Category: International Law

What are the core ways, ends and means of the Biden National Security Strategy or the Trump National Security Strategy
Briefly outline a strength and weakness of the strategy you chose

What is the structure of international society?
Is there a hierarchy among states under international law?
What is the difference between naturalism and positivism?

The case of Smith & Co. vs. United Nations Central Authority involves a complex intersection of international law, commercial law, and human rights law. Smith & Co., a multinational corporation, signed a contract with the United Nations Central Authority (UNCA) for the development of essential infrastructure in a conflict-ridden region in the Global South. Under the terms of the contract, Smith & Co. was tasked with building a network of water purification systems and sanitation infrastructure, which would benefit millions of people affected by the conflict. In return, the UNCA agreed to provide extensive logistical support, including military protection and immunity from local government regulations.
After a year of operations, Smith & Co. terminated the contract, citing threats to their workers’ safety due to increased violence in the region. However, the UNCA refused to accept the termination, claiming that Smith & Co. had not complied with specific protocols outlined in the agreement, such as waiting for a UN-sanctioned security reassessment. The UNCA further alleged that the early termination amounted to a breach of contract, causing significant delays in providing essential humanitarian aid.
In response, Smith & Co. filed a lawsuit against the UNCA in a national court, asserting that the UNCA had violated international human rights law by failing to provide adequate protection for its workers. The corporation argued that the increasing violence and lack of security amounted to a “force majeure” event, justifying the contract’s termination. They also claimed that the UNCA’s insistence on continuing the contract under dangerous conditions was inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects individuals from being exposed to inhumane or degrading treatment.
On the other hand, the UNCA countered that international immunity protects it from national court proceedings, citing the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The UNCA also argued that Smith & Co.’s unilateral termination was premature and financially damaging, and did not meet the legal thresholds for invoking “force majeure” under international commercial law.
Question:
Analyze the jurisdictional issues that arise in this case, considering the UNCA’s claim of immunity under international law and the applicability of human rights standards within commercial contracts. Further, discuss the relevance of the “force majeure” doctrine in international contracts, and whether it is a valid defense for Smith & Co. in the context of this humanitarian crisis. How should the national court approach the interplay between commercial contract law and international human rights obligations? Should Smith & Co.’s termination be seen as legally justified under the doctrine of “force majeure,” or is the UNCA’s position on contract breach more compelling? What is the potential for the national court to uphold or dismiss the UNCA’s immunity in this case?
400 words

Please listen to Saudi’s Crown Prince interview with Fox News and respond to the following questions. When responding to the questions, please make them concise. Good luck.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0NxI44yBDM
Title: Future of Saudi Arabia
Q1: What do you think the Crown Prince meant by “Get Saudi Back on the Right Track?”
Q2: Why is the “G20 Rail Project” important for Saudi Arabia?
Q3: What does it mean by “Get Israel Back as a Player in the Middle East”?
Q4: Why is Saudi Arabia a critical player for the prosperity of the United States?
Q5: Why did Saudi normalize its relationship with Iran?
Q6: How does Saudi view BRICS?
Q7: How does the Crown Prince understand “leadership?” In other words, about China, how does he define leadership?
Q8: In international relations, soft power (primarily cultural and e-games) plays a critical role. What is the future of Saudi Arabia in the promotion of soft power and in projecting Saudi’s future soft power influence in the world?
Q9: What do you think will be included in VISION 2040 and how will it be different from VISION 2030?

Title: Future of Saudi Arabia
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0NxI44yBDM
Q1: What do you think the Crown Prince meant by “Get Saudi Back on the Right Track?”
Q2: Why is the “G20 Rail Project” important for Saudi Arabia?
Q3: What does it mean by “Get Israel Back as a Player in the Middle East”?
Q4: Why is Saudi Arabia a critical player for the prosperity of the United States?
Q5: Why did Saudi normalize its relationship with Iran?
Q6: How does Saudi view BRICS?
Q7: How does the Crown Prince understand “leadership?” In other words, in reference to China, how does he define leadership?
Q8: In international relations, soft power (especially cultural and e-games) plays a critical role. What is the future of Saudi Arabia in the promotion of soft power and in projecting Saudi’s future soft power influence in the world?
Q9: What do you think will be included in VISION 2040, and how will it differ from VISION 2030?

*URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoVY_GQzlmU&t=1s
*Title: Business Dispute Resolutions in KSA (Dr.Hamed Merah, CEO of SCCA)
Q1: What recent changes has the SCCA made to Promote effective governance?
Q2: What changes have been made to the SCCA rules to promote Fairness and Justice within the Arbitration process
Q3: What are the qualifications for arbitrators in SCCA?
Q4: How does SCCAC guarantee speed and efficiency?
Q5: What changes have been made regarding “reference to Sharia” in the new arbitration practice in Saudi?
Q6: What does “Glocality” mean?
Q7: What is a New York Convention?
Q8: Why did Dr. Hamed say, “There is no issue with arbitrators at SCCA?”
Q9: How did Vision 2030 impact the arbitration practice in Saudi Arabia?

SLO 3: Apply appropriate disciplinary methods and/or theories to the analysis of social, cultural, psychological, ethical, political, technological, or economic issues or problems.
Topic: School Resource Officers
Background Information: 
Recent high-profile school violence incidents have raised concern about protecting schools. Some states have implemented School Resource Officers (SROs), who are full-time sworn law enforcement officers, to increase security. Currently, 45% of all public schools have SROs. Concerns about the excessive use of force have raised concerns over the necessity and impact of SROs. In November 2019, for example, an SRO in Pompano Beach, FL was charged with child abuse after a video surfaced of him slamming a 15-year-old student to the ground. A few years earlier, a federal judge ruled that SROs in Birmingham, AL had used unconstitutional levels of force when they pepper sprayed students for minor disciplinary infractions, including crying in the hallway. Although the vast majority of school days pass without incident, when an SRO does use force as an instrument of discipline, questions arise about the necessity of a police presence on campuses, particularly if the force is caught on camera.
Process:
The purpose of this assignment is to enhance your critical thinking skills through a mini-essay.
What is critical thinking? It is the ability to think rationally and clearly, understanding the logical connection between concepts and ideas. It requires you to be an active learner rather than just a passive recipient of knowledge and information. Critical thinking is a way of thinking about specific things at a specific time. It is not just the accumulation and recollection of facts that you can use in the same format down the line as you would with a grammar or multiplication table learned in elementary school. Critical thinking is an adaptive skillset that helps enable a way of thinking about whatever the issue/argument is so that you can arrive at the best possible conclusion/solution.
You are required to write at least a mini-essay of 500-1,000 words showing your critical analysis of the problem or issue presented. The 500-word amount is the minimum. The 500-100 breakdown is as follows:
Introduction (Approximately 100-150 words):
Opening Statement (20-30 words): Start with a concise and engaging introduction to the problem or issue.
Background Information (40-60 words): Provide context or background information about the problem or issue’s relevance.
Thesis Statement (30-40 words): Present your main argument or thesis.
Body (Approximately 350-600 words, divided into multiple paragraphs):
First Main Point (80-120 words): Start with your most compelling argument or analysis.
Second Main Point (80-120 words): Introduce your second key argument.
Third Main Point (80-120 words): If needed, present a third major point.
Counterarguments (40-60 words): Briefly acknowledge opposing viewpoints.
Personal Analysis and Insight (50-80 words): Share your personal insight.
Conclusion (Approximately 50-100 words):
Summary of Main Points (20-30 words): Recap the key arguments or analyses.
Restate Thesis (20-30 words): Reiterate your thesis statement.
Closing Remarks (10-20 words): End with a concluding thought or call to action.
Exceeding the Word Limit:
You can allow for flexibility in the word limit. If your analysis extends beyond the specified range, that’s okay. Just make sure that the additional content adds value to your argument and does not result in unnecessary repetition. However, it’s essential to maintain clarity and conciseness throughout your essay, even if it exceeds the initial word limit.
Total Word Count:
This structure allows for flexibility, so the essay can go over the word limit while ensuring that the core content falls within the 500-1,000-word range.
The questions you need to answer by applying the knowledge from the text, scientific journals, studies, or statistics:
What are the benefits and drawbacks of having SROs involved in disciplining noncriminal behavior by students?
Should we maintain the use of SROs or abolish the practice of having SROs in schools?

