Civics - International Society, Environment, and Contemporary Issues
Scope
The question set covers the United Nations and its agencies, human-rights treaties, environmental agreements, and global gaps in wealth, food, and population.
Structures to know
- The 国際連合 was founded in 1945. The 総会 works on one country, one vote, but its resolutions are recommendations; the 安全保障理事会 has five permanent members (US, UK, France, Russia, China) holding 拒否権. 事務総長 is the administrative head.
- Agencies: UNESCO (education, culture), WHO (health), UNICEF (children), ILO (labour), IMF and 世界銀行 (finance), WTO (trade).
- Human rights: 世界人権宣言 1948, 国際人権規約, 子どもの権利条約 1989, 難民条約.
- Environment: 京都議定書 1997 bound only developed countries; the パリ協定 2015 required action from all parties through voluntary national targets; SDGs (2015) set 17 goals.
Worked example
A draft Security Council resolution criticising a permanent member's military action comes to a vote. Reasoning: because the target holds 拒否権, the resolution fails even with nine affirmative votes out of fifteen. The issue then moves to the 総会, where members may pass a resolution, but it carries no binding force. Naming the veto as the decisive mechanism is what earns the mark.
Traps that cost marks
Claiming 総会 resolutions are legally binding; forgetting 京都議定書 excluded developing countries while パリ協定 included them; confusing ODA with NGO aid; defining 南北問題 as a geographic split rather than a development gap.