Collective security

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In legal and political science, collective security denotes a system of security between several states (cf. Art. 24, Paragraph 2, Basic Law ), which develops inward effectiveness and, in principle, should not be directed against an external enemy. Normally it is used to describe a universal security system, such as the United Nations (UN) or the League of Nations , which is supposed to enable general and comprehensive disarmament under effective international control. To this end, the states must consent to sovereign restrictions in a longer process, which is defined as a transitional period in the UN Charter . The establishment of a universal system of collective security within the framework of the United Nations could not be realized due to the blocking by some states that traditionally and historically oppose collective security and binding international jurisdiction - which is also intended as part of such a comprehensive system .

Legally

The system of collective security is supposed to ensure world peace according to the principle “one for all, all for one” .

In a more limited sense, the states involved merely agree on peaceful cooperation and define a list of violations against it that will be punished accordingly.

In its classic meaning, the term describes a system with universal or regional scope that promises each of its member states protection from any kind of interstate aggression . Collective security in this sense is an institution characterized by multilateral principles with equal rights and obligations for the member states.

Collective security is based on the assumption that peace is indivisible and that every member must come to the aid of each other; by diplomatic means, by economic sanctions and in extreme cases by military means. A potential aggressor should thus be deterred by the prospect of a superior counter-power . The conventional view that the United Nations would not represent a universal system of collective security because the great powers' right of veto waived such a claim from the outset is not tenable on closer inspection. Collective security within the framework of the UN is associated with a renunciation of sovereignty or a transfer of sovereignty in favor of the world organization, without which disarmament and effective peacekeeping are not possible. The great powers are to assume security guarantees for the transitional period provided for in the UN Charter in accordance with Article 106 of the Charter. The principle of consensus , the downside of which is the right of veto, is particularly important in this context . Today, however, collective security is also understood in a very broad sense in the sense of joint action by states ( coalition of the willing ) in those cases in which internationally recognized norms between states or within states are violated.

Historical

Before the First World War , it was believed that the security of one state could only be increased at the expense of other states, because it was believed that security could only be achieved through military and political strength. The first attempt to refuse military peacekeeping and to achieve global legal security through binding, international arbitration were the Hague Peace Conferences in 1899 and 1907. This attempt failed primarily because of Germany.

Since the First World War there have been more and more attempts through international cooperation to jointly increase the security of all states in a region. This happened in the League of Nations . The Locarno Treaties were an important system of regional, collective security . Japan too tried - albeit in vain - in the 1930s to win allies for a “Far Eastern Locarno”, that is, a security community in East Asia. Another important system came into being after 1934, when the Soviet Union joined the League of Nations with the aim of working with France and England to curb fascism . However, this goal was not achieved due to mutual distrust.

The idea of ​​collective security was also an important impetus when the EEC was founded.

Today, the OSCE is regarded as the regional system of collective security for Europe .

The concept of common security can be seen as a European further development of this system .

In 2009, the Scientific Services of the Bundestag (WD) examined the question of whether NATO should be viewed as a system of collective security.

See also

literature

  • Maurice Bourquin: Collective Security, A record of the Seventh and Eighth International Studies Conference , International Institute, Paris 1936.
  • Knut Ipsen : Alliance case and defense case . In: The public administration , year 1971, pp. 583-588.
  • Sabine Jaberg: Collective Security: Myth or Realistic Option? Hamburg 1999.
  • Armin Kockel: The assistance clause in the Lisbon Treaty , 2012.
  • Nico Krisch: Self-Defense and Collective Security , Berlin 2001.
  • Klaus Schlichtmann: Linking Constitutional Laws of Peace and Collective Security. In: Indian Journal of Asian Affairs , Vol. 17, No. 2 (December 2004).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Scientific Services of the German Bundestag NATO as a system of collective security? - Fundamentals and positions for their further development , WD 2 - 3000 - 009/09, February 27, 2009.