Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ПО ОБРАЗОВАНИЮ

Нижегородский государственный университет им. Н.И. Лобачевского

МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЕ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ

Учебно-методическое пособие

Рекомендовано методической комиссией факультета международных отношений для студентов ННГУ, обучающихся по направлениям подготовки 030700 «Международные отношения», 032300 «Регионоведение» и специальностям 030701 «Международные отношения»,

032301 «Регионоведение»

Нижний Новгород

УДК 42.8(07)

ББК 143.21я.73

Ж 60

Ж 60 МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЕ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ. Составители: Жерновая О.Р., Бузуева Ю.С., Глазунова Н.А.: Учебно-методическое пособие. – Нижний Новгород: Нижегородский госуниверситет, 2009. – 55 с.

Рецензент: д.полит.н., профессор М.И. Рыхтик

Данное учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для развития компетенции студентов в области международных организаций, развития навыков и умений работы с текстами общественно-политического содержания и может использоваться в качестве основного учебного материала для студентов 3 и 4 курсов факультета международных отношений, изучающий английский язык как основной на продвинутом этапе обучения.

УДК 42.8(07)

ББК 143.21я.73

© Нижегородский государственный

Университет им. Н.И. Лобачевского, 2009

Введение

Учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для студентов 3-4 курсов факультета международных отношений отделений «международные отношения» и «регионоведение». Данное пособие рассчитано для продвинутого этапа обучения английскому языку и ставит следующие цели: углубление языковых знаний и понимания оригинального английского текста, расширение словарного запаса, совершенствование навыков устной речи, а также анализа аутентичных общественно-политических текстов. Особое внимание уделяется развитию профессиональных навыков ведения дискуссии по современным проблемам, связанным с деятельностью таких международных организаций как Организация Объединенных Наций (ООН), Организация Северо-Атлантического Договора (НАТО) и Европейский Союз (ЕС).

Пособие представляет собой сборник аутентичных текстов по актуальным аспектам и современным политическим вопросам, и ставит целью развитие навыка самостоятельной работы с англо-английскими толковыми словарями.

Подобранные тексты снабжены аппаратом упражнений, направленных на дальнейшее совершенствование языковой, речевой и профессиональной подготовки студентов, а также навыков перевода в сфере профессиональной коммуникации.

Contents

Unit I: THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION (UN)

Part 1: How the UN works6

Warm-up 6

Pronunciation 7

Reading 7

Scanning 8

Word Study 9

Talking Point 10

Part 2: UN structure11

Warm-up 11

Pronunciation 11

Reading 11

Scanning 15

Word Study 16

Translation 17

Talking Point 18

Part 3: UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION REFORM19

Rendering 19

Unit II: THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO)

Part 1: What is NATO25

Warm-up 25

Pronunciation 25

Reading 26

Scanning 27

Word Study 28

Talking Point 30

Speaking 30

Part 2: NATO: Security Challenges and Risks31

Warm-up 31

Pronunciation 31

Reading 31

Scanning 32

Word Study 33

Speaking 34

Part 3: NATO-Russia Relations35

Warm-up 35

Pronunciation 35

Reading 35

Scanning 38

Speaking 39

Word Study 39

Talking Point 40

Unit III: THE EUROPEAN UNION

Part 1: The History and Enlargement of the European Union41

Pronunciation 41

Warm-Up 42

Reading 43

Scanning 44

Word Study 45

Translation 47

Speaking 48

Talking Point 48

Part 2: The Structure and Objectives of the EU49

Pronunciation 49

Warm-up 49

Reading 49

Scanning 51

Word Study 51

Speaking 53

Translation 53

Talking point 54

Unit I

THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION (UN)

Part 1

How the UN works

Warm-up

Read the following text and answer the questions:

