Conflict Prevention
What is one example of an armed conflict resolution strategy used by international organizations like the UN?
- UN’s Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (1999)
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
- Multilateral Arms Embargoes
- The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases and Bacteriological Methods of Warfare (1925)
- The Chemical Weapons Convention (1993)
What is a modern example of wartime law?
The Lieber Code (a.k.a. General Order No. 100).
What does the Geneva Conventions generally prescribe?
The duties of the occupying power in control of a foreign territory.
When did the idea of peacekeeping first emerge?
After the 1956 war between Egypt and Israel.
How is terrorism defined?
Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
When did weapons of mass destruction become an international issue?
After the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.
What was a medieval example of wartime law?
The Truce of God.
What is one example of a duty that the Geneva Conventions require occupying forces to do?
- Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture
- Taking of hostages
- Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment
- the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
Who originally proposed the concept of peacekeeping?
Lester B. Pearson (Secretary of State for External Affairs, and later Prime Minister).
When did preventing international terrorism become a major priority for the international community?
After the attacks on the World Trade Centres by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001.
In what year was the UN’s Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace passed?
1999.
Why is the normal course of law and procedures for creating and enforcing laws changes during wartime?
Due to the increased urgency for a country to keep its citizens safe.
Where did the US keep their prisoners of war during the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan?
Which international organization is generally at the head of peacekeeping missions?
The United Nations (UN).
What is one example of domestic anti-terrorist legislation?
- Anti-Terrorism Act, Canada
- Uniting and Strengthening America Act, USA
- Anti-Terrorism Act, Belgium
- Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act, Ireland
- Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, England
Terrorism Suppression Act 2002, New Zealand
What is the oldest armed conflict prevention strategy/treaty covered in this presentation?
The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases and Bacteriological Methods of Warfare (1925)
What is one example of a result of the Hague Convention of 1899?
- The creation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration for settling disputes
- Restrictions on projectiles and asphyxiating gases
- Provisions that deal with prisoners of war
Why was the US criticized for violating the Geneva Conventions after 9/11?
They refused legal rights, required under the Geneva Conventions.
How was Lester B. Pearson commemorated for proposing the concept of peacekeeping?
He was given a Nobel Peace Prize.
In what countries have governments unilaterally applied military force in recent years?
Iraq and Afghanistan.
What are the most common forms of weapons of mass destruction?
Long-range missiles and nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
What is one example of the Hague Convention of 1907?
- Procedures for the declaration of war
- Restrictions on using force to resolve financial disputes
- Rules, rights, and duties for neutral states in naval warfare
What horrific actions were committed by rival forces in Sierra Leone?
The hands and feet of civilians were cut off to instill terror in the public.
What is Canada's independent peacekeeping training centre called, and when was it formed?
The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, formed in 1996.
What are the two main forms of action that countries can take in response to terrorism?
Military action and legal/legislative action.