strategy. It is an international reality that reflects U.S. regional policies, including U.S. policy toward Africa. The relatively new USAFRICOM is one of six U.S. Department of Defense geographic commands – the U.S. Africa Command (Africa), U.S. Central... Sat, 01 Nov 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1192/us-policy-toward-africa-application-of-us-africa-command-signals-africas-increasing-strategic-importance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1591/to-intervene-or-not-to-intervene-the-role-of-humanitarianism-un-approval-and-economic-incentives-in-determning-nato-military-intervention-in-conflict By Megan Nissel - The North American Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded at the outset of the Cold War and served as a collective defense alliance of states in North America and Western Europe against the Soviet bloc. However, following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the role of NATO evolved and the organization began to take part in military interventions. This paper examines the impact of three variables on determining NATO intervention: human rights violations in a conflict, U.N. calls for action, and economic incentives measured in terms of trade. Using a qualitative case study... Sat, 31 May 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1591/to-intervene-or-not-to-intervene-the-role-of-humanitarianism-un-approval-and-economic-incentives-in-determning-nato-military-intervention-in-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/715/international-law-reconsidered-is-international-law-actually-law By Constantine J. Petallides - As it stands now, states’ obligations are outlined in treaties and customs, but enforcement relies on vague clauses and empty threats found within the documents, or in international bodies like the UN Security Council (UNSC) where power asymmetries grant the more powerful states significant influence. Consent is very important, but international law’s status as “law” cannot rest on consent alone. As rational, unitary actors, states make decisions that are in their best interests, and more often than not, consenting to various conventions and treaties is in a state&rsquo... Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:06 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/715/international-law-reconsidered-is-international-law-actually-law http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/615/climate-change-negotiations-in-montreal-kyoto-and-copenhagen-analyzing-negotiation-components-and-techniques By Sarina J. Spector - Climate change negotiations have been on the international stage for almost four decades. They have a complex history, and act as a comprehensive example of the many variables, obstacles, environments, and processes that can affect any international negotiation. This paper examines the structure of international negotiations through the lens of the Montreal (1987), Kyoto (1997), and Copenhagen (2009) climate change talks, addressing such issues as the actors, crises, and phases involved. These three sets of negotiations played out in very different ways as a result of their unique circumstances... Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/615/climate-change-negotiations-in-montreal-kyoto-and-copenhagen-analyzing-negotiation-components-and-techniques http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/396/disappearance-and-death-the-fate-of-chechen-human-rights-activists By Kylie Poulin - Article 3 of the Universal Declaration states, “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” This right is constantly violated by those who end up dead as a result of speaking out against a corrupt and violent government. Article 5 guarantees that each person shall not “be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Article 9 provides for those illegally detained, stating, “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile” (United Nations). Nonetheless, human rights violations and murdering... Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/396/disappearance-and-death-the-fate-of-chechen-human-rights-activists http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/251/colin-powell-examining-a-key-player-in-the-bush-administration By Jessica M. Biedron - To understand an administration, you need to understand the key players. Through analyzing the Bush presidency, it is clear that the agenda was constructed and shaped by more than just one man. The President’s choice for executive cabinet members is the first major decision he will make and may affect the outcome of his presidency. The President’s cabinet is comprised of the most senior appointed officers in the executive branch of the federal government. Amongst other things, Article II, Section II of the US Constitution gives the President the power to create an executive cabinet... Thu, 13 May 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/251/colin-powell-examining-a-key-player-in-the-bush-administration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1264/judging-wars-the-international-politics-of-humanitarian-adjudication By Eric C. Ip - The past sixty years witnessed a global proliferation of international courts and tribunals of almost all sizes and purposes. Today, they play important roles in international governance by handing down decisions in compelling areas ranging from global trade to environmental protection. In the past two decades, their reach has even extended into the realm of armed conflict and humanitarian policy. However, unlike domestic courts, international tribunals lack centralized enforcement mechanisms. Does this follow the classical assumption that they are merely toothless tigers and instruments to further... Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1264/judging-wars-the-international-politics-of-humanitarian-adjudication http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/143/the-burden-of-disarmament-un-peacekeeping-operations-and-illicit-weapons By Ali B. Al-Bayaa - An increase in conflicting geopolitical interest and tendency for violence has seen the demand for weapons (especially small arms) increase on a continuous basis. All the meanwhile, these conflicts have called on the United Nations (and other multilateral institutions[1]) operations to restore the peace. While operational success of these efforts has hindered upon the fact that states face a difficulty in agreeing on what the common challenges are, let alone the collective strategies to address them (Prins, 2006:110), one thing remains evident, and that is the fact that small arms and light weapons... Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/143/the-burden-of-disarmament-un-peacekeeping-operations-and-illicit-weapons http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/128/the-positive-impact-of-african-union-forces-in-darfur By Boris S. Nikitin - After the wave of liberalization of many African states in the late twentieth-century, the world has seen a rise in the amount of international and internal conflicts that have taken thousands of human lives. Ethnic tensions and economic hardships have often been the driving factors perpetuating conflict between groups within a particular state. In the case of Sudan, which has experienced decades of civil war, government forces have fought to suppress the recent uprising in Darfur, instigated by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA). Since 2003, there... Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/128/the-positive-impact-of-african-union-forces-in-darfur http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1276/withdrawing-the-case-of-uganda-from-the-jurisdiction-of-the-international-criminal-court By Sebastien Malo - The trend from international armed conflicts toward internal insurgencies has altered our common understandings of classical strategic wisdom. While traditionally under the politics of imperialism, wars were settled with the winning state’s decisive acquisition of territories over that of another state, in internal conflicts rebels choose to protract asymmetric warfare by employing low-scale guerrilla tactics rather than attempting to decisively hold a territory. Clausewitz’s observation that war is a mere continuation of politics by other means is thus nuanced by the unlikelihood... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1276/withdrawing-the-case-of-uganda-from-the-jurisdiction-of-the-international-criminal-court http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1283/fixing-international-security-reforming-the-security-council By Andrew Kao - The United Nations Security Council is the most important organ in the United Nations, charged with determining “the existence of any threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression” and to “maintain or restore international security” with military force if necessary. 1 The first attempts at reforming the Security Council was made on December 17, 1963, where the United Nations General Assembly voted to amend Article 23 of the UN charter, increasing the non-permanent members of the Security Council. 2 More recently, the former-Secretary General Kofi Annan’s &... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1283/fixing-international-security-reforming-the-security-council http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1170/the-united-nations-at-50--dead-or-alive By Malcolm Harper - My own experience in different theatres is that the Blue Helmets often quietly contribute rather more than an all too often ignorant press corps understands. I recall once arguing with Douglas Hurd, then a Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had been given so weak and inadequate a mandate by the Security Council that it might be best for it to be withdrawn. Clearly he did not fully share that attitude; so I went to see the Lebanese Ambassador in London in order to seek his views. “Never,” he said to me, &ldquo... Wed, 01 Jan 1997 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1170/the-united-nations-at-50--dead-or-alive