Suchergebnisse

Greek identity & territorial integrity have come to be associated with the Macedonian debate to such a degree that it has been maintained that use of Macedonia as a state name would endanger the peace & stability of the Balkan region. Although the region of Macedonia did not exist until 1913, it became Hellenized in the 1920s through the first great population exchange of the 20th century. Through WWII, the subsequent Greek civil war, & eventual reconciliation of Greece & Yugoslavia, Greece has continued to fear a threat from the North & external interference. These concerns have not been alleviated in the failure to deal with the Cyprus question & nationalist aspirations in Skopje. Nonetheless, the irrationality of some of the claims & a parliamentary vote will finally enable the conflict to be put to rest. L. Kehl

Nuclear weapon states & nuclear opponents have different views regarding the impact of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion of 1996 regarding the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The opinion is not legally binding, but it nonetheless exerts a practical influence on the judicial law developed by the International Court, which in turn influences the behavior of nations. Analysis of the content of the opinion highlights some commonalties, although a narrow majority carried the final tenor of the opinion resulting from a compromise within the court. Results of this analysis show that international law can be practically effective even for highly sensitive military & political questions, although the reality of the legal impact will remain precarious & open to external influences. In addition, the role of organizations in civil society, which were instrumental in bringing this issue to the court, highlights the change in relevance of these players, involving opportunities & risks. L. Kehl

The Sept 1992 Geneva Disarmament Conference resulted in a global & comprehensive Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which banned not only the development but also the possession of chemical weapons, & was aimed at setting controls for disarmament & preventing further proliferation. This article analyzes the regime-building process required for such a complex international implementation & oversight system by examining the historical development of chemical weapon control & disarmament. Mutual vulnerability, changes in the cost-benefit perception of chemical weapons use & disarmament, innovative oversight mechanisms, the impact of the Gulf wars, as well as the willingness of some Western nations to play a leading role were factors that led to such a broad & comprehensive agreement. While the signs point to success, signifying a broad step forward & offering a potential model for the ban of other weapons of mass destruction, implementation of the agreement & participation of the relevant nations remain a challenge. 14 References. L. Kehl

The political importance of the concept of "federalistic conflict management" results from the large number of national & ethnic conflicts in the world that threaten international peace & stability & are characterized by increasing brutality of internal disagreements & attempts to resolve conflict through secession. The impetus for ethnic disagreements arises from the tension between the right to self-determination & minority protection & protection of territorial integrity. Federalistic conflict management seeks to harmonize these goals by using federalistic structures to guarantee varying levels of autonomy. One can differentiate in the literature numerous conceptual forms of ethnic conflict management that are oriented toward federalistic structures & national institutions, although the organic concept is more compatible with these structures than the autonomist concept. While successful transformation or prevention of conflicts can generally be achieved only when the structures are completed through democratic power sharing, these structures contribute to constructive conflict management by offering an enduring constitutional infrastructure for cooperation of the conflicting parties. Concordance democracy offers a particularly high capacity for conflict management, although this form of power sharing can not be implemented in every ethnically pluralistic society. L. Kehl

Since the discovery of oil on Thasos, the conflict between Greece & Turkey has expanded beyond the question of Cyprus to encompass the Aegean Sea. Although disputes have arisen over the increasing militarization of the eastern Aegean isles, the uninhabited Imian Islands are at the center of the most recent crisis, where the core issues revolve around the mainland off-shore rights, territorial waters, & air space. The most important feature of the Aegean conflict is that Greece is satisfied with the status quo established after WWII & seeks to resolve these problems through the framework of the International Court, while Turkey would like to modify the status quo & seeks political resolution on a bilateral basis. The continuation of conflict between the nations influences not only foreign & security policy, but also domestic political development, where nationalism serves to distract the population from social problems, hinders democratization of the armed forces, & legitimizes high military costs. External pressures have resulted in reinstatement of a moratorium on summer military maneuvers in the Aegean, but further measures are required for elimination of the problem. L. Kehl

While offering something for everyone & satisfying no one, the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the legality of nuclear weapons use is part of an increasingly intensive debate about the role of nuclear weapons & the possibilities for complete nuclear disarmament. Although the strategic freedom of the nuclear states has been limited in the direction of self-defense or multilateral humanitarian international law, a clear obligation for disarmament has been directly specified & carries the greater weight. Radical suggestions for complete disarmament may still be averted by the nuclear nations due to lack of practicability, but it will be impossible to avoid definitive steps, presenting an opportunity for greater support in implementing important measures. L. Kehl

Throughout centuries, Lebanon was the refuge for minorities fleeing discrimination & persecution, resulting in an ethnically & religiously diverse nation. This article details the historical development of this pluralistic society & its establishment of a denominational political power-sharing system, as well as the elements that led to civil war & its subsequent reconstruction & reconciliation. Not without its tensions, the denominational political system served to secure the freedom & autonomy of the various minorities & guarantee peaceful coexistence of ethnic & religious minorities. However, the 1960s saw increasing internal & external pressures that developed into a multifaceted civil war, resulting in enormous casualties among the civil population, as well as massive emigration & further fragmentation & polarization of remaining communities. The 1990 peace accord of Haifa set out important elements for a reorganization of the Lebanese state, including political reform, peaceful coexistence, economic reconstruction, & implementation of rights of return for refugees. L. Kehl

The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons was generally not followed in the French public opinion or press. Nonetheless, the opinion, though non-binding, was awaited with some interest due to its occurrence during the resumption of nuclear testing & to France's policies on nuclear deterrence & national sovereignty. While the Advisory Opinion was interpreted in France as an "orange light to deterrence" & was met with relief, it set new if not legally binding standards on nuclear disarmament that could have implications as an external pressure for future disarmament negations & ultimately the policy of nuclear deterrence. The view of the French government is that a case for mid- to long-term modern & modest nuclear deterrence is strong & compatible with progress in disarmament. L. Kehl

In spring 1995, the Nonproliferation Treaty was extended indefinitely, & among conditions for ratification of non-atomic nations was a requirement for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to be instituted no later than 1996, spurring the People's Republic of China & France to execute additional tests in 1995. Beyond environmental protection, the CTBT was intended to promote nuclear armament control, eventual disarmament, & stabilization of nonproliferation. Its effectiveness however, is difficult to judge as research & development are not banned, & newer generations of nuclear weapons & technological advances do not necessarily require actual tests. Nonetheless, without the CTBT, the concept of nuclear weapons control in the official nuclear nations would remain incomplete, & the treaty can be considered as an important trust-building measure. Still, the tendency of the US & other nations to focus on nonproliferation is counterproductive in the long term, so long as nuclear weapons are related to international power. 1 Graph. L. Kehl

The UN Secretary General in 1992 proposed an "Agenda for Peace" strategy of preventative diplomacy aimed at minimizing tension before it escalates into conflict, & timely handling of conflict to stem violence & address the underlying causes. This article examines the experiences with this program obtained during application in the Baltic states, especially in the conflict regarding citizenship in Estonia & Latvia. The international engagement in these nations is examined to determine the definition of success in this context, to identify prerequisites of success, & to discuss the limits of this concept & its relationship to constructive problem solving. The example of Estonia & Latvia indicates that this concept can function, although it is likely more effective at preventing spread of the conflict than in hindering internal escalation, & is least effective at resolving the underlying issue. Association of containment of the destructive potential of the conflict with the promotion of creative potential is most likely to succeed, but requires that the existence & developmental capacity of creative elements must be identified in concrete situations. L. Kehl