INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION
SS 3
GOVERNMENT
FIRST TERM
LESSON NOTE SCHEME OF WORK
WEEKLY LESSON NOTE
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT
WEEK 10
TOPIC: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION
CONTENT
a. International organizations
i. United Nations (UN)
ii. African Union (AU)
iii. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
iv. Common Wealth of Nations (former British colonies, dominions and United Kingdom)
v. United Nations Development Project (UNDP)
vi. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
vii. United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) iix. World Health Organisation (WHO)
ix. UNICEF
(b) Origin (c) Aims and objectives (d) Achievements for each of the organisation
SUB TOPIC 1: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
International organizations are organisation set up to cater for the interest of independent nations. They provide services needed by different members of the organisation e.g UNO, ECOWAS, AU etc.
i. UNITED NATIONS (UN) – ORIGINS
After the First World War (1914 – 1918), the participants in the war through their experience establish on international organisation called the League of Nations in 1919 to ensure that there will not be only other outbreak of war, promote world peace and security. It headquarters was at General intermediately, there was another outbreak of war in the world and that was the Second World War (1939 – 1945). This shows the inefficiency of the League of Nations and the need to establish another organisation. This desire led to the establishment of United Nations Organisation UNO in 1945 to replace the League of Nations.
The major founding countries were four namely: Britain, USA, and China. The following for the establishment of UNO; the London conference declaration of 1941, the Atlantic charter of 1942, the Moscow conference of 1943.
The draft of UNO was prepared by the founding held at dumbartion oaks near Washington in 1944. A meeting of fifty nations was held the following year, 1945 in Sari-Francsico, America where the draft was discussed modified and finally the meeting ended with the signing of the Atlantic charter which gave birth to the United Nations Organisation. The headquarters of the organisation is in New York, USA.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF UN
1. To maintain international peace and security. All member states must therefore settle their international disputes in such a way that it will not endanger world peace and security.
2. To encourage countries to have respect for fundamental human rights and freedom for all people without discrimination on race, sex, religion or language.
3. To encourage friendly relations among member states base on the principle of mutual respect, equal rights and self determination of people.
4. To encourage member states to co-operate in the areas of social, economic humanitarian and cultural needs of its people.
5. To respect the sovereignty of member states
6. To remove and prevent causes of war.
7. To accelerate the independence of trust territories.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNO
1. The organisation has succeeded in preventing the outbreak of the Third World War.
2. It played a great role in ending apartheid and colonialism in Africa.
3. It had encouraged the respect for fundamental human rights through the 1948 universal human right declaration.
4. It has increased the standard of living of people in the developing countries through the activities of its specialized agencies like FAO, WHO, etc.
5. The organisation provides aid through its specialized agencies e.g. social, economic, cultural etc. To member states, specially developing.
6. It assist the economic developments of member states through financial assistance which the international monetary fund and world bank give to the countries whose economics are depressed or stagnating.
7. The organisation is involved in the solving of refuges problems in different parts of the world.
8. It gives smaller countries the opportunity to say their minds on issues concerning them or their region and on international matters.
9. Promoting international peace and security through the maintenance of friendly relations among nations.
10. Providing humanitarian assistance during natural disasters, assisting refugees and victims of war.
11. Protecting human rights in all countries regardless of race, religion and gender.
12. Promoting international development through the achievement of sustainable economic and social progress.
13. Providing a forum for international debate on global issues such as climate change, poverty and environmental degradation.
SUB TOPIC 2
AFRICAN UNION
ORIGIN
African Union was established to replace organisation of African Unity. On July 9, 2002, African heads of state in Urban South Africa launched the African Union (AU) to work the end of OAU after 39 years of existence.
All is the brain child of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi who first proposed it as a full blown ‘United states of Africa’ the constitutive act establishing UA was signed at an OAU summit held in Lome, Togo in 2002 and came into effect in 2001 following it formed proclamation at an extra-ordinary OAU summit in Libya.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF AU
i. To achieve African Unity and solidarity.
ii. To end the senseless wars and conflicts causing unnecessary hardship and pains to Africans
iii. To defend the sovereignty of member state.
iv. To promote international co-operation
v. To promote social, political and economic development in Africa.
vi. To advance the development of science and technology
vii. To promote good health through co-operation with international bodies.
iix. To promote and raise the standard of living and economic well-being of the people of Africa.
