Political problems in the world. Global problems of our time and political ways to solve them

INTRODUCTION 2

1. POLITICAL GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY.. 4

1.1 The essence and signs of global problems of humanity. 4

1.2 The threat of thermonuclear catastrophe and new world wars. 7

1.3 International terrorism as a global problem. 9

2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC GLOBAL PROBLEMS.. 13

2.1 Demographic problem. 13

2.2 Socio-economic aspects of the food problem.. 16

CONCLUSION. 21

LIST OF REFERENCES USED... 23

INTRODUCTION

Global problems of humanity - problems and situations that cover many countries, the Earth's atmosphere, the World Ocean and near-Earth space and affect the entire population of the Earth

Global problems, having ceased to be a subject of interest only to a narrow circle of specialists, became widely known by the 60s of the twentieth century, at the same time the interest of the general public in this topic first appeared, and the process of discussing it in the widest circles began.

The reason for this increased interest in this topic was a number of factors. In the process of its development, connections between different regions of the world have invariably strengthened, as a result of which humanity has naturally arrived at a situation where serious problems arising in one region of the earth inevitably affect the state of the entire planet. This effect is observed both in economic, environmental, energy, and many other areas.

An equally important reason was the development of scientific and technological progress, the consequences of which manifested themselves in literally all spheres of people’s lives. For example, the incredibly increased capabilities of man have allowed him to create the most advanced weapons of mass destruction: chemical, bacteriological, and nuclear weapons. In this context, the issues of maintaining peace on earth and preventing various kinds of conflicts that can lead to irreversible consequences for humanity arise especially seriously.

We can say that a system of qualitatively new, closely interrelated problems, called global, is becoming more and more clearly recorded in the public consciousness. It is obvious that various problems, to one degree or another, accompanied the process of formation and development of civilization. And before, both all of humanity and at the local level faced food, energy and raw material problems, environmental disasters occurred, and at all times people suffered from wars and conflicts.

The scale and severity of the problems that existed before cannot be compared with the phenomena and processes characteristic of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Universal problems grow out of local and national ones, but at the same time, their solution requires not isolated efforts of individual countries, but joint actions of the world community

All of the above factors determined relevance our research.

Target work - to consider and analyze the priorities of Russian diplomacy in the modern world

In accordance with the set goal, the following were decided main goals:

Describe the global problems of humanity;

Consider the threat of thermonuclear catastrophe and new world wars;

Study the global problem of international terrorism;

Consider the problem of overcoming poverty and backwardness;

Analyze the demographic problem;

Study the socio-economic aspects of the food problem;

Identify global environmental problems.

Research methods:

Processing, analysis of scientific sources;

Analysis of scientific literature, textbooks and manuals on the problem under study.

Object of study - global problems of the world

Subject of study– analysis and ways to solve global problems of humanity

POLITICAL GLOBAL PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY

Global problems of a socio-political nature are:

Prevention of nuclear war;

Cessation of the arms race, resolution of regional and interstate conflicts;

Building a non-violent peace based on establishing trust between peoples and strengthening the system of universal security.

In the second half of the 20th century. humanity is faced with a group of problems on the solution of which further social progress and the fate of civilizations depend. These problems are called global (translated from the Latin “globe” - Earth, globe). These primarily include the following: preventing the threat of a new world war, overcoming the environmental crisis and its consequences, reducing the gap in the level of economic development between developed Western countries and developing countries of the Third World, stabilizing the demographic situation on the planet. The problems of protecting health and preventing AIDS, drug addiction, the revival of cultural and moral values, and the fight against international terrorism are also becoming increasingly important.

Reflecting on the reasons for the emergence of global problems, scientists point first of all to the emerging global community of people, the integrity of the modern world, which is ensured primarily by deep economic ties, increased political and cultural contacts, and the latest means of mass communication. In conditions when the planet becomes the single home of humanity, many contradictions, conflicts, and problems can outgrow local boundaries and acquire a global character.

But it's not only that. The actively transformative human activity itself is now comparable in power and consequences (both creative and destructive) to the most formidable forces of nature. Having brought to life powerful productive forces, humanity cannot always bring them under its reasonable control. The level of social organization, political thinking and environmental awareness, spiritual and moral orientations are still very far from the requirements of the era.

Global problems should be considered those that affect not a specific person, not a certain group of people, even a single country or group of countries, but those that affect the vital interests of the majority of humanity and can affect any individual person. The expansion and deepening of economic, social, political, sociocultural, political-cultural and other connections and institutions are having an ever-growing impact on the daily lives of people in the most remote parts of the globe.

At the same time, the actions of nation states and even local communities can have important global consequences. Any local event can in one way or another acquire global significance and, conversely, any global event can radically change the state of affairs in individual regions, countries, and local communities.

So, the problems generated by fundamental changes in the living conditions of world society, threatening its existence, are called global problems of our time. The first such problem was the real danger of self-destruction of humanity, which appeared for the first time in history, associated with the emergence of nuclear weapons and the build-up of nuclear potentials. This problem was first formulated as a global one in the famous manifesto of A. Einstein, B. Russell and nine other prominent scientists, published in 1955. The problem of nuclear destruction became particularly acute after the creation by domestic scientists under the leadership of Academician N.N. Moiseev's model of the global climate of “nuclear winter” - a mathematical description of the processes that can occur as a result of a nuclear war in living and inanimate nature and in society. Following the threat of nuclear self-destruction of humanity, energy and environmental problems were realized.

The arms race is the key problem on which the solution to all others depends. In the context of the confrontation between the two world superpowers - the USSR and the USA - in principle there could be no global approach to solving other problems. Its beginning was associated with atomic weapons. As you know, in 1945 the United States became the only nuclear power in the world. During the war with Japan, they detonated atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Strategic superiority led to the fact that the American military began to build various plans for a preventive strike on the USSR. But the American monopoly on nuclear weapons lasted only four years. In 1949, the USSR tested its first atomic bomb. This event was a real shock for the Western world. In the course of further accelerated development in the USSR, nuclear and then thermonuclear weapons were soon created. Fighting has become very dangerous for everyone, and is fraught with very bad consequences. The accumulated nuclear potential was enormous, but the gigantic stockpiles of destructive weapons were of no use, and the costs of their production and storage were growing. If earlier they said “we can destroy you, but you cannot destroy us,” now the wording has changed. They began to say “you can destroy us 38 times, and we can destroy you 64 times!” The debate is fruitless, especially considering that if a war broke out and one of the opponents used nuclear weapons, very soon there would be nothing left not only of him, but of the entire planet.

The arms race was growing at a rapid pace. As soon as one of the sides created some fundamentally new weapon, its opponent threw all its forces and resources into achieving the same thing. Crazy competition affected all areas of the military industry. They competed everywhere: in the creation of the latest small arms systems, in new designs of tanks, aircraft, ships and submarines, but perhaps the most dramatic competition was in the creation of rocketry. The entire so-called peaceful space in those days was not even the visible part of the iceberg, but a snow cap on the visible part. The USA has overtaken the USSR in the number of nuclear weapons. The USSR overtook the USA in rocket science. The USSR was the first in the world to launch a satellite, and in 1961 it was the first to send a man into space. The Americans could not bear such obvious superiority. The result is their landing on the moon. At this point, the parties reached strategic parity. However, this did not stop the arms race. On the contrary, it has spread to all sectors that have at least some connection with weapons. This could, for example, include the race to create supercomputers. Here the West took unconditional revenge for lagging behind in the field of rocket science, since for purely ideological reasons the USSR missed a breakthrough in this area, equating cybernetics along with genetics to the “corrupt girls of imperialism.” The arms race has even affected education. After Gagarin's flight, the United States was forced to reconsider the foundations of the education system and introduce fundamentally new teaching methods

The arms race was subsequently voluntarily suspended by both sides. A number of treaties were concluded limiting the accumulation of weapons. Such as, for example, the Treaty Banning Tests of Nuclear Weapons in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water (08/5/1963), the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Creation of Nuclear-Free Zones (1968), the SALT-1 agreement (limitation and reduction strategic weapons) (1972), the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (1972) and many others.

War as a way to resolve international problems, bringing with it mass destruction and the death of many people, giving rise to a desire for violence and a spirit of aggression, was condemned by humanist thinkers of all historical eras. And indeed, of the more than four thousand years of history known to us, only about three hundred were completely peaceful. The rest of the time, wars raged in one place or another on Earth. XX century went down in history as the era that gave rise to two world wars, in which dozens of countries and millions of people participated.

According to the unanimous assessment of many scientists and political figures, the third world war, if it breaks out, will be the tragic finale of the entire history of human civilization. Calculations carried out by researchers from different countries, including ours, show that the most likely and most destructive consequence of a nuclear war for all living things will be the onset of “nuclear winter.” The consequences of a nuclear war will be catastrophic not only for those who will participate in it - they will affect everyone. This is why preventing nuclear war is a global problem of our time. Is it possible to prevent nuclear war? After all, many military arsenals of all countries in the world that have nuclear weapons are filled with a wide variety of types. Testing of the latest military equipment does not stop. Even 5% of the nuclear reserves already accumulated by the great powers is enough to plunge the planet into an irreversible environmental catastrophe. Local military conflicts do not stop, each of which carries the danger of escalating into a regional and even global one.

The first time the world community thought about the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was in the 60s of the last century, when such nuclear powers as the USSR, USA, Great Britain, and France had already appeared; and China was ready to join them. At this time, countries such as Israel, Sweden, Italy, and others began to think seriously about nuclear weapons and even began developing them.