1. What does the phrase “an international organization” mean in the conventional sense?

2. What is a noninstitutional aspect to the phrase “an international organization”?

3. In what ways can coordination of an international organization be performed? What do they involve?

4. What criterion is considered to be the most important for the existence of an international organization?

5. What does an international organization consist of?

International Organizations

The very term international organization is ambiguous. In the conventional sense, an international organization is an institution or structure similar to Congress or to a city council; it has a definite set of rules, members, agenda, places and times of meeting. A second meaning of the concept is implied as well. If organization is an arrangement of parts into a unified whole, then there is a noninstitutional aspect to the phrase international organization. The purpose of organization is conscious coordination of activity; the method of organization is to routinize coordination by such techniques as division of labour and task specialization. Coordination can be performed either formally or informally. When coordination is formal, it takes place within official structures and institutional machinery; this is the conventional significance of the term organization in international relations. Informal coordination involves an unwritten system of practices in which units of the system assume such roles as those of leader or nonleader. International organization in the second sense refers to informal role differentiation in the world polity. Often this second meeting has been called world organization.

In international relations, units that are most powerful take leadership roles; weak units are nonleaders. Thus, international organization in the first sense is a dependent variable of world organization, the second interpretation of the term. Informal organization is more basic than formal organization; characteristics of international structures are a function of the nature of the international arena. In the subsequent portion of this discussion the term international organization will be used to refer only to the meaning of the term in the conventional sense.

Not all organizations are international. Historically the types of units in the world political system have changed in form and in number. Traditionally, an international organization has been said to exist when many nation-states are linked together structurally. If this criterion were adopted, the study of international organization would date only from the year 1648, when the nation-state system was officially christened in the Peace of Westphalia. Previously there were other basic units – the empire, the city state, the free city, and the dynamic state. A loose definition of international organization would say that it consists of intergovernmental institutions, members of which perceive each other to be basic units of the world polity. Any world system may contain international organization.

Pronunciation

Watch the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations. If necessary consult a dictionary:

Charter

Reading

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the UN?

2. What country is the UN situated in?

3. When was the UN established and for what purpose?

4. What are the main organs of the UN?

The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership now totals nearly 200 countries.

When states become members of the United Nations, they agree to accept obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty which sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights, and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.

UN members are sovereign countries. The United Nations is not a world government, and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us. It serves as a symbol of international order and global identity.

The United Nations is much more than a peacekeeper and forum for conflict resolution. Often without attracting attention, the United Nations is engaged in a vast array of work that touches every aspect of people’s lives around the world.

Child survival and development. Environmental protection. Human rights. Health and medical research. Alleviation of poverty and economic development. Agricultural development and fisheries. Education. Family planning. Emergency and disaster relief. Air and sea travel. Peaceful uses of atomic energy. Labour and worker’s rights. The list goes on and on.

The UN’s influence in world affairs has fluctuated over the years, but the organization gained new prominence beginning in the 1990s. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Still, the UN faces constant challenges. It must continually secure the cooperation of its member nations because the organization has little independent power or authority. But getting that support is not always easy. Many nations are reluctant to defer their authority and follow the dictates of the UN.

The United Nations has six main organs. Five of them – the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat – are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at the Hague, the Netherlands.

Scanning

1. Answer the following questions:

1. How many countries does the UN membership total today?

2. What main principles does the UN Charter set out?

3. Is the UN just a forum for conflict resolution?

4. What do the countries joining the UN agree to accept?

5. Why does the UN have little independent power or authority?

6. What other purposes does the UN serve?

7. When did the UN gain its new prominence?

2. Give as much information as possible concerning the following notions:

the UN

the UN Charter

a world government

a peacekeeper and forum for conflict resolution.

the Nobel Peace Prize

UN Headquarters

3. Prepare the summary of the text in 10-12 sentences. Use the active vocabulary from the Word Study section.

Word Study

1. Give the definitions of the following words and phrases from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

1. to be committed to

2. to total

3. obligations

4. to set out (basic principles)

5. to maintain (peace)

6. to harmonize (actions)

7. to resolve (conflicts)

8. a peacekeeper

9. a vast array

10. alleviation of (poverty)

11. to fluctuate

12. to gain (prominence)

13. to secure (cooperation)

14. to defer (authority)

15. headquarters

2. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English using active vocabulary:

1. ООН включает в себя 192 независимые страны, которые следуют основным принципам Устава ООН.

2. Целью этой организации является поддержание мира между народами и разрешение всех спорных вопросов путем переговоров.

3. Устав ООН был подписан в 1945 году 50 государствами в Сан-Франциско, Калифорния.

