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The incorporation of the theme of Afro-descendants in international human rights law is relatively new. Only 18 years ago, the issue was raised at the Regional Conference of the Americas held in preparation for the Third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in the city of Santiago, Chile in the year 2000. This article aims to analyse the historical aspects of racism and racial discrimination against the Afro-descendant population, as well as the development of the theme of Afro-descendants in international human rights law in the Americas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the modern world's problem with cyber security, including threats to international cyber security, the possibility of a cyber war and ways to prevent development of conflicts in cyber space. Topics discussed include the impact of cyber crimes on the world economy, cyber warfare frameworks developed by countries like the U.S., France and Great Britain and the role of the United Nations in avoiding cyber wars.

Complexity and dynamism of the current international context, marked by phenomena such as globalization, climate change, rapid population growth, world wide international migration, excessive urbanization, global economic and financial crisis have led to changes in concepts of crisis management and conflict around the world. Thus, the comprehensive approach in solving crises knowns a widespread distribution and application on the world stage, being used by countries such as USA, France, England, for example, and organizations such as the UN, NATO, the EU and the African Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the recipients’ perspective, arms transfers have, through the use of offsets, technology transfers, and industrial participation, become an opportunity to receive not only advanced weapons, but also technologies not otherwise available. How important are friendly relations for securing a military export order? To what extent do buyers demand advanced military or commercial technology and how are these demands accepted by the supplier? How does this influence smaller producers in relation to major producers? These questions are addressed by studying (a) the Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 by Lockheed Martin, USA, and the JAS-39 Gripen aircraft by Saab, Sweden, (b) the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition in India for 126 combat aircraft, and (c) the Indian offset policy. In the final section, some long-term consequences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the influence of US-EU cooperation on the UN decision-making process in the area of peace operations and its impact in the period 1991-2008. The article claims that US-EU cooperation transforms the positional power of the US, the EU and its member states into a coalition with dominant influence in the area of UN peace operations and becomes an enabling factor for the authorization of UN peace operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on historical diplomatic documents from 1950 which provide insights into the foreign relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in respect the the U.S.'s decision to engage in the Korean War. The author considers archival documents found at the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation which include the 1950 speech by Korean leader Kim Il-sung titled "Address to the Entire Korean People" which appeared in the June 26 issue of the Soviet newspaper Pravda, the June 27 letter from the U.S. embassy to Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko regarding the United Nations Security Council meeting called to consider military aggression by North Korea, and the July 4 memo informing the Soviet government of the American naval blockade of North Korea.

Before the World War II, the US policy was a compound of cooperation and isolation towards the world affairs and the US has no direct link in Southwest Asia and this area was under British influence. The main reason was lack of American commercial interests in Afghanistan and the role of Britain as guardian of Afghan foreign affairs, which obviated an early meaningful relationship between the two countries. So the history of US-Afghan relations is not very long and the efforts of the Afghan government for establishing relationship were not cherished up until 1934 and formal diplomatic relations were established in 1942. Afghanistan continued its traditional and preferred role as a buffer state, which prevented it from going into the orbit of any superpower or joining any military alliance. However, the Soviet influence increased and the Soviets provided military training and arms supply to Afghan army. The US adopted flexible approach in its relations with the Soviets, which resulted in increasing influence of communism and ultimately, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan on December 27, 1979, which totally altered the geo-strategic situation. Pakistan became a frontline state and the US made arrangements to supply military assistance to resistance groups without its direct involvement. In 1981, President Reagan took power with his tough anti-communist stance and made Moscow pay a high military and political price for the intervention in Afghanistan. The Soviet left Afghanistan after signing Geneva Accords in February 1989. In the absence of a central government, a civil war erupted which brought the Taliban in power. The paper will explore historical events which led to the events of 9/11 and war on terrorism in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Estudos Ibero-Americanos is the property of EDIPUCRS - Editora Universitaria da PUCRS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The allied invasion in Iraq and its aftermath highlight considerable discrepancies in the attitude towards the use of force between the current US administration and most EU member States. Still, both sides of the Atlantic are firmly committed to the UN Charter and the binding force of public international law. There is considerable unity in the possible justification of humanitarian intervention. The main point of contention lies in the different perception of preventive self-defense. Together with other members of the international community, the US and the European Union should work towards a common set of criteria for intervention which clearly respects the prerogatives of UN Security Council for the maintenance and restoration of peace and international security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bush administration's forced removal of democratically elected Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. while a powersharing deal with his political opposition was being brokered in 2004. resulted in the country's expulsion from the Caribbean Community and was condemned by the African Union. The installation of the US-backed replacement government of Gerard Latortue has resulted in the rape, torture and false imprisonment of thousands of ordinary Haitians. The only Latin American country to condemn the US's action in Haiti, however, has been Venezuela. Other countries and organisations like the Organization of American States (OAS) have been bought over with a massive programme of civilian and military funding by the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the international facet of the Brazilian policy on HIV/AIDS and its connection to other areas of foreign relations, such as intellectual property rights and human rights. In so doing, it takes into account Joseph Nye Jr. concepts of soft and hard power. The latter reflects the capacity of making others follow one's position, albeit against their will. The former consists in the capacity of freely attracting others to one' s position. The author analyses the importance of the media, the nongovernmental organizations, the public opinion, and the international institutions in foreign affairs. Not only do they possess soft power of their own, but also play a key role in reinforcing a country's soft power. The author assesses the influence of soft power on the relations between Brazil and the United States, as well as on multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The essay also analyses the role of hard power in international relations and evaluates why a country cannot dispense with it. Although soft power has indeed become increasingly important over the last years, the combination of the two kinds of power remains the right policy to pursue. The Brazilian foreign policy on HIV/AIDS is a case in point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new world order has been instrumental in shaping and promoting multilateralism over the last seven decades. The end of the World War II led to the evolution of a world order where multilateral organisations and multilateral treaties have paved the path for a stable and better world. However, the current rise in unilateral tendencies undermines the edifice of the contemporary world order. The United Nations (UN) being one of the global bodies has been instrumental in promoting multilateralism and norm-setting in the international arena. However, the recent rise in unilateral tendencies has undermined the UN's role quite significantly. All the reasons that underpinned the flourishing of multilateral institutions after the World War II remain valid today. However, big powers continue to undermine multilateralism at all global forums. This paper will attempt to explore the present rise of the United States (US) in moving towards unilateralism and how it has shunned it at the UN as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]