In the same 60s, Ireland initiated the creation of an international legal document, which laid the foundations for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The USSR, USA and England began to develop a Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. They became the first participants in this agreement. It was signed on July 1, 1968, but came into force in March 1970. France and China entered into this treaty several decades later.

Its main goals are to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons, stimulate cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of the atom with guarantees from the participating parties, and facilitate negotiations to end competition in the development of nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their complete elimination.

Under the terms of this Treaty, nuclear states undertake obligations not to assist non-nuclear states in the acquisition of nuclear explosive devices. Nuclear-free states undertake not to produce or acquire such devices. One of the provisions of the Treaty requires the IAEA to carry out safeguards measures, including inspection of nuclear materials used in peaceful projects by nuclear-free states parties to the Treaty. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Article 10, paragraph 2) states that 25 years after the Treaty enters into force, a conference will be convened to decide whether it should remain in force or not. Conference reports were held in accordance with the terms of the Treaty every five years, and in 1995, when it came to the end of its 25-year period of validity, the parties unanimously supported its indefinite extension. They also adopted three binding Declarations of Principles: - reaffirmation of previous commitments regarding nuclear weapons and the cessation of all nuclear testing; - strengthening disarmament control procedures; - creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East and strict compliance with the terms of the Treaty by all countries without exception.

There are 178 states party to the treaty, including existing nuclear powers that have advocated for a missile technology control regime. There are also four countries conducting nuclear activities that have not joined the Treaty: Israel, India, Pakistan, Cuba. Western assistance in this area has become an important element in strengthening the nonproliferation regime. This assistance shows that the West does not want to see the CIS countries as a source of spreading threats. At the G8 summit in Canada in July 2002, important decisions were made on issues of international terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

The most important components of non-proliferation regimes for nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction are: - safety of storage, storage, transportation of weapons of mass destruction and materials suitable for their production; - a system for preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and materials.

The danger of global self-destruction with nuclear (chemical, biological) weapons after the end of the confrontation between East and West has not disappeared - it has escaped from the control of the superpowers and is now associated with a threat not only from states, but also from non-state terrorism. Terrorism is a very big problem in our time. Modern terrorism comes in the form of terrorist acts on an international scale. Terrorism appears when society is experiencing a deep crisis, primarily a crisis of ideology and the state-legal system. In such a society, various opposition groups appear - political, social, national, religious. For them, the legitimacy of the existing government becomes questionable. Terrorism as a mass and politically significant phenomenon is the result of widespread “de-ideologization,” when certain groups in society easily question the legality and rights of the state, and thereby self-justify their transition to terror to achieve their own goals. The tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the United States highlighted the danger of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists. This attack could have had even more devastating consequences if terrorists had been able to obtain and use chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. One of the most effective ways to prevent this kind of threat is to strengthen the multilateral regimes already developed to prohibit the use of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and prevent their proliferation.

The key objectives of disarmament are the maintenance of international peace and security, multilateral disarmament and arms limitation. The highest priority is given to the reduction and eventual elimination of weapons of mass destruction. Although the goal of reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons has remained the same over the years, the scope of disarmament discussions and negotiations has changed, reflecting the evolution of political realities and the international situation

At this time At the moment, not everyone has an idea of ​​the existing danger, the possibility and size of a catastrophe with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Humanity does not pay due attention to this problem due to ignorance and unawareness of the full depth of the problem. In no case should we forget that the threat of using weapons of mass destruction, unfortunately, is present in everyday life through the active propaganda of violence. This phenomenon is happening all over the world. Preventing the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is recognized by Russia, the United States and other countries as one of the main tasks of ensuring their national security. Scientists, politicians, and non-governmental organizations deal with security issues regarding armed conflicts and solving global problems. In the course of work, international and regional conferences, seminars and meetings are held, reports and collections of articles are published.

All global problems are imbued with the idea of ​​the geographical unity of humanity and require broad international cooperation to be resolved. From the point of view of new political thinking, achieving lasting peace on Earth is possible only in the conditions of establishing a new type of relations between all states - relations of comprehensive cooperation. Hence the need for a multifaceted approach that meets the entire spectrum of problems, a new level of partnership both between states and between non-state actors, since the efforts of governments alone are not enough to solve any of the global problems facing the world.

Political global issues

Every global problem almost always requires a certain political solution. In cases where international economic and social problems do not find a peaceful political settlement and resolution, dangerous conflicts arise that can escalate into revolutions and wars, including world wars.

At the end of the 19th century. the world began to feel like a single whole, and the international community began to realize the global problems that had arisen. And the world gradually became truly global. Since 1850 to 1914 The world's population grew by only 1.5 times, and world trade turnover by 10 times. The share of foreign trade in the GDP of developed countries has doubled Sintserov L. Long waves of global integration // MEMO. M., 2000. No. 5. .

About two decades ago, the key global problem of our time was the arms race, which absorbed the lion's share of the total gross product of almost all countries of the world, and, moreover, threatened a new world war. Actually, as it has now become clear, it was essentially the main battlefield of the Third World War of 1946-1991, which went down in history under the pseudonym “Cold War”. A real war with tens of millions of killed, wounded, disabled, refugees, orphans, monstrous destruction and devastation. A war in which one side (the “world socialist system” led by the USSR) was defeated, capitulated and disintegrated because it was four times inferior to the enemy (NATO led by the USA) economically and by a whole order of magnitude - technologically Lebedev M.A. Pugwash: The dialogue continues. Highly enriched uranium poses a serious danger to humanity // In the world of science. - 2003. No. 4. .

Since then, globalization has progressed by leaps and bounds. The 70s were characterized by the emergence of a mega-economy as a single economic organism. Modern globalization differs in many ways from its historical predecessor, and this gives hope that the global problems that have arisen now can be successfully resolved peacefully.

In the 90s, the key global problem, instead of the arms race, which took on a qualitatively different character with the invention and production of fundamentally new weapons, became the confrontation between the so-called Third and First Worlds, i.e. developing countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and developed countries of North America, Western Europe, plus Japan and several others. This confrontation is hopeless in many respects, because the Third World is still following the path of development of the First World, and this path is unpromising on a global scale: it is “blocked” by the limitations of global energy, ecology and culture.

The threat of a thermonuclear catastrophe has now become global, i.e. planetary in nature, have gone beyond state borders and continents and represent a universal human task. Currently, the interaction between the cultures of the West and the East is of particular importance, since this is where most scientists see the key to human progress and overcoming global problems. The idea gradually matured that the cultures and civilizations of the West and the East are complementary and represent a certain integrity, and the rationalism of the West and the intuitionism of the East, the technological approach and humanistic values ​​should be combined within the framework of a new planetary civilization.

Three technical aspects of thermonuclear weapons made thermonuclear war a threat to the very existence of civilization. This is the enormous destructive power of a thermonuclear explosion, the relative cheapness of thermonuclear missile weapons and the practical impossibility of effective defense against a massive nuclear missile attack.

The change in the political situation in the world, which began in the mid-70s, and the end of the Cold War at the end of the 80s. gradually led to the cessation of the struggle between the two systems, which kept the whole world in fear for almost forty years after the end of the Second World War. This was reflected in the conclusion of a whole series of treaties and agreements in the military-political fields, a real reduction in the armed forces, weapons and expenditures on them in the main countries - former opponents in the confrontation. The decrease in tension in the world is confirmed by the almost twofold reduction since the late 80s. global arms trade Bulatov A.S. World economy. M., 2005.S., 384. .

Disarmament, demilitarization and conversion are still progressing very slowly in the world. Their progress is complicated by the fact that the initial stages of conversion and destruction of certain species are very expensive. After the collapse of the USSR, the CIS countries did not have sufficient funds for conversion, and many engineers and scientists left their homeland, taking with them knowledge about unique and often extremely dangerous military technologies.

The possibility of using weapons of mass destruction makes the problem of local conflicts and wars global. In the 90s, about 50 successive local wars were constantly going on in the world. Along with the trend of globalization, in contrast to it, there is a tendency for the growth of separatist nationalist sentiments. Objectively, they are due to the real or imaginary deprivation of small, but aware of their unity and identity, national groups and peoples in the existing system of power A.G. Movsesyan, S.B. Ognivtsev. World economy. M., 2001.S., 357. .

A new and unexpected challenge to the world community was the expansion of the “club” of nuclear powers. In the spring of 1998, India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons. Among the near-nuclear ones are South Africa, Israel, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Argentina. The real threat of the spread of nuclear weapons, which is outside the international settlement, can create a new intractable situation in the world and will require new political and economic approaches Bulatov A.S. World economy. M., 2005.S., 385. .

Recently, the problem of international terrorism has become one of the most pressing global problems of our time related to the sphere of international relations. This transformation is due, in our opinion, to the following reasons:

Firstly, international terrorism, unfortunately, is becoming increasingly widespread on a planetary scale. It manifests itself both in regions of traditional international conflicts (for example, the Middle East, South Asia), and even the most developed and prosperous states (in particular the USA and Western Europe) are not immune from this dangerous phenomenon.

Secondly, international terrorism poses a serious threat to the security of individual states and the entire world community as a whole. Every year hundreds of acts of international terrorism are committed in the world, and the sad count of their victims amounts to thousands of killed and maimed people;

Thirdly, the efforts of one great power or even a group of highly developed states are not enough to combat international terrorism. Overcoming international terrorism as an escalating global problem requires the collective efforts of the majority of states and peoples on our planet, the entire world community.

Fourthly, the connection between the modern phenomenon of international terrorism and other pressing global problems of our time is becoming increasingly clear and visible. At present, the problem of international terrorism should be considered as an important element of the entire complex of universal, global problems.