4. Штаб-квартира ООН находится в США с филиалами в Париже, Риме и Женеве.

5. При вступлении в ООН страны торжественно обещают разрешать все спорные вопросы мирным путем. Однако это обещание не всегда легко сдержать.

6. Основные задачи ООН по уставу – поддержание мира и безопасности, разрешение конфликтов, развитие дружественных связей между странами и обеспечение соблюдения прав человека.

7. ООН призывает страны воздерживаться от использования силы в межгосударственных отношениях. И разрешать конфликты мирным путем.

Talking Point

Express your opinion on the following questions:

1. Do you think the UN fulfils its mission today?

2. Do you think that the role of the UN is really very important in the modern world? Substantiate your point of view.

3. Is there any country in the world that the UN should refuse to admit as its member? Give your reasons.

Part 2

UN structure

Warm-up

Discuss the following questions in groups. Share your ideas with the class:

1. What roles do the bodies of the UN play in the world?

2. How have their tasks and functions changed over the years?

3. Who is the UN Secretary General now?

Pronunciation

Watch the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations. If necessary consult a dictionary:

the Generally Assembly

medium

convoked

unanimity

maintenance

a threat

breach of peace

convened

unanimity

eligible

veto

severance

refugee

the Trusteeship Council

obsolete

hostile

perceived

Reading

Read the text and find answers to the following questions:

1. What is the main body of the UN?

2. What UN body suspended its work?

General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of representatives of all member nations. All UN member states are represented in the Generally Assembly – a kind of parliament of nations which meets to consider the world’s most pressing problems. It’s like a global town hall, providing a powerful medium for countries to put forward their ideas and debate issues.

Each nation may send not more than five representatives to each session. Each nation is entitled to one vote.

The General Assembly meets in regular annual sessions and in special sessions when necessary. Special sessions are convoked by the Secretary General at the request of the Security Council or of a majority of the members of the UN.

Any matter within the scope of the charter may be brought before the General Assembly which may make recommendations on all except issues on the agenda of the Security Council. However, the General Assembly in November, 1950, decided that if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity among its permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security, in any case where there appears to be a threat to peace, breach of peace or act of aggression, the Assembly may consider it and recommend collective measures including, in the case of a breach of peace or act of aggression, the use of armed forces to maintain or restore peace. In such cases, the General Assembly may be convened within 24 hours in an emergency special session.

Security Council

The Security Council consists of 15 members, 5 with permanent seats. The remaining 10 are elected for 2-year term by the General Assembly, they are not eligible for immediate reelection.

Permanent members of the Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. These nations were the winning powers at the end of World War II and they still represent the bulk of the world’s military might. Decisions of the Council require nine votes. But any of one of the permanent members can veto an important decision. This authority is known as the veto right of the great powers. As a result, the Council is effective only when its permanent members can reach a consensus.

The Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and members agree to carry out its decisions. The Council may investigate any dispute that threatens international peace and security. When the Security Council is handling a dispute or situation the General Assembly makes no recommendation unless the Council requests it.

The Security Council functions continuously, each member being represented at all times. It may change its place of meeting.

Any member of UN at headquarters may participate in its discussions and a nation not a member of UN may appear if it is a party to a dispute.

The Security Council may decide to enforce its decisions without the use of arms. Such measures include interruption of relations, break in transportation and communications, and severance of diplomatic relations. If such measures fail the Council may call on UN members to furnish armed forces and assistance. The right of individual or collective self-defense is not prohibited by membership in the UN, and if a member nation is attacked it may do what is necessary, reporting this to the Security Council, which may take independent action. However, the Council encourages regional arrangements or agencies by means of which local disputes can be settled without getting as far as the Council, after the Council has approved this method.

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 member countries elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. The Council is concerned with financial and technical assistance to the less developed countries, the international protection of refugees and aid to the world's children.

ECOSOC coordinates many specialized agencies that provide a variety of social, economic and related services. The agencies operate independently but work with other programs in the UN. Those programs include the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Labour Organization (ILO, and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

Trusteeship Council

The Trusteeship Council was established to oversee the transition of a handful of colonies to independence. The last of those colonies gained independence in 1994, making the Trusteeship Council obsolete.

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