Definitions

• sovereignty The ability of an actor to preserve its decision-making capabilities and have autonomy over itself and its people
• Legitimacy


  The acceptance of an authority
• Justice


  The idea of fairness and individuals getting what they deserve
• Global Governance


  Bodies which are able to exert power over and work with the majority of countries in the world
• Non-Governmental Organisations


  Not-for-profit organisations that operate as non-state actors outside of the government
• Intergovernmental Organisations


  An entity created by treaty involving two or more sovereign nations to work in good faith on issues of common interest
• Non-State Actors


  Actors who are not part of a single state (eg. NGOs, MNCs, Trade Unions)
• Informal Forums


  A non-permanent international organisation formed of sovereign states
• Political Party


  A group of individuals who represent common political ideologies and values
• Resistance Movements


  Groups of people who oppose specific situations, ideals and values
• Social Movements


  Groups of people working to advance a common idea for the social good
• Peace


  The absence of war and violence
• Economic Cooperation


  The ability of states to work together for shared economic interests
• Collective Security


  The ability of states to compile military and security resources as a means of protection whilst preserving their sovereignty
• Terrorism


  An act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organisation to do or abstain from doing any act
• Power


  The ability to influence others to reach certain outcomes
• Cultural Relativism


  An ideal opposing universality, in that human rights principles should be viewed in the cultural context of the country they are being applied in
• Universalism


  An ideal opposing cultural relativism, in that human rights principles are fixed values that should not change depending on cultural context
• Codification


  The action or process of arranging laws or rules according to a system or plan
• Ratification


  The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid
• Interdependence


  The mutual reliance between and among groups, organizations, geographic areas and/or states for access to resources that sustain living arrangements
• Indivisibility


  The idea that human rights must be followed in their entirety
• Inalienability


  The belief that human rights are inherent, meaning they can neither be given away, nor can they be taken away or transferred
• Liberty


  Refers to the state of freedom from oppressive restrictions imposed by an external authority on one's life choices, behaviour, or political opinions
• Development


  A sustained increase in the standard of living and quality of live of a population in its entirety
• Debt


  A sum of money owed to another state, group, or organisation
• Aid


  A sum of money or resources given to another country as a means of helping them develop
• Corruption


  An abuse of power in which individuals act in their own self interest at the detriment of other countries
• Sustainable Development


  Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Developing Country


  Countries which have not yet met a global standard of development
• Migration


  Individuals choosing to leave a certain country to move to another one
• Inequality


  The uneven distribution of income, wealth, and opportunities across different segments of a society or between countries
• Wellbeing


  The broad enhancement of life quality for individuals and societies
• Sustainability


  The ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generations
• Globalisation


  The interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information
• Truth and Reconciliation commissions

  A body of respected individuals established by a government to ascertain and declare past wrongdoing by an external party
• Humanitarian intervention


  Third parties intervening in times of conflict or instability in order to ensure human rights are upheld
• Peace


  The absence of conflict
• Violence


  Use of physical aggression
• Conflict


  A disagreement between two or more parties