The problem of international terrorism has many common features characteristic of other universal problems, such as the planetary scale of manifestation; great sharpness; negative dynamism, when the negative impact on the life of humanity increases; need for an urgent solution, etc. At the same time, the global problem of international terrorism also has specific, characteristic features. Let us consider in more detail the most important of them Yu.V. Kosov. International terrorism as a global problem // Collection “Human Perspectives in a Globalizing World”. M., 2005, No. 5. .

First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that the problem of international terrorism is connected with the main spheres of life of the world community and societies of individual countries: politics, national relations, religion, ecology, criminal communities, etc. This connection is reflected in the existence of various types of terrorism, which include: political, nationalist, religious, criminal and environmental terrorism.

Members of groups carrying out political terror set as their task the achievement of political, social or economic changes within a particular state, as well as the undermining of interstate relations and international law and order. Nationalist (or as it is also called national, ethnic or separatist) terrorism pursues the goals of solving the national question, which has recently become increasingly separatist aspirations in various multi-ethnic states.

The religious type of terrorism is caused by attempts by armed groups professing one or another religion to fight against a state dominated by another religion or another religious trend. Criminal terrorism is formed on the basis of any criminal business (drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, smuggling, etc.) with the aim of creating chaos and tension in the conditions of which it is most likely to receive excess profits. Environmental terrorism is carried out by groups that use violent methods in general against scientific and technological progress, environmental pollution, the killing of animals and the construction of nuclear facilities

Another distinctive feature of the global problem of international terrorism is the significant influence of international criminal communities, certain political forces and some states on it. This influence undoubtedly leads to an aggravation of the problem under consideration.

In the modern world, there are manifestations of state terrorism associated with attempts to eliminate heads of foreign states and other political figures; with actions aimed at overthrowing the governments of foreign countries; creating panic among the population of foreign countries, etc.

International terrorism is now an integral part of the proliferation of transnational criminal organizations supported by corrupt government officials and politicians

Another specific feature of the global problem of international terrorism is its difficulty in predicting. In many cases, the subjects of terrorism are mentally unstable people and overly ambitious politicians. Terrorism is often seen as a way to achieve goals on the world stage and in international relations that cannot be achieved by any other methods. In modern conditions, the forms of terrorist activity are becoming more and more complex, and are increasingly in conflict with universal human values ​​and the logic of world development Yu.V. Kosov. International terrorism as a global problem // Collection “Human Perspectives in a Globalizing World”. M., 2005, No. 5. .

Thus, the problem of international terrorism poses a real planetary threat to the world community. This problem has its own specificity, which distinguishes it from other universal human difficulties. However, the problem of terrorism is closely interconnected with most global problems of modern international relations. It can be considered one of the most pressing global problems of our days.

However, the latest terrorist attacks, primarily the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York, have become unprecedented in the history of mankind in their scale and influence on the further course of world politics. The number of victims, the extent and nature of the destruction caused by terrorist attacks at the beginning of the 21st century were comparable to the consequences of armed conflicts and local wars. The response measures caused by these terrorist acts led to the creation of an international anti-terrorist coalition, which included dozens of states, which previously took place only in the case of major armed conflicts and wars. Retaliatory anti-terrorist military actions have also acquired a planetary scale.

Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

University of Moscow

Department of History of State and Law

Course work

"Global problems of our time and political ways to solve them"

Moscow 2015

Introduction

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Relevance of the research topic.

By their nature, global problems know no borders. They require that the state, as the most important subject of international law, bear responsibility for initiating such procedures that would favor the unification of the range-catalogue of issues included in its composition. They also require that, on the basis of binding norms in modern international law, the state creates a legal instrument that, along with others (political, economic, social), would facilitate their solution.

The modern world is characterized by the complexity of the system of interconnections, relationships or alliances that arise between various subjects of international relations. These phenomena imply the presence of processes that have a strong impact on the world community, being, on the one hand, a factor in powerful civilizational development, and on the other, a potential threat to various aspects of human existence.

Along with the full manifestation of the above-mentioned points, as well as the formation of a scientific approach to their knowledge, such concepts as “global problems”, “globality”, “globalization” have entered political science, as well as international legal terminology.

In international law, as in other disciplines, there is a connection between significant processes occurring in reality and those problems that dominate research practice. Among the most important directions in the development of the modern world is the interdependence of social and political relations, which consists primarily in the constant expansion and deepening of ties between states and entire geographic regions. The strength and intensity of these connections is such that the modern world has become characterized by a process that many researchers call the process of globalization.

The problem of the relationship between modern global problems and international law is one of the most important problems that find their resolution both in international legal doctrine and in relevant practice.

Indirect evidence of the validity of the above position is the place that global problems occupy in the activities of international organizations, as well as in international legal practice and in documentation, in the activities of other members of the world community, such as international corporations, trade unions, religious institutions, various organizations and social movements.

The topic of global problems undoubtedly appeared much earlier in the philosophical and social plane than in the normative aspect. Rarely arising in international relations, this kind of situation required a certain activity, the purpose of which was to level out or eliminate the consequences of the discrepancy between the degree of understanding of the dangers threatening humanity and the lack of practical solutions to these problems by subjects of international law. The degree of development of the problem. Although the topic of global problems itself appeared in the 70s, i.e. relatively recently, the bibliography of the subject is very extensive. It includes both general monographs and the development of individual topics by authors from different countries and representing different fields of knowledge. The economic, environmental and political science aspects of global problems in terms of their solution have received the most widespread development.

Degree of development of the problem:

The works of V. Aniol, T. Kegel and M. Tabor should be highlighted. Among American authors, special mention should be made of T. S. Yip, D.H. Blake, R. Hopkins, F. Puhal, M. Smith, P. O. Kaohane, J.S. Niye, E. Luarda, P.M. O'Brien, S.B. Cohen, E.R. Wittkopf, R.W. Mansbach, Y.H. Ferguson, D.E. Lambert, I. Wallerstein, K.N. Waltz, T. Gordon, J. Galster, Ts. Mika, T. Burgenthal, H. G. Mayer. Among the Russian authors we should name G. S. Khozin, V. G. Afanasyev, N. N. Inozemtsov, E. Kuzmin, V. V. Zagladin, I. T. Frolova, G.Kh. Shakhnazarov, A.P. Movchan, A.S. Timoshenko.

The subject of this study is a complex of relations between states concerning the solution of modern global problems with the help of existing norms of modern international law.

Purpose of the study: theoretical development of problems associated with the definition of the concept of “global problems of our time”, an indication of the current process of research on global problems, presentation of global problems in the context of the relationship between modern international relations and global problems, on the one hand, and international law, on the other

Consider the essence, signs and root causes of global problems of our time;

1. Study the global problems of our time in groups;

2. Analyze and propose measures to solve global problems of our time.

global problem political solution

Chapter 1. Essence, characteristics and main groups of global problems of modern humanity

1.1 Essence and classification of the main problems of our time

The problems facing humanity can be divided into global and local. Global are problems that exist on a global scale. Local - existing within the region. The main global problems of our time are related to the prospects for the relationship of humanity with the nature of the Earth and near space in the course of both peaceful development and as a result of a global military conflict. Let us list and briefly formulate the most important global problems. 1. The problem of the demographic crisis. The essence of the problem is whether further population growth will lead to irreversible destructive consequences for humanity and the biosphere? 2. The problem of the raw material crisis. This is the essence of the problem - will the increased use of raw materials (both organic and mineral) lead to their depletion? 3. The problem of the energy crisis - will not all energy sources available to humanity be exhausted as a result of scientific and technological progress and extensive development of production? 4. The problem of the environmental crisis - can the growth of humanity and scientific and technological progress irreversibly destroy the Earth's biosphere? 5. The problem of the relationship between the social and biological in man.

Finally - the problem of all problems - where will the development of the human race go next?

There are a number of other global problems that are components of those listed - the problem of global warming, destruction of the ozone layer, the spread of especially dangerous diseases, etc. The attitude of different scientists to global problems is different. The extreme points of view are:

Absolutization of global problems and fatalism, which boils down to the opinion that it is impossible to solve global problems, preaching the ideas of catastrophism and the inevitability of the death of humanity.

Complete denial of the existence of global problems and recognition of only local problems.

