Delinking of the International Human Rights Regime with the Economic Development - Assignment Example

Question 4 and Question 8 Name of Student: Name of Course: Name of Instructor: Date of Submission: Question 4: To what extent do experiences with globalization show that markets are ultimately at the mercy of states in international relations? Globalization is the continued integration if economic and social system in the various countries in the world. With the continued integration of systems, there has been the creation of borderless trade leading to the creation of global markets. Ideally, it is possible in the current age for an organization to manage in the global markets effectively, taking into concern the various variables affecting the markets. Ideally, markets are always at the mercy of the states in international relations. The following essay will discuss several experiences in the global market which indicate that markets are at the mercy of states involved in international relations. One of the most recent experiences in the global market which indicates that global market are at the mercy of the states involved in the international relation is the Euro Crisis. The Euro Crisis is an economic crisis being experience in the Euro Zone which is a monetary union of various states which use the Euro as a common currency (BBC 2013, p.1). The globalization of the Euro as the common currency in the Euro Zone and also as the second most widely used currency in the world has plunged the global market into an equal crisis. Currently, the European market is having substantial trade imbalances, increase costs of doing business and eminent dangers of running into massive losses. The Euro crisis is was contributed by the use of a non-effective economic policy, the violation of the rules governing the European Union for instance the submission of falsified data by Cyprus and Greece, problems in the banking sector for instance the issuance of unsecured loans against debt and political disagreements between states (BBC 2013, p.1). This led to the Euro Crisis which is one of the biggest crises which has rocked Europe n the recent years; thereby having a very negative impact on the global market. From this experience, it can be acknowledged that the state of the global markets is dependent on the states in the international relations. Another experience which can be used to illustrate that the state of the markets is dependent on the dependence of markets on the states involved in international relations is the study on the Asian markets. On these points, it is important to acknowledge the fact that the Asian countries have a very different approach to markets and the economy as compared to their counterparts in the west. Most of the Asian countries uphold the need for establishment of strong and strategic business networks, a management style which has enabled the region to experience a tremendous economic growth as compared to other countries in the world (Kienzle & Shadur 1997, p.24). On this point, it is worth to note the Guanxi business strategy which emphasizes on the need for the establishment and maintenance of strong business relationships which in turn enable organizations and countries to manage effectively in the competitive global market. This is contrary to the transaction business management approach upheld by the west. The business approach of the Asian countries is a strong reason as to why the countries stood strong in the recent economic crises which have hit the globe (Kienzle & Shadur 1997, p.24). With the strategic business approaches, the Asian countries have been able to influence the state of the domestic and global market; hence showing that the state of the market is dependent on the countries involved in international relations. The last experience which is worth taking note of with respect to the dependence of the global market on countries is the US debt limit. The US debt ceiling is the most recent economic experience which has hit the world (Morath & Reddy 2013, p.1). The issue of the US debt limit has gone viral in the past weeks owing to its potential impacts on the global market. Giving an insight into the debt limit, it is the money which the United States borrows from its foreign and domestic partners so as to finance its domestic operations (Morath & Reddy 2013, p.1). On this point, it is worth noting that the United States has been actively involved in many operations around the world which have impacted negatively on its economy for instance the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The US debt ceiling as at May 2013 was $16.699 trillion, and was approaching the country’s debt limit. The news that the debt was on its way to reaching the limit elicited a lot of fuss in the world and the fluctuating value of the dollar indicated this. This would mean the fall of the biggest economy in the world and with this the global market is due to experience a heavy negative impact. The fluctuation in the value of the dollar leads to imbalances in trade among other negative impacts on trade since the dollar is the standard currency used in the global market (Morath & Reddy 2013, p.1). This illustrates that the global market is still at the mercy of the states in international relations. References BBC, 2013. Eurozone Crisis Explained, BBC News, Retrieved on 2nd November from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16290598 Kienzle, R., & Shadur, M.,1997. Developments in business networks in East Asia, Management Decision, Vol. 35 No.1, pp.23 - 33 Morath, E., & Reddy, S., 2013. Biggest Economic Threat: Debt Ceiling, Not Shutdown, The Wall Street Journal, Retrieved on 2nd November from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303918804579109162410629736 8. Why