|
Background of the project
Ethics and international relations are often seen as two different worlds which should not be mixed up. This vision is based on a world order in which - since the Peace of Westphalia (1648) - national states served as the prime actors on the global field.
Still for many people and also a growing number of ethicists the idea of a supranational organization that carries responsibility for peace and security and global welfare is an appealing idea.
The objective of the project is to assess if and to what extent ethical points of view have determined the founding of the United Nations and the evolution of its principles and policies and, vice versa, to what extent UN values and - perhaps even more important - UN practice influence normative theories on international relations. Did the international law regime that has been developed by the UN and UN-related organizations stimulate (renewed) attention for international morality? What role do present day normative theories play in the discussion on a more effective United Nations for the twenty-first century?
The primary sources and day-to-day practice of the United Nations have never been researched from a global values perspective. The results of this research could play a constructive role in the topical debate on United Nations reform in the light of the new challenges faced by the organization, such as ethnic conflicts, terrorism and climate change. We also hope to unite experts in three different fields of study: law, ethics, and politics. For this reason, we have organized a national workshop on 12 January 2007, during which experts from all three fields of study discussed the challenges of such an interdisciplinary approach to global values and the role of these values in the work of the United Nations.
Composition of the Research Team
Team leader: Prof. Dr. Nico Schrijver
Senior researcher: Dr. Koos van der Bruggen
PhD Candidate: Otto Spijkers, MA, LLM
|
UN & Global Values
Project goals
Workshops
Conference
Resources |