The origins of global problems of our time

The great geographical discoveries ended in the 18th century. The dimensions of the Earth and the outlines of the continents were described with high accuracy. Humanity began to think about global problems, i.e. problems existing throughout the globe. The most important of them were clearly and consistently outlined by the English scientist of the 18th century, Thomas Malthus. In his book, An Essay on the Principles of Population, he warned his contemporaries that since the number of people living on Earth is constantly growing, the planet's ability to provide for them will sooner or later be exhausted. At first glance, Malthus reasoned logically. Humanity at that time was growing at an exponential rate. With such growth, the population must sooner or later exceed any number, no matter how large. Since the Earth's resources, although great, are finite, sooner or later they will inevitably be exhausted. Malthus's argumentation, when examined superficially, can be considered scientific. At the same time, it turned out to be flawed from a philosophical point of view. The scientist did not take into account the philosophical position that no process can develop indefinitely according to the same law. This was the error of the teaching. The ideology of catastrophism, of which he preached, arose long before him within the framework of religious thinking. Most of the world's religions predicted global upheaval and the destruction of humanity. In the main book of the Christian religion - the Bible (New Testament) there is a section "Apocalypse", which predicts terrible cataclysms and a picture of the destruction of the Earth. Such prophecies were widely used in politics and ideology, and they were especially widely used by the bearers of reactionary political doctrines. Despite the gloomy prophecies of Malthus, supported by logical reasoning, not a single resource on the planet was exhausted by the beginning of the 21st century. What's the matter? To answer this question, it is necessary to turn to scientific theories developed in the twentieth century. The doctrine of the global laws of development of the biosphere was created by ecology, sociology and other sciences. The outstanding Russian geologist and philosopher Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863 - 1945) wrote that in the twentieth century, humanity became a geological force on a planetary scale, determining many aspects of the existence of both the sphere of life - the biosphere, and the sphere of mind - the noosphere. The increased influence of humanity on the living environment of the Earth has had both negative and positive consequences. The number of people on the planet is increasing, and their average life expectancy is increasing. This indicates that, in general, the condition of Homo sapiens as a biological species is satisfactory. This consequence can be deduced on the basis of the classical evolutionary doctrine created by the English biologist Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882) - Darwin, 1859. According to him, there is only one objective and absolute criterion for the prosperity of a species - an increase in its number. However, the favorable state of humanity can be replaced by an unfavorable one. The numerical growth of people and scientific and technological progress are having an ever-increasing impact on nature, which can have tragic consequences. Global catastrophes that could dramatically reduce the Earth's population are becoming more and more likely. It is necessary to predict the results of any of our victories over nature, which could turn into defeat with the most tragic consequences for humanity. Abstract nature protection must be replaced by a concretely developed strategy for rational environmental management. Any human activity affects nature in one way or another. It is neither possible nor necessary to ban all economic activities. It is necessary to conduct it rationally using data from ecology and other sciences. Some of the forms of human impact on nature - for example, those associated with oil production and the use of nuclear energy - sometimes become catastrophic. However, the long-term and final consequences of environmental disasters are sometimes unexpected, at least for those who rely on simplified ideas about the laws of ecology.

Let's give a few examples. Releases of oil into the ocean from wells as a result of tanker accidents can become catastrophic. However, their consequences are ambiguous. Low emissions increase biological productivity and biodiversity in the ocean. Significant emissions are reduced. Land areas contaminated with petroleum products sometimes become unsuitable for many forms of environmental management. However, biological diversity in places of oil pollution turns out to be approximately the same as in clean places (Vasiliev, 1988, Kosheleva et al., 1997). The fact is that oil is an organic compound that is absorbed by many living organisms. With an excess of oil, the number of organisms that assimilate it increases and the number of organisms that are unable to assimilate oil decreases. So excess oil in the natural environment can be both beneficial and harmful. Let's give another well-known example: On April 26, 1986, a major environmental disaster occurred - the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. From several tons to several tens of tons of radioactive ore containing several tens of kilograms of pure radioactive elements fell into nature. These substances were based on long-lived isotopes, including plutonium-239 with a half-life of 24,065 years. It was difficult to expect that the situation in the disaster area would improve in the foreseeable future. However, it turned out that the natural capabilities of natural self-cleaning are very great. By 1988, the environmental situation had stabilized. The biological diversity and biological mass in the Chernobyl zone turned out to be even higher than before the disaster. According to both Russian and foreign data, the life expectancy of Chernobyl victims exceeded the average life expectancy of other segments of the population (due to better material support and greater attention from doctors to their health). These facts indicate that the consequences of environmental disasters may be the opposite of those expected, and for forecasts it is necessary to use the entire arsenal of modern science (Fundamentals of Ecology, 1988). The global problems facing humanity can be divided into two groups. The first group of problems is related to the possibility of a global military conflict. The second group of problems is associated with possible conflicts of humanity with the forces of living and inanimate nature in the course of peaceful development (which does not exclude the possibility of local wars).

Chapter 2. Contents of the main global problems of our time

2.1 Global natural problems

First, let us briefly dwell on the problem of natural disasters.

natural disasters are the oldest global problem, since since prehistoric times natural disasters have always significantly, and sometimes decisively, influenced the destinies of peoples. True, it was not perceived as a global problem at that time. The less developed a civilization was, the fewer reserves it had, the more crushing the blow the elements dealt to it.

Let us consider the problem of natural disasters caused by earthly causes. Let us recall that natural disasters, which are the most severe manifestations of natural disasters, have a geophysical, geological, meteorological, hydrological nature, and are sometimes caused by natural fires and infectious diseases. Because these large-scale disasters are common to all countries and continents. The problem of natural disasters is undoubtedly global in nature. Even in modern conditions, they continue to cause enormous damage to the earthly community and destroy human lives. Despite the development of scientific knowledge and technology, the amount of damage from natural disasters increases annually by approximately 6%. For the period from 1965 to 1992. In the world, about 3.6 million people died from catastrophic natural phenomena, more than 3 billion people were affected, and the total economic damage amounted to 340 billion US dollars. It is expected that in the 1990s the total economic losses from the 15 most common types of natural disasters will reach 280 billion US dollars.

Let's look at a few examples of natural disasters in the past and present.

The ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Dvin, was destroyed by earthquakes in 851, 858, 863. Thousands of people died under the rubble of houses. But th-

the clan was rebuilt again until a strong earthquake on March 27, 893 wiped it off the face of the earth.

An earthquake is one of the most terrible disasters. In China in 1556, about 800 thousand people died as a result of the Huaxian earthquake. in 1920, during the Ninsian earthquake - 200 thousand; in 1976, during the Tangshen earthquake - 242 thousand. In September 1923, in Kanto (Japan), tremors destroyed the city, under the rubble of which 142,807 people died, and the total material damage was about 200 billion US dollars. In April 1948, the Ashgabat earthquake brought death to more than 100 thousand residents of Ashgabat. In recent years, powerful seismic events have occurred in Armenia (Spitak, December 1988). Iran (June 1990). Japan (Hanshin, January 1995) caused the deaths of 25, 40 and 6.3 thousand people, respectively. In Kobe (Japan) and surrounding areas, 223,809 buildings were destroyed or damaged.

The steady increase in damage from natural disasters is primarily due to urbanization. High concentration of people and urban infrastructure, environmental degradation increase the risk of social and economic losses in any natural disaster. A clear pattern has been revealed: in developing countries, where rapid urban growth occurs without appropriate investments in engineering preparation of territories and improving the reliability of urban facilities, social risk (death of people) has increased significantly. Thus, the ratio of the number of victims of natural disasters to the total population in Asia is 2 times more than in Africa, 6 times more than in America, and 4.3 times more than in Europe. At the same time, in developed countries, where people are much more protected, economic risk increases due to the ultra-high concentration of wealth in cities

The realization that natural disasters are a serious obstacle to economic and social development prompted the UN General Assembly to adopt Resolution (M 44X236) on December 22, 1989. in which the period from 1990 to 2000. proclaimed the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction The World Conference on Natural Disasters, held in May 1994 in Japan* (Japan), summed up the first results of the Decade.3 The Declaration adopted at the conference notes that the struggle to reduce damage from natural disasters should be important element of the state strategy of all countries in achieving sustainable development.

Unfortunately, in many countries, including Russia, predicting and preventing natural disasters is still treated as a wasteful and unjustified policy that does not fit into everyday economic, social and political problems.

Meanwhile, international experience shows that the costs of forecasting and preparing for natural disasters are approximately 15 times less compared to the amount of damage prevented.

2.2 Global environmental problems

An important, formidable and difficult to solve is the environmental problem, or rather, as mentioned above, a whole complex of problems associated with the crisis of the natural environment due to anthropogenic impact. She rightfully refers to the imperatives of humanity.

The main reason for the environmental crisis is the aggravation of contradictions in the process of interaction between society and nature, the antagonism between the process of development of productive forces, the growth of production volumes and the need to preserve a favorable habitat, increased anthropogenic pressure on the Earth, and the destruction of ecological balance.

Let us dwell briefly on the main objects of anthropogenic impact - on the state of three natural environments - land, atmosphere and hydrosphere.

As a result of this impact, negative changes occur on land (soils, subsoil, landscapes), including due to man-made emergency subsidence, landslides, landslides, soil contamination with harmful substances, intensive soil degradation, etc.

Huge areas of agricultural land are lost every year. Pachzy is degrading due to loss of fertility, erosion, salinization, waterlogging, waterlogging and desertification. Fertile areas are being lost due to construction, quarries and reservoirs. The removal of nutrients from the soil exceeds their replenishment. Our chernozems have already lost a third of their humus, and the fertile layer has decreased by 1-15 cm. Until recently, when agricultural producers could afford to use agricultural chemicals, the soils were heavily polluted with fertilizers and pesticides. There is contamination with heavy metal salts. In general, almost a fifth of the fertile layer on the globe has been lost since the middle of the century, and 24 billion tons of soil cover are lost annually

The problem of desertification is pressing. which arose mainly as a result of irrational environmental management. It is considered by the world community as a serious violation of the relationship in the “man-nature” system. Desertification is especially intense in arid (dry) territories, occupying more than 30% of the earth's land with a population of more than 900 million people. These areas account for about 20 million hectares of irrigated land, 170 million hectares of dry land and 3.6 billion hectares of pasture.

The area of ​​"anthropogenic" deserts on the planet currently amounts to 9.1 million km2, about 35% of the world's arid lands are on the verge of desertification, the annual rate of land loss as a result of desertification is approximately 50 thousand km2.

On the territory of the CIS countries, the area of ​​deserts is about 2 million sq. km, of which 19% is subject to severe, 2.2% to moderate and 34% to weak desertification.

The strategy to combat desertification requires the combined efforts of states with the widespread use of scientific and technological achievements. Adopted in 1994, the UN Concept to Combat Desertification is a reliable basis for close cooperation of scientists and specialists at the national, regional and international levels.