Im interesting in understanding the mechanisms and processes through which international legal disputes, particularly those involving multiple countries, are resolved. What are the key institutions and legal frameworks that handle such cases? Additionally, how do difference in national laws and jurisdiction impact the resolution of these disputes? Can you provide examples of notable international cases and explain how they were adjusted?

Now to your final paper. You must follow the guidelines (on Canvas since the start of the semester):
1) in no more than one page, explain what groups are fighting, when, and when, who leads them, and what each group is fighting for — one presumably to defend a nation-state and another to establish some form of political autonomy or independence for an ethnic group. Begin with “In this conflict, the …. fight/fought the ….” — do not write generalities about how people have been fighting each other since the beginning of time, which is not helpful. In fact, it is so unhelpful, I will deduct points if you do that.
2) in more more than one page, give me historical background, which may include colonialism, the collapse of the Soviet Union, a civil war in a neighboring country, a previous peace deal that went bad, etc. Make sure you limit your historical background to ONE PAGE, because this is not a history class.
3) these 3-4 pages are the most important part of your paper where you will gain most points. In order to do well, I suggest that you compile a levels of analysis grid first. Make sure you know ALL the actors and what they did to cause or to solve the conflict, before you start writing this section. Spend one page each on the individual, domestic, and international level. OR, if the conflict you study is best explained on just two levels, focus on those two and tell me briefly why the third does not matter much. Then you have more room to write about actors on just two levels. This section must be at least 3 pages long.
PLEASE NOTE: you can write out each level of analysis is clear English prose, the way you would expect to do in a final paper, OR you can submit this entire segment 3) in grid form, using the same format you used in your grid submissions previously. I recommend the grid option for those of you who feel the strict organization into columns helps sorting through all the data. In prose narratives, students sometimes get stuck writing about one or two actors only, or they forget to focus on causes of conflict and (attempts at) resolutions to the conflict. The grid can help with that. So, the grid is an OPTION for section 3). You decide what works best for you.
4) in no more than one page, in the end, engage with Lee Ann Fujii and Jesse and Williams. Here I want you to demonstrate that you understand Lee Ann Fujii’s contributions to ethnic conflict studies and I am looking, yet again, for terms like primordialism, instrumentalism, ethnic outbidding, spoilers, ethnic security dilemmas, diasporas, irredentism, etc. Tell me which of the Jesse and Williams terms explains your conflict best. What would Lee Ann Fujii and Jesse and Williams say about your paper if they read it?
Sections 3) and 4) determine, if you get an A in this assignment.
Chicago style, I have also attached the formal guide of the paper and I attached the topic proposal which will help you understand what we are writing about. No AI or chatgpt

Please write a brief reflection essay where you analyze the impact of one of the issues and themes discussed in the second half of the term on your field or prospective industry. The purpose of this assignment is to critically reflect on the interplay between global forces and your everyday life.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Select one of the issues and themes.
Please choose among the following:
War (any of the types discussed including interstate or civil conflict); International Organizations; International Law; Human Security/Rights; International Economic & Financial System; Globalization; Development; Poverty; Global Inequality; Environmental Problems; Climate Change.
Briefly introduce the chosen issue and theme.
Discuss the relation between the chosen issue/theme and your field or prospective industry.
Your reflection essay should have a brief introduction, main text, and a brief conclusion.
Remember to clearly indicate your sources within the text!
List the sources you consulted.
The length of the report should be one to two (1-2) pages (minimum length: 1 full page; maximum length: 2 pages – excluding references), double-spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Please use size 12 of the Times New Roman font. Use APA to cite your sources.