This research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known...Show moreThis research aims to examine and elaborate on possible changes in the degrees of respect for human rights in Libya and Tunisia before and after the events that took place in 2011, which are known as the Arab Spring uprisings. By examining the spiral model by Risse and Sikkink (1999) this research is set up to trace a process of change in the degree of respect for human rights towards compliance to human rights norms in both countries. Results show in the case of Libya that the mobilization of both national as well as international actors evidently contributed to regime change during the Arab Spring and improved human rights conditions to a certain extent. Comparable transnational mobilization took place in Tunisia, where domestic opposition was likewise blocked. Tunisia’s post-Arab Spring period marks a time of considerable improvements in human rights conditions and the general respect for human rights. Although human rights violations are still occurring in both countries, the evaluation of past research and the tracing of current transnational involvement with respect to human rights conditions can contribute to the scientific and public understanding of the importance of human rights advocacy. In the long run, the mobilization and support of transnational human rights organizations continues to contribute to future compliance to human rights norms, in these countries and around the globe.Show less
A research on the political process of Eurobonds looking at different explanatory factors and applying the theories of intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism
Since the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in New York, the War on Terror has emerged and a change in the perspective of security and development has taken place. Underdevelopment and conflict in failed...Show moreSince the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in New York, the War on Terror has emerged and a change in the perspective of security and development has taken place. Underdevelopment and conflict in failed states is considered to be dangerous to the North. Some authors describe that underdevelopment and conflict in failed states can pose a threat to the security of the Northern states because failed states could offer a safe haven for terrorists. Because Northern states see underdevelopment and conflict as dangerous, they intervene in those states in order to fight the terrorists and make failed states more secure and stable. France is one example of a Northern state intervening a lot in failed African states. Ivory Coast and Mali are two states in which France has intervened. In Ivory Coast France intervened within a Civil War to stop the fighting whereas in Mali France intervened in order to counter terrorists. Those interventions by Northern states have certain effects on the state in which is intervened and although much has been written in the current literature about the general effects of liberal interventions, little has been said about the effects of liberal counterterrorist interventions in particular. In this research thesis I will therefore look more closely at the political and social effects of liberal counterterrorist interventions by comparing the two different interventions in Ivory Coast and in Mali.Show less
The aim of this study is to remain critical of emerging ethical norms and to review them in the light of their practical consequences. For this reason, ‘last resort’ as a just intervention...Show moreThe aim of this study is to remain critical of emerging ethical norms and to review them in the light of their practical consequences. For this reason, ‘last resort’ as a just intervention criterion was assessed in the light of its effect on human security. In order to do this, a most-similar case comparison was set out between Darfur and Libya. Darfur as a case where ‘last resort’ was abided by and which had a negative outcome in terms of human security and Libya as a case where ‘last resort’ was not abided by and which had a positive outcome in terms of human security. It was found that ‘last resort’ mainly has a negative effect on human security in terms of an untimely response to a crisis. However abiding by ‘last resort’ can in some ways make it more difficult for a response to be decisive as well.Show less
This research tries to scrutinize the influence of pro-migration interest group arguments towards the immigration policy of the European Union. As a case study the influence of different kinds of...Show moreThis research tries to scrutinize the influence of pro-migration interest group arguments towards the immigration policy of the European Union. As a case study the influence of different kinds of arguments of pro-migration interest groups used as an answer on a public consultation about the Common European Asylum System in 2007 is chosen to investigate. Via a documentary analyses the influence between human rights-based arguments and cost arguments were tried measured. This was not possible, because the pro-migration interest groups almost only made human rights-based arguments. There is though evidence found that suggest that the Commission copied mainly recommendations that were in line with the aims that the Commission stated in the Green Paper. This seems to suggest that the Green Paper is an agenda-setting power tool that diminishes the amount of influence that pro-migration interest groups can have on the European immigration policy.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
open access
Since its establishment in 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken on the ambitious goal of ending impunity for the gravest international crimes. However, this judicial institution...Show moreSince its establishment in 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken on the ambitious goal of ending impunity for the gravest international crimes. However, this judicial institution has been strongly criticized for arguably obstructing peace. Although peace and justice are inevitably linked, blindly pursuing justice without considering political implications such as its potential impact on peace negotiations is not only reckless, but fails to recognize the existence of a bigger picture. This thesis attempts to analyze the conditions under which ICC intervention in ongoing civil conflict facilitates the success or failure of peace negotiations. I argue that international law cannot be seen as functioning in complete isolation from politics. If ICC action has in fact an impact on peace negotiations, the ICC needs to be aware of this and take it into account before intervening in an ongoing conflict. In order to analyze this argument, I will conduct two case studies on the situation and peace negotiations in Uganda and Darfur, Sudan, respectively.Show less