There is an urgent task of finding areas for industrial and household waste. Dumps, varnish and sludge storage facilities, industrial and city landfills, burial grounds and other places where waste and garbage are buried occupy huge areas and poison the environment. Burning garbage and industrial waste, although it reduces their volume and harmfulness, however pollutes the atmosphere. The problem of rational waste disposal has not yet been solved.

Pollution of the ocean and surface waters of land with petroleum substances is very dangerous. It occurs due to accidents of oil tankers and oil pipeline accidents, the flow of formation waters from oil fields into reservoirs and seas, substances used in technological processes of oil production and refining, fuel river and sea transport. According to expert data, about 6 million tons of oil enter the world ocean every year. tons of oil. Oil films and slicks cover at least 25% of the ocean surface.

Oil pollution of waters affects energy and mass exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean, especially the balance of oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange. They lead to a decrease in the activity or death of phytoplankton, which plays an important role in the production of oxygen and as an integral part of the food chain in the ocean. Volatiles Oil components, evaporating, are included in the composition of atmospheric microimpurities, participating in the formation of the planet’s heat shield and the destruction of the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

On Earth, there is also degradation of the third medium - the atmosphere. Dangerous changes in the composition and properties of the atmosphere are occurring, including sudden changes in weather and climate, air pollution with harmful substances, sudden temperature inversions and oxygen starvation in cities, acid rain, and destruction of the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

The state of atmospheric air, especially in the industrial regions of Russia, is extremely unfavorable. The average annual concentration of dust, phenol, ammonia and nitrogen dioxide in many cities of the country is higher than sanitary standards. In more than a hundred cities, home to 40 million people, air pollution is officially considered dangerous. In approximately two dozen cities of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, levels of the so-called were periodically observed before the industrial decline. extremely high pollution - more than 50 MAC. In addition to the main pollutants, the air is poisoned by lead, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, acetaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide. The main sources of air pollution are industry, road transport and fires. Only half of the country's enterprises are equipped with dust and gas collection equipment (in Moscow - less than 30%). This equipment is ineffective. As a result of air pollution in large cities, residents are gradually poisoned and become deprived of oxygen.

Realizing the threats posed to humanity by the depletion of the ozone layer of the Earth's atmosphere, the world community adopted the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was adopted. Subsequently, a number of countries agreed to accept amendments to the Montreal Protocol, expanding the list of controlled substances and tightening the deadlines for reducing the production and consumption of ozone-hazardous substances. These facts confirm humanity’s ability to find collective, agreed solutions to prevent global environmental disasters.

2.3 Global social problems

One of the most pressing problems today that relates to the imperatives of humanity is the demographic problem.

The 1394 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo recognized the global interconnectedness of population, national development and the environment. From this point of view, demographic problems should be viewed as a source of global dangers, because the high rates of population growth characteristic of a number of third world countries are in conflict with the economic development of these countries. state of the natural environment.

China is the largest country in the world by population. Despite measures taken to regulate the birth rate, its population is 1.218 billion people. There are already 930 million in India today and there is every reason to believe that it will soon catch up with China.

UN forecasts for 2025 have three options, according to which 8.6 billion people are expected.

Russia ranks sixth in the world in terms of population. In 1997, the population of Russia was 147 million people.

The phenomenon of depopulation is associated with the superposition of an intensive increase in mortality and a decrease in the birth rate. The “intersection” of these trends (what is called today the “Russian Cross”) led to a decrease in population.

The decline in the birth rate over six years (2001-2007) by almost 30% was due to a decrease in the number of women of fertile age and the refusal of two-thirds of families to have children for financial reasons. As a result, a very negative situation has arisen, when the birth rate in Russia is 40% lower than what is necessary for the numerical replacement of parents.

However, the main factor in natural decline is, unfortunately, the exorbitant increase in mortality. Over the past six years, the overall mortality rate has increased by more than 20% (from 11.4% in 2001 to 13.8% in 2007). Russia has the highest mortality rate in Europe.

The increase in mortality is primarily due to socio-economic circumstances. Its main features are the excess mortality of men, especially in working age, higher growth rates of mortality among working-age people, and an increase in infant mortality, which is extremely high in comparison with other developed countries.

In our country, the population dynamics among citizens of different nationalities is uneven. Along with high population growth among the indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus republics, there is a decrease in the birth rate and low natural increase among the Russian population, especially those living in the European part of Russia.

Various forecast estimates of the population in Russia are predominantly pessimistic and boil down to the fact that in the next 15-20 years it will decrease.

The UN demographic forecast for Russia shows that in 2015 its population will be 138.1 million. In 2020 - 134.8, in 2025 - 131.4.

There are even more pessimistic forecasts, according to which in 30 years (i.e. in 2025) the population of Russia may amount to only 115 million inhabitants, decreasing by 33 million people.

Another serious component of the demographic problem is the growing proportion of people of disabled age among the general mass of citizens. The entire world is currently experiencing an aging population. Average life expectancy in Europe, Japan and North America has approached 80 years for men and exceeded this mark for women. Even in these developed countries, social security and pension funds are already beginning to struggle.

According to forecasts, the gender and age structure of the Russian population will worsen. The trend towards aging will lead to the fact that the share of elderly people (over 60 years old) will increase from 18.7% in 2015 to 24.9% in 2025. Average

the age of the current population increased from 36 years in 1995 to 40-42 years in 2005. The gender disproportion in the first quarter of the 21st century will be one of the highest in the world - in 2025 there will be 80-85 men per 100 women. In 2005, the number of able-bodied people reached a peak (67.0%), and then began to decline rapidly and in 2025 it would be 59.9%.

And one more aspect of the demographic problem that deserves mention is population migration. It was mainly a consequence of overpopulation in poor regions and lack of people in prosperous ones. The ongoing large-scale migration is fraught with ethnic conflicts. Only one percent of the population lives outside the borders of their countries, but migration is increasing. Large masses of emigrants in European countries cause a certain social tension in them. Local conflicts on this basis are widely known in Great Britain, France, and Germany. So far, a difficult task remains the combination of the European Community principle of free movement of citizens of these countries and the possible penetration of illegal Asian and African emigrants through Greece and Spain into Central and Northern Europe because of this.

To summarize what has been said about Russia, it should be noted that unfavorable trends in demographic changes negatively affect the sustainable development of the country not only economically and socially, but are also a source of various kinds of emergency situations and global dangers.

If we talk about the planet as a whole, then the rate of population growth in the world remains high and the total number of earthlings is already large. Therefore, the demographic problem is becoming increasingly acute, especially in developing countries, and is having an increasing impact on many other global problems of humanity. The Earth, with its limited territory and finite resources, is under increasing pressure from an increasing human population. Here is one of the visual illustrations. It is believed that for a high-quality life of one person and to satisfy his various needs, a minimum of 2 hectares of land is required. Of these, 0.6 hectares are used for food production, 0.2 for settlement and industrial needs. 1-1.2 hectares should remain untouched, which is necessary for the environmental sustainability of the biosphere, recreation, and tourism. Even if we tighten these standards somewhat, the relatively comfortable capacity of the Earth will be a maximum of 5 billion people. This limit was exceeded back in 1987.

Thus, in order to provide life support, and even at the modern level, to the growing masses of the population, humanity has to speed up technical progress, exacerbating its vices, produce more and more food and energy, create new jobs, grow mountains of industrial and household waste, and settle more and more crowded. According to sociologist V.P. Urlachis eats up every percent of population growth 1 4 percent increase in national income. Therefore, despite all the successes of the world economy, the standard of living of people, with the exception of developed countries, remains almost unchanged. Many developing countries already face chronic shortages of food and other basic necessities. Signs of overpopulation of the Earth are evident.

The worsening of various components of the demographic problem has a direct impact on the deterioration of the ecological state of the Earth, on interethnic relations, and many other social, economic and political issues in society.

Directly adjacent to the demographic problem is the ethnic problem, which manifests itself most sharply in the form of national hostility. The ethnic problem, to put it simply, lies, on the one hand, in the need to preserve all peoples and nationalities in their national identity, and on the other, in ensuring civilized relations between them, subject to their complete equality. Related to this is the problem of the coexistence of world religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism) and their sectarian varieties, which often takes on various forms of religious intolerance. An ethnos, which can be represented by any ethnic group - a tribe, a nationality, a nation, has become a very stable formation and, despite the development of universal communication, is capable of self-preservation of language, territory, culture, religion. Even small ethnic groups that find themselves surrounded by vast masses of people of another nationality can quite successfully resist consolidation and assimilation. The ethnic problem for such a multinational country as Russia is of paramount importance, since interethnic contradictions are fraught with emergency situations of a social nature, including those based on separatism.

Social problems can also include health problems. It lies in the fact that not a single state or international health care system, except for developed countries, copes with its tasks. There is an almost universal shortage of medical and preventive institutions, medical equipment and medicines, and qualified medical personnel. The professional training of doctors is low. There is a growing, difficult-to-resolve contradiction between healthcare as a social system designed to cover the entire population with medical care, and the increasing cost of medical services, which is why high-quality medical care becomes available only to wealthy people. Human knowledge and the development of medical science lag behind other areas of knowledge.

Russia's healthcare system has been in crisis in recent years, with free social healthcare services gradually deteriorating due to lack of funds. As a result of this, as well as for environmental and social reasons, the physical and mental health of the population is declining. There is an increase in the incidence of tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS, i.e. diseases with pronounced social causation. The scale of their growth is such that they acquire the character of epidemics.