has it proven so difficult to effectively link the international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic development? Over time, it has proven difficult to link international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic growth. The international bill of human rights and freedoms outlines various freedoms and aspects which should be accorded to every human being and outlined by the United Nations. The following essay will explain reasons as to why it has proven so difficult to effectively link the international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic development. One of the reasons as to why it has proven difficult to link international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic growth is governance. Governance is involved in the establishment and enforcement of policies which ensure that human rights aspects are upheld (Shelton 2009, p. 273). Governance is focused on both local and international legal frameworks which ensure that human rights are upheld. Domestic governance is concerned with individual countries. On this point, it can be acknowledged that human rights are violated in those countries which are associated with bad governance. The violation of human rights in Darfur region in South Sudan Africa, in the Saudi Arabian labour market and in sex and drug trafficking networks in South America asserts this. With respect to governance on the international framework, it is worth noting that the standard initiated by international human rights organizations does not give adequate focus to policies aimed at giving appropriate responses to financial and economic issues (International Council on Human Rights Policy 2010, p.1). Cultural differences among different countries in the world are also a challenge for the linking up of international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic development. It is important to acknowledge that fact that cultural ties to one’s society have a significant impact in his or her activities (Shenker 1995, p.1). On this point, it is worth giving examples of several countries and societies where there is a broken link between international human rights and efforts to promote economic growth. One of the countries is Australia. Australia has been faced with the challenge of integrating the indigenous communities in the country to the broader Australian society. The indigenous people in the county for instance the Torres Strait people and the Aborigines have been subjected to historical injustices which have continuously deprived them off their human rights. Currently, the Australian government is involved in many programs which are aimed at empowering the indigenous people; hence bringing them to the same level as their fellow countrymen. Looking at the United Arab Emirates, it can be acknowledged that the country’s efforts to promote economic growth have been challenged by cultural differences. Although the country enjoys a healthy and thriving economy, it is faced with gender inequality and labor relations problems which have a strong link to the conservative culture of the Arab and Islamic nation. Political instability is also a challenge to the effective linking of the international human rights regime with efforts to promote economic development. On this point, it is important to note that political stability of a country dictates the activities which are conducted in a country. The more stable a country is, the more efficient are their human rights programs and viceversa. Taking an example of the civil wars in Congo and previously in Northern Uganda, Africa, it can be appreciated that the induction of children into the military was done because of the existing political instability (Rakists 2008, p.109). The violation of human rights in Iraq and the Arabic countries in the Middle East and North Africa are as a result of the continued political instability in the regions. Therefore, any economic development efforts in the countries have taken less consideration of human rights as compared to more stable countries. Lastly, the superiority complex of some countries in the world has led to the lack of enforcement of international human rights in the wake of the need for economic development. In order to illustrate this point, it is important to analyze the American led war in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this point, it can be noted that the American army killed thousands of innocent civilians in the context of fighting terrorism and bringing sanity to the two Arabic countries (Burnham, Doocy, Dzeng, Lafta & Roberts 2007, p. 5). The Americans also subjected a lot of people to unfair justice in the so called makeshift / kangaroo courts. All this was done in the full view of the United Nations among other international institutions which purport to fight for human rights. The superiority complex of the Americans assured them of impunity as they went ahead to violate human rights. The above discussion has illustrated the sources of the delinking of the international human rights regime with the economic development. References Burnham, G., Doocy, S., Dzeng, E., Lafta, R., & Roberts, L., 2007. The Human Cost of the War in Iraq A Mortality Study, 2002-2006, pp. 1-25 International Council on Human Rights Policy, 2010. Human Rights in the Global Economy, Repot From a Colloquium, pp. 1- 18 Shelton, D., 2009. Protecting Human Rights in a Globalized World, Student’s Journal, pp. 273 – 322 Rakists, C., 2008. Child Soldiers in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Refugee Survey Quarterly .Vol.27, No.4, pp. 108-122. Shenker, A., 1995. The Challenge of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity, United Nations, Retrieved on 2nd November from http://www.un.org/rights/dpi1627e.htm Read More