UP PCS Mains-2024

Approach Introduce by stating 21st century challenges. Discuss the challenges to international security. Conclude on a positive note.

Introduction

The 21^st century world is grappling with multiple challenges like nuclear proliferation, terrorism, cyber-crimes, refugee crisis, climate change and many more that pose a threat to humanity. These security challenges have global impact. It harms the international peace and prosperity.

Challenges of International Security:

1. Nuclear Proliferation: Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Both in the scale of the devastation they cause, and in their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically damaging radioactive fallout, they are unlike any other weapons. A single nuclear bomb detonated over a large city could kill millions of people. E.g., Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War Second.

2. Terrorism: It poses a direct threat to the sovereignty of nations, and to international stability and prosperity. It is a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality or religion, and is a challenge that the international community must tackle together. E.g., ISIS, Al-Qaeda.

3. Cyber Security: Today, the world is more digitally connected than ever before. Criminals take advantage of this online transformation to target weaknesses in online systems, networks and infrastructure. There is a massive economic and social impact on governments, businesses and individuals worldwide. E.g., WannaCry and Petya ransomware attack.

4. Refugee Crisis: Hunger, extreme poverty, and the growing threat of climate change in addition to violence, conflict, and persecution are leaving people with no choice but to flee. Women and girls are impacted the most. They are at greater risk from gender-based violence, with refugee women twice as vulnerable to sexual violence. According to UNHCR, in 2022, over 1.2% of the global population have been forced to leave their homes. E.g., Rohingya refugee crisis emanating from Myanmar.

5. Climate Change: Climate change in the form of drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans poses a fundamental threat to the international security because it leads to food security crisis and climate-induced diseases.

6. Threats emanating from Social Networking Sites: Social networking sites are being used to transmit hate speech, recruit youth for terrorist activities (e.g. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). The biggest challenge for international security through social networking sites is cyber terrorism.

7. Extremism: It can be motivated by a range of factors, including ideologies, religious beliefs, political beliefs and prejudices against particular groups of people. E.g., extremism in Afghanistan, blasphemy in Pakistan.

8. Money Laundering: It is the process of making large amounts of money generated by a criminal activity appear to have come from a legitimate source. E.g., shell companies, terrorist financing.

9. Human Rights Violations: Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. E.g., Uyghurs Muslims in China.

10. Civil Wars: It is defined as a violent conflict between a state and one or more organized non-state actors in the state’s territory. E.g., civil war going on in Syria, Sudan and other African nations.

Global Efforts to tackle these challenges:

1. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons signed in 2017 is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal being their total elimination.

2. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a unique global instrument to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism. Through its adoption by consensus in 2006, all UN Member States agreed to a common strategic and operational approach to fighting terrorism.

3. The Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations.

4. United Nations Global Compact on Refugees is a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that a sustainable solution to refugee situations cannot be achieved without international cooperation.

5. UNFCCC Paris Agreement 2015 aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

6. UNESCO has launched a global dialogue to provide guidelines for regulating digital platforms, to fight disinformation and hate speech and protect freedom of expression.

7. Across the globe, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) leads and coordinates an all-of-UN approach to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism.

8. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) leads global action to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

9. The United Nations Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body which has the ability to discuss all human rights issues and situations that require its attention.

10. UN Peacekeeping, originally developed as a means of dealing with inter-State conflict, was increasingly being applied to intra-State conflicts and civil wars. E.g., Indian forces in conflict zones in Sudan.

Conclusion

The world needs India’s mantra of Vashudhaiv Kutumbakam where the entire world is envisaged as one family having one common future. Therefore, global cooperation is needed to tackle these global security challenges.