The number of mental illnesses is rising dangerously. This happens because 70% of the population lives in a state of prolonged psycho-emotional and social stress, causing an increase in depression, reactive psychoses, severe neuroses and psychosomatic disorders. 6 million people use the services of psychiatrists in Russia. - a fifth of those in need.

But the most dangerous trend is the deterioration of maternal and, especially, child health. Research shows that a paradoxical situation arises when health problems move from groups of the elderly population to groups of children and youth. This is contrary to the natural processes by which a person loses his health with age. In addition, it has been noticed that there is a decline in the health of each subsequent generation. This, in turn, is fraught with a long-term decline in the quality of human potential of the entire nation: a sick generation cannot reproduce healthy ones.

Let's touch on another social problem - organized crime.

The essence of organized crime as a social phenomenon is the process of creation, accumulation, legalization and circulation of criminal capital in the legal and shadow economy, involving significant human and material resources.

Organized crime has become transnational in nature and is a common concern of the world community.

The economic basis of modern Russian organized crime was the processes of redistribution of state property and market reform of the Russian economy, carried out in the absence of a proper legal framework, weak state control and a high degree of corruption in all branches of government and management.

The strengthening of organized crime was facilitated by the imperfection of the credit and financial system, the legal nihilism of a significant part of leaders, entrepreneurs and the population, which made it possible to organize and carry out large-scale fraudulent transactions and scams.

Russian law enforcement agencies turned out to be largely unprepared to effectively combat organized crime. This allowed criminal groups and communities to fine-tune their organizational structures and take control of a significant part of industrial and financial enterprises.

Organized criminal groups use methods of criminal terrorism to achieve criminal goals. Two thirds of crimes related to criminal terrorism were committed by people from the Caucasus regions (ethnic criminal groups make up about 60% of the total number of organized criminal structures).

The desire of the leaders of organized criminal groups and communities to promote their representatives to legislative and executive bodies at various levels and to create public associations through which they could ensure their interests is noted.

The units for combating organized crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia have operational records of over 9 thousand organized criminal groups of various types, numbering about 100 thousand active members.

Through their efforts, a wide network of criminally oriented economic entities has been created, whose activities seriously distort the market for goods and services, impede the replenishment of budget revenues, and destroy the country’s credit and financial system.

The fundamental direction in the fight against organized crime is the destruction of its financial base through the implementation of an interdepartmental program of priority measures to replenish the revenue side of the country's budget. In fact, this is a program of action to undermine the economic foundations of organized crime.

A number of other comprehensive targeted programs have been developed and are being implemented, the activities of which include measures to combat organized crime (Federal Program to Strengthen the Fight against Crime, a program of joint actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Prosecutor General's Office to combat serious crimes against individuals, the Interstate Program of Joint Measures to Combat Organized Crime and other types of dangerous crimes on the territory of the CIS countries and others).

2.4 Global problems of a socio-political nature

The most complex and important problem of a socio-political nature is the problem of war and peace.

It lies in the fact that war is not excluded from the arsenal of humanity as a means of resolving international and other disputes. This requires constant efforts from the international community, states, and the public to create a mechanism for maintaining peace and preventing specific emerging armed conflicts

Technological progress has ensured such an increase in the destructive capabilities of modern weapons across the widest theater across the front and in depth that the consequences of a modern war can reach gigantic proportions and be extremely destructive. First of all, a modern war will be accompanied by massive deaths and sanitary losses not only of military personnel, but also of the civilian population. In the 50 years after World War II, a total of 40 million people died in medium and small wars. which is comparable to the number of victims of world wars. The proportion of casualties among civilians has increased. If in the First World War this share was 5%, then in the Second it reached 50%, in the Korean War - 84%, in Vietnam - about 90%. The destruction of populated areas, industry, economic and social infrastructure will reach total levels in areas where weapons are used. Vast territories can be captured and changed hands. One can expect the movement of gigantic masses of the population due to organized evacuation and spontaneous flight. In armed conflicts after the Second World War alone, 30 million people became refugees. And finally, the demographic, economic, genetic and other long-term secondary consequences of war may be more severe than the immediate consequences themselves. If humanity decides to go to war with the unlimited use of nuclear weapons, the consequences will be extremely global and catastrophic for the existence of earthly civilization itself.

Speaking about the armed form of warfare, we must take into account that in modern conditions the goals of war can be achieved as a result of non-military confrontation - diplomatic, economic, informational.

Now the global confrontation between the so-called two systems has ceased, the disarmament of the superpowers has begun, and their relations have moved into the category. if not completely partner, then at least non-hostile.

However, despite the warming of international relations and the relative civilization of mankind at the end of the 20th century, war, as a way of resolving controversial issues, remains common. The frequency of wars in the 20th century exceeded the average frequency throughout history by 1.5 times, and in the second half of the century - by 2.5 times. In the 1890s, about 35 major armed conflicts occurred annually in the world.

The sources of war at present can be a variety of interstate contradictions, differences in national-state interests of subjects of the world community and the desire of individual states or coalitions to achieve the satisfaction of these interests through armed violence. The threat of war continues to be posed by the remaining totalitarian regimes in some developing countries. Wars can also arise as a result of intrastate conflicts - in this case they are called civil. Specific motives for war may be the so-called lack of “living space”, the desire to redistribute natural resources and markets, border disputes, defense or imposition of ideological dogmas, the desire to return a situation to the historical past, customs and other trade and economic conflicts, religious confrontation , interethnic hostility, residence of a single ethnic group in the territories of neighboring states, etc. War is also fraught with interethnic tension and disintegration processes (separatism) in multinational states.

War is a bilateral or multilateral process and the guilt of the parties in starting wars is different. Even peace-loving democratic countries can wage just wars - defense against external aggression, defense of the democratic constitutional system, defense of territorial integrity from separatism. They may also participate in armed peacekeeping operations.

An analysis of the military-political situation in the world indicates that even in the conditions of détente, the military danger for Russia continues to persist in almost all directions.

Considering the inadmissibility and destructiveness of large-scale modern war, on the one hand, and the need to respect the highest national interests, on the other, the strategy of the Russian Federation in the field of its military security can be built in two directions.

Firstly, Russia should strive to achieve relations with states and peoples that would preclude the unleashing of aggression against our country and its allies, and also prevent attempts to cut through external and internal contradictions through threats of force or armed conflicts. At the same time, during the inevitable compromises in such cases, the national interests of our country should not suffer.

Secondly, Russia needs to reform and modernize its Armed Forces, bring the military power of the state to the level. At the same time, a collective security system must be built with the CIS member states.

Within these two strategic directions, one will have to strive for goals that are partly contradictory to each other. Therefore, the implementation of this strategy will face the need to “find a difficult compromise between the norms of international liberal law, based on universal principles of equality and justice (largely ideal) and the national interests of the country itself, based on the principles of statehood and the natural priority of benefits for the fatherland. It should be kept in mind that any state pursuing a civilized policy in the field of war and peace and other issues where universal and patriotic ideals collide has to deal with such a dilemma.

Chapter 3. Socio-political prerequisites and political ways to solve global problems of our time

3.1 Political ways to solve global problems of our time

When studying the above problems, it is advisable for each of them to consider in more detail the most important and typical global problems, focusing on their political aspects.

To resolve global problems, it is necessary for the world community to carry out a purposeful, coordinated political strategy, in which two main directions should be highlighted:

1) scientific and technical policy;

2) world and national politics.

An effective scientific, technical and economic policy, based on the achievements of scientific and technological progress and advanced forms of organization of the world economy, is an important condition for solving environmental, raw materials, energy and some other planetary problems. Great hopes are currently associated with the technological revolution. In this process, two main directions have clearly emerged today. The first is the improvement and modernization of traditional methods of extraction and use of raw materials and energy, processing of various materials, as well as environmental protection. The second is the creation of fundamentally new technologies for use in these areas.

The path of improving traditional technological methods and schemes leads to the achievement of a more rational and economical use of natural resources in production, to the inclusion into economic circulation of hard-to-reach, poorer deposits than those widely used today, and is also associated with the creation of more efficient methods of extraction and processing of raw materials and with the widespread introduction of their recycling.

In many cases, this path can help find intermediate solutions to global problems. However, it is focused on the use on an ever-increasing scale of minerals, energy sources, and agricultural land, the reserves or size of which are ultimately limited. It should also be taken into account that traditional technologies are based on the use of mechanical tools and materials. This leads to the formation of significant production waste and is accompanied by high energy consumption. Another direction of creating scientific and technical prerequisites and conditions for overcoming universal human difficulties opens up much broader prospects. It is associated with the development of fundamentally new technologies. The emergence of this direction is mainly determined by the current stage of scientific and technological progress. Scientists believe that within this direction, mechanical tools used in traditional technology for processing various materials will be increasingly replaced by chemical, physical, biological and other processes. The development of practical possibilities for their use in human creative activity will make it possible, on an ever-increasing scale, to change not only the form of substances, but also to transform their internal structure. This will create conditions for radical changes in the physical, chemical properties and other qualities of various materials.

Such new technologies include, for example, the use of electron beams in industry. They, as experts note, make it possible to obtain new compounds with predetermined properties. The use of electron beams makes it possible to process all known materials with very high precision. The problem of providing humanity with material resources can be solved by a revolution in the field of creating new man-made materials, closely connected with the technological revolution. The basis of many materials in the future, according to some scientists, will be such common and easily accessible sources of raw materials as alumina, plastics and sand. Examples of new progressive materials include, in particular, superconducting ceramics. The microelectronic and computer revolution can make a significant contribution to solving global problems and transforming human life. Now futurologists are predicting that advances in electronics, communications, and artificial intelligence will lead to the emergence of a new species of human homo electronicus , which will be significantly different from its predecessor homo sapiens . People of this new species, thanks to the use of scientific and technological progress, will have a more highly developed memory, their thinking will be faster, and also more efficient. According to scientists, scientific and technical possibilities for solving global problems either exist or can be created. The political conditions in which they will be implemented are of great importance.