ACHIEVEMENT OF AU
i. Since its formation in 1963, it has been able to promote unity among members and has brought African states together to discuss common or continental issues. From the outset , it united the Cassablanca and Brazzaville blocs.
ii. The AU has been able to eradicate all forms of colonialism in Africa. Through the activities of the liberation Committee, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe were all freed from the yoke of colonialism.
iii. Through the commission of mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration, border disputes have been settled among members. Examples are disputes between Morocco and Algeria, Guinea and Senegal, Somalia and Ethiopia and between Uganda and Tanzania.
iv. The AU (formerly OAU)has succeeded in dismantling apartheid particularly in South Africa through its open condemnation of apartheid in international organization.
v. In conjunction with the Economic Commission of Africa which is a United Nations agency, the AU has realized economic and social development in Africa. A major example is the Lagos Plan of Action, a blueprint for the establishment by 2000 A.D. of an African market. A trans-continental road link which is in progress about being completed.
vi. The African Development Bank (ADB) has been financing projects and giving loans to members to carry out developmental projects for rapid development.
vii. With the formation of UA, Africa has been able to use the body to speak with a voice
at international organizations, especially at the UNO.
iix. The AU has contributed to the observation of human rights in Africa through the adoption of African Charter on Human Rights.
ix. It has encourages the formation of regional economic groupings of African states, e.g. ECOWAS and SADCC.
x. Since its inception, the AU has been able to promote African unity and continental integration.
Overall, the African Union has had a significant impact on promoting economic and social development in Africa, as well as fostering greater unity and solidarity among member states. Some of its key achievements include ending colonialism in Africa, resolving border disputes between member states, and promoting economic and social development. However, it has also faced challenges such as political instability in some member states and the ongoing challenge of overcoming deep-rooted divisions between different regions within Africa. Despite these challenges, the AU continues to be an important body for promoting African unity and progress.
SUBTOPIC 3
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)
The organisation was established at May 28, 1975. It was founded through the initiatives of two African leaders – General Yakubu Gowon of Nigeria and Gnasingbe Eyadema of Togo. The headquarters of the organization is in Abuja, Nigeria. It is a sub regional economization ECOWAS is made up of 15 countries with the withdrawal of Mauritania some of the countries are as follows: Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Guinea Bissau etc.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF ECOWAS
1. To promote co-operation and development in all field of industry, transport, energy agriculture etc.
2. To eliminate customs duties and other charges in respect of the importation and exportation of goods between member countries,
3. To abolish administrative restrictions on trade among member states.
4. To remove obstacles to free movement of people, services and capital among member states.
5. To harmonize agricultural policies and promote common projects in marketing research and agro industrial enterprises.
6. To establish a common fun for c-operation, compensation and development
7. To harmonize monetary policies of members states through integrating the economic and industrial policies.
8. To establish a common tariff against non-member states.
9. To harmonize the economic and industrial policies of member state and eliminate disparity in the level of development of member state.
ACHIEVEMENT OF ECOWAS
1. Removal of obstacles placed on all goods and services within the sub-region headquarters of the organisation is in London.
2. Proposals for greater structrural integration such as in the area of transport and communication are at advance stages.
3. The road network project such as the one planned to link Lagos with Noukchott the capitalof Maritania is now in progress.
4. There has been free movement of people, goods and services in West-Africa.
5. There exist greater economy collaboration and some traditional barriers to trade investment have been removed.
6. It has brought together under a common aspiration the Anglophone and Fracophone country, and there has been a relative increase volume of trade among them.
7. It established the Eco Bank in 1984 tofacilitate financial dealings among business men of member state.
COMMON WEALTH OF NATION
Common wealth is a voluntary association of independent states. Therefore, the Commonwealth of Nations means association of former colonies of Britain. When most of the countries were gaining political independence, the British government was seeking ways of maintaining tradition which had existed between her and the former colonies for a long time.
The origin of Commonwealth of Nations could br traced to 1907 when the representatives of government of these five countries; Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa met in London for the first time. It was then called British Commonwealth of Nations.
By 1920, the British government had to seek the opinions of the colonies before doing anything about the colonies. By 1926 the colonies were called dominions. It was agreed that they owed allegiance to the British government but could control their own affairs.
The headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations is in London.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF COMMON WEALTH
1. To co-operate and find solutions to problems confronting member states in the area of education, trade, finance etc.
2. To promote friendly relations among member states.
3. To respect and protect the territorial investing and sovereignty of member state.
4. To contribute to the economic development of member states by offering financial manpower and technical assistance.
5. To promote sporting activities to encourage the spirit of friendship and co-operation.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF COMMON WEALTH OF NATION
1. TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS: member states enjoy scientific and technical benefits through exchange of technical experts between developed and developing countries.
2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Common wealth offers loans and grants to poor countries among member states in order to develop their own economies.
3. It provides employment so citizens of member state.
4. It contributed to the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa.
EVALUATION:
1. Enumerate six achievements of AU.
1. The AU has promoted trade, investment, and economic collaboration among member states, helping to remove traditional barriers to trade and investment in the region.
2. It has facilitated greater cultural collaboration and understanding through events like the popular Pan-African Film Festival, which showcases films from across Africa.
3. Through programs like the AU Roadmap for silencing conflict in Africa, the AU has helped to promote peace and stability in member states.
4. The AU has been a strong advocate for human rights, democracy, and good governance, working to protect the rights of citizens across the continent.
5. It has supported projects aimed at improving education and healthcare access and quality, especially for women and girls.
6. The AU has played a leading role in responding to humanitarian crises like the ongoing crisis in Syria and the recent Ebola outbreak, providing critical support and resources to affected communities.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
World Health Organization (WHO): ORIGIN:
The WHO is one of the specialized agencies of UN. It came into existence in 1948 with headquarters in Geneva and regional offices all over the world.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF W.H.O
1. To create an interface between the developed and developing nations when pertaining to health issues.
2. To patronize and support health programs in developing nations.
3. To periodically formulate health policies that are readily endorsed by
nations.
4. To coordinate and oversee the procurement of health services.
5.To immerse in disease inspection and analysis.
6. To involve itself in promoting health and also to impart health education.
7. To collaborate with governments and administrations all over the world to endorse health promotional programs.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF W.H.O
1. Fight against and successful eradication of the world’s most deadly communicable diseases. E.g malaria, tuberculosis etc.
2. It promotes and funds programs to prevent the occurrence of such diseases through vaccination and also to treat through ground-breaking medicines.
3. The WHO patronizes the distribution of secure drugs and medication throughout the world to fight against the outbreak of such communicable diseases
4. It also initiates a variant of health campaigns like propagating against the consumption of tobacco through smoking and other means.
5. Promoting the consumption of vegetarian foods such as vegetables and fruits.
6. WHO experts are currently engaged in researching on a permanent vaccine against Influenza, which is a very common chronic illness.
7. WHO is also funding programs in member states so that they independently address the grievances associated within the nation and conduct extensive research on such subjects territorially.
UNITED NATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ORIGIN:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.The organization was founded in 1965 with it headquarters in New York. UNDP is funded by voluntary contributions from member nations
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES UNDP:
1. To provide expert advice, training, and grant support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries.
2. To accomplish the MDGs and encourage global development,
3. To ensure poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, social development, and crisis prevention and recovery.
4. To encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women in all of its programmes.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNITED NATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
1. Democratic governance: UNDP supports national democratic transitions by providing policy advice and technical support.
2.It improves institutional and individual capacity within countries. It embarks on educating populations about and advocating for democratic reforms.
3. promoting negotiation and dialogue, and sharing successful experiences from other countries and location..
4. UNDP also supports existing democratic institutions by increasing dialogue, enhancing national debate, and facilitating consensus on national governance programmes.
5.Poverty reduction: UNDP helps countries develop strategies to combat poverty by expanding access to economic opportunities and resources.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION (FAO):
ORIGIN
The idea of an international organization for food and agriculture emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century. In May–June 1905, an international conference was held in Rome, Italy, which lead to the creation of the International Institute of Agriculture.Later in 1943, the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture. Representatives from forty four governments gathered at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia from 18 May to 3 June. They committed themselves to founding a permanent organization for food and agriculture, which happened in Quebec City, Canada on October 16, 1945 with the conclusion of the Constitution of the Food and Agriculture Organization.[4] The First Session of the FAO Conference was held in the Chateau Frontenac at Quebec, Canada, from 16 October to 1 November 1945. The FAO was established in 1945 and the headquarters of the organization is in Rome.
