Today slavery is not only officially illegal in all nations but furthermore every human
being has, in reversion, a non-derogable right not to be enslaved thus giving the
crime of slavery a jus cogens status. Nonetheless, together with other jus cogens
norms such as the prohibition of torture or genocide, slavery still prevails in the world
with unprecedented numbers of modern slaves. Kevin Bales claims, however, that
the UN together with other transnational organizations can potentially contribute to
ending slavery rather sooner than later – if they are reformed. This paper will focus
on his arguments for reforming the UN and its associated organizations so as to
achieve this goal. It will argue that while Bales makes a very good case for reforming
the UN his propositions seem sometimes only to have aspirational character and it
appears questionable whether they can ever be implemented. However, this is not to
say that his suggestions are not of tremendous importance, but rather, this essay
wants to argue that the importance of the UN should not be overstated. Generally
this essay will focus first on whether the reforms suggested by Bales are feasible and
second if they are to be implemented how effective they can be in eradicating
slavery. Regarding the first point this essay will outline different arguments regarding
the implementation of the reforms according to Slaughter’s and Mearsheimer’s line
of argumentation. In regard to the latter point this essay will focus first on the lack of
enforceability while acknowledging the informational power of the UN and second on
the underlying problems of slavery that stand to some extend in contrast to the UN’s
mission. Finally this paper will conclude that while it is not impossible to implement
the proposed changes in the UN there are considerable challenges to be overcome
and furthermore the effect these changes might have on the process of abolishing
slavery might be rather small. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Proposed Five Point Plan
3. Transnational Networks and State Interest
4. Enforcement Challenges and Informational Power
5. Addressing Underlying Causes of Slavery
6. Supply and Demand: The Limits of UN Reform
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the feasibility and effectiveness of Kevin Bales' proposed reforms for the United Nations aimed at eradicating modern slavery, arguing that while these suggestions are important for sparking institutional change, they may face significant implementation challenges due to competing state interests and the complexity of addressing the demand side of slavery.
- Analysis of the UN's institutional capacity to combat modern slavery.
- Evaluation of Kevin Bales' five-point reform plan.
- Application of international relations theories (Slaughter and Mearsheimer) to the context of anti-slavery efforts.
- Distinction between supply-side and demand-side drivers of global slavery.
- Assessment of the importance of addressing underlying socio-economic causes like poverty.
Excerpt from the Book
Addressing the challenges of the UN by strict reforms cannot do much in changing national legislation or even the demand for slaves.
Every effective strategy that wants to abolish slavery necessarily needs to deal with the two parts of slavery: supply and demand. While the supply issue contains both the problems that forces people into slavery, such as poverty or abduction and the problems that enable people to escape slavery and stay free (after-care) the demand site contains all those factors and moral norms under which people are trafficked for sale, are enslaved for economic exploitation or held as sex slaves. It seems that this site can only be addressed very insufficiently by the UN. However, it is possible to focus on this site more intensely through vigorous and extensive marketing campaigns, which might raise awareness, but of course suffer from the flaws mentioned earlier. In this respect this essay argues that Bales could have addressed this issue more intensively. To better illustrate the problems associated with the demand site of slavery this essay wants to provide several examples. One of the largest issues in the opinion of this author is “simply” capitalism, expressed in the demand for cheap products, the constant drive for growth and ruthless market competition. One campaign lead by a large chain of electronic stores in Germany a few years ago is exemplary for this. The Saturn electronic stores as part of the Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH advertised for many years with the slogan “Geiz ist Geil” (“Stinginess is sexy”) (Spiegel.de). This slogan serves to some extend as a summary of the consumer behavior in the free market economy. While Bales discusses the aspects of supply chain management and international trade in relation to slavery, any reform of the UN can only in so far address slavery as it can incentivize countries to change national legislation and enforce those laws rigorously.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the persistence of slavery despite its illegality and sets the stage for evaluating Bales’ reform suggestions for the UN.
2. The Proposed Five Point Plan: Details the specific administrative and legislative steps Bales suggests the UN should take to fight slavery.
3. Transnational Networks and State Interest: Discusses how state-centric models versus transnational network theories influence the feasibility of international anti-slavery cooperation.
4. Enforcement Challenges and Informational Power: Examines the limitations of the UN's judicial and inspection reach, while acknowledging its strength in information-sharing and advocacy.
5. Addressing Underlying Causes of Slavery: Argues that focus should be shifted toward structural issues like poverty, education, and health to effectively combat the root causes of slavery.
6. Supply and Demand: The Limits of UN Reform: Critically evaluates the consumer-driven nature of modern slavery and why UN reforms alone may not shift deep-seated market behaviors.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes that while Bales' ideas are necessary and ambitious, they require a stronger emphasis on domestic policy advocacy within civil societies.
Keywords
Modern Slavery, United Nations, Kevin Bales, Human Rights, International Law, Institutional Reform, Transnational Networks, Global Capitalism, Abolition, Civil Society, Policy Advocacy, Human Trafficking, State Interests, Supply and Demand, International Institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper evaluates whether Kevin Bales' proposed reforms for the United Nations are realistic and how effective they would be in achieving the global abolition of slavery.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The work explores institutional design, international relations theories, the distinction between supply-side and demand-side factors of slavery, and the role of public pressure in policy change.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to determine if Bales' reform suggestions for the UN are too idealistic and to understand the potential influence of the UN in eradicating slavery versus the systemic barriers it faces.
Which scientific theories or methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a qualitative analysis, applying international relations theories—specifically drawing on the work of Slaughter regarding transnational networks and Mearsheimer regarding state interests—to analyze the feasibility of the proposed reforms.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body breaks down Bales' five-point plan, evaluates the enforcement capacity of the UN, explores the root causes like poverty, and analyzes the demand-side drivers of slavery in a capitalist system.
Which keywords best characterize this paper?
Key terms include Modern Slavery, United Nations, Institutional Reform, Human Rights, International Law, and Transnational Networks.
Why does the author argue that addressing the demand side of slavery is difficult for the UN?
The author argues that the demand side is tied to consumer behavior and global capitalist structures, which are largely beyond the scope of traditional diplomatic or legislative UN reforms.
What role do Western civil societies play in the author's final conclusion?
The author concludes that because Western countries possess stronger civil societies, policy-advocacy campaigns should be intensified there to create a "spillover effect" that encourages change globally.
How does the author view the "Geiz ist Geil" slogan in the context of the argument?
The slogan is used as a specific example of consumer-driven behavior in a free market economy, which incentivizes the cheap production methods often linked to modern slavery.
- Quote paper
- Georg Müller (Author), 2013, Are Kevin Bales' suggestions for reforming the United Nations so as to bring the end of slavery too idealistic?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/231593