To solve planetary problems, lasting peace and international stability are needed, which can be achieved in the process of political reform of the modern world community on a fair, democratic basis.

International stability presupposes a rejection of confrontational doctrines, a reliance on force, and the avoidance of direct or indirect interference in the internal affairs of other states, based on the fact that no country has the right to dictate the course of events within another country or claim the role of a judge or arbiter.

The instability of the world in the context of the existence of man-made means of destruction puts on the international agenda the urgent need for demilitarization, gradual reduction of weapons and further limitation of arsenals of weapons of mass destruction that threaten the existence of life itself on Earth, with the prospect of their complete elimination. The active involvement of new states and peoples in the political life of the planet raises with renewed vigor the question of democratization and humanization of international relations. An effective and rational solution to global problems can be found only when all countries fully participate in the search, when the views, interests, and specifics of all states and peoples, large and small, are taken into account. Democratization of international relations is the maximum internationalization of problem solving by all members of the world community. Humanization of international relations - a steady increase in the influence of moral and moral norms on this sphere, its humanization , aimed at recognizing the self-worth of a person, more fully ensuring his rights and freedoms.

The condition and guarantee of lasting peace and the development of comprehensive cooperation between states is the formation, through the efforts of all countries, of a comprehensive approach to ensuring international security, i.e. the establishment of a new international political order based on the consistent adherence by all states to the principles of peaceful coexistence.

It should be noted that in political science, international political order is understood as a certain structure, the system of international political relations, formalized (or unformulated, in the system of relevant principles and norms of international law, international treaties and agreements, as well as a system of international organizations, institutions and other institutions .

Solving global problems is impossible without greening the consciousness of humanity. This greening is closely related to the deep awareness of an increasing number of earthlings that the well-being and further continuation of the human race are impossible without the constant exploitation of the natural resources of our world, which represent a system of life-supporting factors for the existence of mankind. Therefore, the destruction of nature is disastrous for civilization. It is important to establish a planetary type of thinking that does not allow for the possibility of global development at the expense of environmental degradation. Environmental values ​​are a priority in this way of thinking. At the same time, nature is considered as a single whole, in which all its parts, including humans, are interconnected, where there are no minor, insignificant elements. Ecological consciousness will contribute to the establishment of harmonious relations between society and nature. Only a person who has freed himself from the burden of narrow egoistic and individualistic attitudes, militant elitism, the ideology of aggression, and the psychology of violence can solve environmental and other global problems. He must be freed from the limitations of abstract scientistic and technocratic approaches, the stagnation of thought characteristic of parochial provincialism, and from nationalist blindness.

Freeing humanity from the threat of planetary problems is closely linked to the movement towards greater social justice and true equality throughout the world. Without resolving acute social and political contradictions both in individual states and in the world community as a whole, it is impossible to find a worthy response to the global challenge to the entire human race.

Within the framework of political globalism, a number of projects and concepts of political reforms of international relations have been developed in order to resolve global problems.

One of the first concepts to be created was organic growth , set out in the book by M. Mesarevich and E. Pestel Humanity at a crossroads" (1974), also known as the second report to the Club of Rome. The creators of this concept believed that the main characteristic of the state of the human community in the second half of the 20th century should be determined by its inherent crisis syndrome . It should serve as a decisive stimulus for the transition to a world political system that will be able to organic growth . Scientists believe that in this state the system will develop as a single organism, where each part plays its exclusive role and enjoys that share of common benefits that correspond to this role and ensure the further development of this part in the interests of the whole.

Political changes on a global scale, according to globalist scholars, require the creation of global power structures. This idea was reflected in the project global institutions to bring about change , set out in the work of J. Tinbergen Redefining the international order. Third report to the Club of Rome" (1977). As such institutions, Ya.

Tinbergen proposed creating, for example, World Treasury , World Food Administration , World Mineral Resources Agency , World Technology Development Authority etc. In his concept, the contours of a world government emerged quite clearly. In subsequent works of French globalists M. Guernier Third World: Three Quarters of the World (1980), B. Granotier For a World Government" (1984) and some others, the idea of ​​a global center of power was further developed. A more radical position regarding global governance is taken by the social movement of mondialists, which formed its first institution back in 1949 in Paris - the International Registration of World Citizens (IRWC) Mondialism (French monde - world) is a concept that substantiates the need and ways to create a world state. Proponents of this approach believe that in order to solve global problems it is necessary conscious and gradual" transfer of power from sovereign states to global governance structures of the world community. There are several points of view regarding the formation of these structures.

In the 70s and the first half of the 80s. a radical approach was widespread in global studies, whose adherents believed that the era of paralysis of nation states as the main subjects of international relations. In this regard, the search for solutions to global problems was associated with the election of a world parliament that could create a world government. However, the formation of a significant number of new independent states, the desire of many nations and nationalities to create sovereign national-state entities showed that predictions of the weakening role of the state as the main subject of world politics were not confirmed in practice. Let us note that, according to the London Institute for Strategic Studies, about 300 ethnic groups in different countries are dissatisfied with their situation and strive to create their own states with a change in existing borders, therefore the 21st century. may be a century of widespread ethnic conflict.

Currently, mondialism in global studies manifests itself in more moderate, implicit forms. We are talking about the need to give more power to international organizations and institutions in order to achieve progress in solving global problems. Plans to create a world state are being postponed indefinitely.

In modern political science the concept is becoming increasingly important global civil society . Global civil society refers to a globally organized association of people who, regardless of nationality or citizenship, share universal human values. These people are active in solving world development problems, especially in those areas where governments are unable or unwilling to take the necessary action.

The political basis of global civil society is the global movement of non-governmental organizations: environmental, anti-war, cultural, religious, etc. They serve as alternative or unofficial channels of communication in the world community and contribute to the establishment of mutual Trust between peoples.

In economic terms, global civil society is based on the global business sector, represented by private enterprise, primarily in the form of transnational corporations. However, many globalist scholars, while emphasizing the increased social responsibility of private business, still warn about the danger of excessive concentration of economic power and power in private hands.

The technological basis of global civil society is the development of the latest technical means of communication, ensuring the dissemination of global flows of information across state borders and over vast distances. This has already led to the emergence of a new phenomenon in world development, called the “global revolution in communication.”

Along with the problems of “global civil society,” political global studies is actively developing the issue of forming a new model of the state, no longer just legal and social, but also “socio-natural,” “ecological,” and “sustainable.” Such a state should become not only a form of effective organization of people’s lives and satisfaction of their vital needs, ensuring the rights and freedoms of every person, but also must take care of the same opportunities for all subsequent generations of citizens, their safety, the preservation and improvement of the natural environment and sustainable development of natural resources. These are fundamentally new functions of the state, which are by no means easy to provide, because all previous models of states, at best, only declared these in their basic laws, but never implemented them. It is assumed that democracy, changing its modern form in the process of transition to the path of sustainable development, will turn into noospheric democracy, or noocracy (democracy of moral reason), where not the decision of the majority, but a rational decision reflecting not only the interests of voters, but also the interests of all participants in socio-natural interaction of both future generations and the environment.

At the end of the 19th century. The founder of Russian cosmism N.F. Fedorov wrote: “The world is coming to an end, and man, through his activities, even contributes to the approach of the end, for a civilization that exploits, but does not restore, cannot have any other result than accelerating the end.” A hundred years ago, such assessments of the industrial type of civilization were possible only for the most far-sighted thinkers. These views have become widely recognized only in our time. The real threat of nuclear, environmental and other disasters on the planet has led to serious shifts in public consciousness regarding the prospects for humanity. Now global problems are the focus of attention of international political and scientific circles. Possible ways to overcome universal human problems are being very actively discussed and efforts are being made to coordinate the activities of the world community in this direction. The UN makes the main contribution to the search for political solutions to global problems. Global issues occupy an important place on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, in the activities of its special agencies, such as UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization UN) and some others.

To understand and study the political aspects of global problems of our time, several authoritative commissions were created on the initiative of the UN, which submitted their final reports to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Thus, one of the results of the UN Conference on Environment and Development, held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, was the creation of the Commission for Balanced Development - an intergovernmental body consisting of 52 members, which has now turned the UN system into a center for coordination and coordination programs implemented by various UN agencies. But the Commission should not be viewed simply as an administrative coordinating body. It exists to provide overall political leadership in the field of sustainable development, in particular in the implementation of Program 21 (21st Century Program) adopted in Rio. In the most general form, the recommendations of this program can be reduced to several general directions: the fight against poverty; reducing resource consumption in the modern technosphere; maintaining the stability of the biosphere; taking into account natural patterns in decision-making related to the political, economic and social spheres.

Many globalist scientists believe that the weakening and resolution of universal human problems will be closely connected not only with political actions in this direction, but also with a phenomenon of a much larger scale in the world-historical development of mankind. This phenomenon is called a “civilizational shift”, i.e. transition to a new type of civilization, qualitatively different from modern civilization

Conclusion

Globalist scientists identify three main groups of global problems among universal human problems (Diagram 32). The first group includes problems associated with the sphere of international relations and reflects its inherent contradictions and objectively necessary transformations. In solving fundamental global problems of this type, political prerequisites are of particular importance.

The second group includes global problems, the sphere of occurrence and manifestation of which is the relationship between the individual and society. These problems directly relate to a person’s prospects and his future.