OBJECTIVES OF FAO
1. To preserve natural resources such as valleys, lakes and forests.
2. To coordinate government and other agencies activities all over the world.
3. To offer technical and scientific advice on soil erosion, use of fertilizer, food storage and preservation.
4. To send disaster relief materials, including food, to affected areas.
5. To research into lost agricultural products with a view to reintroducing them.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FAO:
1. During the 1990s, FAO took a leading role in the promotion of integrated pest management for rice production in Asia.
2. Raising awareness about the problem of hunger mobilizes energy to find a solution
3. It improves the standard of living of the people of the world through food aid to member nations.
4. Provision of fund to small scale farmers.
5. It has contributed to combating hunger in the world through various programmes.
UNITED NATION CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF UNICEF:
1. To nurture and care for children.
2. To work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path.
3. To advocate for measures to give children the best start in life.
4. To promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum.
5. To ensure that children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished, because it is wrong for a child to suffer or die from a preventable illness.
6. To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNICEF
i. UNICEF work for the survival, protection and development of Nigerian children
ii. UNICEF and WHO carried out their first leprosy project in Nigeria. Thanks to a new drug, the treatment of the disease had greatly improved and thousands of children were spared its disfiguring effects.
iii. As reports revealed widespread malnutrition among African children, UNICEF started providing skimmed milk to underfed children.
iv. UNICEF also focused on the education of mothers as another strategy to combat malnutrition.
v. UNICEF provided support for textbook production and continued its programme for health and nutrition education in schools.
vi. UNICEF also supported training of health staff in the field of nutrition.
UNITED NATION EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION–ORIGIN
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF UNESCO
i. To contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice.
ii. UNESCO’s aim is “to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.
iii. Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning, addressing emerging social and ethical challenges.
iv. Fostering cultural diversity, a culture of peace and building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication”
ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNESCO:
i. UNESCO promotes co-operation in the field of science, education and culture among members of the UN.
ii. It advocates equal rights especially concerning educational opportunities.
iii. Itcarries out exchange programmes in research and education.
EVALUATION:
1. Describe the origin of United Nation.
2. Mention four major objectives of UNO.
3. State five achievements of UNO.
4. Explain the origin of the following organization, and their main objectives: United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
GENERAL EVALUATION:
1. Explain the origin of United Nation.
2. State four major objectives of UNO.
3. Outline five achievements of UNO.
4. Discuss the origin of the following organization the following organization
UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO.
5. Highlight 3 achievements of ECOWAS.
6. Discuss the main objectives of the following organizations: NATO, IMF, and World Bank.
7. Evaluate the goals and achievements of UN agencies such as FAO, UNESCO and UNICEF in helping to promote global development and protect children’s rights.
READING ASSIGNMENT: Read Round-Up Government by Ibiyemi etal Chapter 17 pages256- 273.
PRE- READING ASSIGNMENT: Read about millennium development goals.
WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT (OBJECTIVE TEST)
1. The head of commonwealth of nations is the
A. Prime minister. (B) High commissioner (C) British foreign secretary (D) British monarch.
2. The objective of ECOWAS is to
A. Promote economic development among member states.
B. Achieve African unity.
C. Establish political unification of West Africa.
D. Eradicate all forms of racism in West Africa.
3.A representative of one country in another within the Commonwealth country is called A. high commissioner (B) attaché (C) foreign minister (D) consul.
4. Which of the following country participated in the signing of UN charter in 1945
(A) Ethiopia (B) Tunisia (C) Ghana (D) India5. The headquarters of UNICEF is in (A) Kenya (B) USA (C) Switzerland (D) Japan.
6.The first African country to receive independence from a European nation was:
(A) Ghana (B) Nigeria (C) Liberia (D) Sierra Leone.
7. The objective of NATO is to
(A) Unite all European countries. (B) Promote peace in Europe and the world. (C) Promote democracy in Europe. (D) Promote economic development in Africa.
8. What are the main objectives of ECOWAS?
(1) To promote economic cooperation among member states.
(2) To achieve African unity through political and economic integration.
(3) To promote peace and security in West Africa.
(4) To protect the interests of member countries at the global level.