Suchergebnisse

The Common Market of the South (Mercosur) can be considered as the most successful example of "open regionalism" in Latin America. From the very beginning, besides its economic (Common Market) & political (strengthening of democracy) objectives, the community was also designed as a forum for the discussion of issues of security policy. Is it therefore possible to speak of a subregional security community? The article mentions a number of elements that are in favor of this thesis, but concludes that there is still a long way to go until there will be an "integrated security policy" in the region. As we cannot expect a convergence of the conceptions of foreign & security policy in the "South Cone" in the near future, one must continue with the efforts to create a positive agenda & confidence-building measures, as a first step toward regional common security integration. Adapted from the source document.

According to the German Federal Constitutional Court (2nd Senate), NATO is a system of "collective security" within the meaning of Art. 24 par. 2 of the German Basic Law; on this basis the Federal Armed Forces are considered entitled to participate in military actions that are not undertaken on the purpose of "defence" (Art. 87a of the Basic Law) of Germany or its allies. However, the travaux preparatoires, the context, & the purpose of the rule of Art. 24 par. 2 of the Basic Law suggest that the German constituent power did not create a special constitutional term of "collective security." Rather, it incorporated the term (as a counter-term to the system of "military alliances") in its meaning as it had been developed & practised in public international law since the 1920s. Whereas the UN is a system of "collective security" within the meaning of Art. 24 par. 2 of the Basic Law, the NATO-Treaty constitutes NATO intentionally as a system of "collective defence" (Art. 51 UN Charter). Consequently, military actions of the German Federal Armed Forces in the frame of NATO cannot be justified on the basis of Art. 24 par. 2 of the Basic Law, if they are not authorized by a mandate of the UN Security Council. Adapted from the source document.