The third group includes global problems in the field of interaction between man and nature. These are problems of imbalance between the needs of human life and the capabilities of the environment. To resolve these global issues, along with political ones, scientific and technical prerequisites also become very important.

An analysis of the threats generated by the global problems of civilization shows that the trajectory of human development has become unstable and it is faced with choosing a new path of development. One cannot but agree with US Vice President A. Gore, who points out in his book “Earth in the Balance” that we are not talking about temporary difficulties of individual states. but about the dead end, the crisis of the entire market-consumer civilization." And the task of all modern science is to find a way out of this impasse and offer the solution found to society.

The symbols of science of the outgoing 20th century were technical progress, expanded reproduction, and growth in breadth. The leading trend is analysis, specialization, and the birth of new disciplines in different fields of knowledge. The main result is a huge set of methods, ideas, technologies, approaches, and possibilities for choice.

The imperatives of the 21st century are different. The focus is on sustainability, safety, and growth in depth. . The leading trend is the birth of new generalizing approaches, interdisciplinary synthesis. Today, it is not enough for scientists to provide society with a choice; they must explore the consequences of this choice and find out the cost of this choice before it is made

Of course, the solution to global problems within each of them will continue. This approach will produce some results and mitigate some problems. However, the idea of ​​sustainable development put forward by the UN seems to be the most promising for changing the course of world development. This integral approach has been adopted in our country and is embodied in state pre-program documents.

If the UN manages to launch the activities of the world community to solve global problems within the framework of international and national strategies and programs for sustainable development, then the peoples of the world will have hope that civilization, in the name of its own salvation, will be able to make a sharp turn in the trajectory of its movement towards a stable and safe world. Perhaps the current generations of people will be able to see how justified this hope was.

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1.1 Global problems of our time: essence, structure and dynamics.

1.2 The role of the UN and other international organizations in resolving global problems of our time.

1.1 Global problems of our time: essence, structure and dynamics. To understand the complex phenomena of modern political life in the field of international relations, special attention should be paid to the trends in the development of world politics. Taking into account the main trends is necessary when analyzing not only international, but also national political problems. One of the leading trends in modern political development is the transformation of international relations into truly global relations. They act in this capacity essentially only in modern times, since the modern world is represented not only by several “great powers” ​​or a circle of predominantly European countries, as was the case back in the late 19th – early 20th centuries, but by more than 200 states in which Numerous peoples of the planet live. All of them are now subjects of international relations and world politics, one way or another, influencing political processes in the world. In our time, active participation in the political life of states that are at different levels of socio-economic and cultural development, with a unique history and national experience, various types of political structure, gives rise to a very motley political landscape; new international problems and contradictions. Hence the growing role of international organizations in modern politics, designed to coordinate the activities of a large number of national states acting as subjects. The complication of international political relations is also caused by the destruction of the bipolar world associated with the existence in the recent past of two “superpowers” ​​and two powerful military-political blocs, and the formation of a new international political structure.

An important trend characterizing modern political relations is the growth of integration processes in the world while simultaneously awakening and developing the national self-awareness of peoples. This trend manifests itself in very contradictory ways internationally. On the one hand, there is an increasing desire in the world for internationalization, including in the sphere of politics, based on the economic rapprochement of countries and peoples; on the other hand, the national and nationalistic aspirations of various peoples are becoming more and more prominent, which has been defined as a “national renaissance” as a phenomenon of the world order.

Finally, the most important trend in the development of the modern world is the promotion of problems of a different order to the center of world politics and international relations. The distinctive features of these problems are: complexity, systematicity and universal character.

Global problems include four main groups: socio-political, socio-economic, environmental and humanitarian. All of them require not only special consideration, but also the use of specific political means for timely and effective resolution.

Socio-political problems constitute a significant range of extremely urgent tasks that need to be solved through the joint efforts of the entire world community. These include: preventing nuclear war, ending the arms race and disarmament, peaceful resolution of interstate disputes, as well as regional and international armed conflicts, building a non-violent peace based on trust between peoples and strengthening the international security system. These problems (especially the prevention of nuclear war and disarmament) are of paramount nature, since the existence of humanity itself largely depends on their timely solution

Problems socio-economic nature are associated with overcoming economic exploitation and underdevelopment, poverty and backwardness, with the search for ways to resolve the energy, raw materials and food crises, and the acute demographic situation in developing countries.

Environmental the problems involve issues of preserving the natural habitat of people, requiring international efforts and coordination, and Humanities – are associated with the human dimension of social progress, which involves ensuring the entire complex of human rights, spiritual development of the individual, overcoming cultural backwardness and expansion. Resolving global problems of our time is the most important task of international politics.

1.2 The role of the UN and other international organizations in resolving global problems of our time. The accelerating pace of global change has taken much of the world community by surprise. Capital, goods and people move around the world at such speed and in such complex ways that it is impossible to predict the situation more than a few years in advance. Political maps are constantly being redrawn due to ethnic conflicts and claims of various political groups to new territories.

All this gave rise to enormous social tension, which existing development strategies were unable to cope with. Many social institutions that functioned effectively before are now not only ignored, but ruthlessly destroyed, because they are considered an obstacle to progress.

And this happens at all levels: at the international level - social organizations are absorbed by transnational corporations and international financial associations; nationally - many government agencies are closing or changing the nature of their activities; At the local level, market and globalization forces are undermining the foundations of family and community life.

Global connectivity.

The transformations of recent years have taken different forms in different countries, but six main trends are emerging that determine the overall process of institutional change:

First. The spread of liberal democracy. Thanks to him, the number of people who received the right to openly and freely express their opinions and participate in politics has increased significantly. However, it also caused new discord in society, often aggravating ethnic or territorial conflicts.

Second. The Predominance of Market Forces in the Economy Economic liberalism has become the dominant ideology since the mid-1970s. Economic efficiency has increased, while strengthening, at the expense of poorer social classes and countries, the power of a powerful part of society, including some national and international elites, creditor countries and international financial institutions.

Third. Integration of the world economy. Nowadays, capital, goods and labor cross national borders much more quickly, making international competition much fiercer than before.

Fourth. Transformation of production systems and labor drain. Today, industry is based on small and flexible production systems, and workers choose to move into the service sector, work part-time or engage in informal activities, significantly weakening the capacity of trade unions and the ability of the state to regulate labor, collect taxes and finance social programs.

Fifth. Speed ​​of technological update. The computerization of production and communication systems continues to have a decisive influence on the restructuring of labor relations, making some specialties obsolete, giving rise to others, and supporting new power relations within and between states.

Sixth. The media revolution and the violence of consumerism. The persuasive power of the media around the world is now so great that they sometimes have a destructive effect on national cultures and traditional values.

At first glance, all this seems to be an inevitable and natural manifestation of technological or cultural evolution. But in reality, such an evolution is largely determined by the economic and political interests of advanced industrial countries.

Rebuilding societies destroyed by war.

Many ethnic conflicts have turned into violent wars. In 1993, there were 52 major conflicts in 42 countries, the worst of which were in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa.

Of course, the international community is increasing its efforts to end these wars, which is facilitated by a number of circumstances: the UN, whose activities are no longer constrained by the conditions of the Cold War, has been able to fulfill its peacekeeping role much more effectively; thanks to the work of mass media, military actions taking place anywhere quickly become known to the general public; Finally, there are growing fears around the world that conflicts will spread across the borders of individual states.

The problems facing war-torn states are related to the solution of three most difficult tasks: to consolidate peace, to provide emergency assistance to the population and to put the country on the path of stable development. These three tasks are interconnected, and although, depending on the situation, one or the other comes to the fore, in any case they must be dealt with simultaneously, because without solving each of them it is impossible to solve everything.

The end of the Cold War was another factor that allowed UN bodies to act more flexibly. In the early 1990s. there was one goal - to establish “peace corridors” for the delivery of humanitarian aid. But when they became difficult to sustain, the UN began to combine humanitarian aid with military intervention, as was the case, for example, in northern Iraq, Somalia and Bosnia.

This new style of UN intervention has saved many lives and helped hundreds of thousands of refugees get back on their feet.

States in the process of globalization.

In some countries, ethnic or other conflicts have led to state collapse. But even in calmer and ethnically homogeneous countries, many state institutions have collapsed. In developing countries, the “patron-client” relationship model took hold, with the help of which the state “co-opted” key economic and social institutions.

Other social institutions are also being eroded. Trade unions, for example, are experiencing considerable difficulties because the very models of labor organization are changing: people are more flexible in their employment, moving to service industries - all this undermines the organizational foundations of trade unions.

International organizations and civil society.

The processes brought about by globalization give reason to hope that the coming years will mark the beginning of a new era in global decision-making. There are two factors that can improve the effectiveness of global governance structures and move them closer to democratic ideals: first, increasing pluralism (enabling non-state actors to influence policy and holding powerful institutions accountable); secondly, increasing the democracy of international organizations (expanding representation, increasing transparency and strengthening accountability in decision-making).

The past 20 years have seen the rapid development of transnational civil society networks. The first registered international non-governmental organization (NGO), the Anti-Slavery Society, arose in 1839, and by 1874 there were 32 such organizations. In the 20th century the number of international NGOs increased from 1,083 in 1914 to more than 37 thousand in 2000. Of all international NGOs existing today, almost a fifth emerged after 1990. Today there are more than 20,000 transnational networks in the world. The amount of resources distributed through international NGOs has increased more than sevenfold over the past three decades.

As a result, a new global policy is beginning to emerge that can become a catalyst for social change and innovative approaches.