Mod4ExTeachingNote 1 08R0002.pdf

Module 4

Seminar Exercise: A New Security Organization?

Instructor Notes

Introduction

This is a stand-alone seminar exercise. It is available in all three MC languages and does not require any prior preparation by students. Copies will be issued to seminar leaders a couple of days before the exercise on 17 February. The exercise is attached to these teaching notes and is also available on the Intranet. The aim of the exercise is to provide students with insights into the main constraints and challenges that policy makers face in creating, maintaining and working with international security organizations.

Exercise Play

Students work in language or regional discussion groups and are asked to produce, in outline, a new security organization that covers all, or part, of the Eurasian-Atlantic region.

As a minimum, each group should include the following in their outline:

• The purpose of the security organization

• The criteria for membership

• The decision making mechanism in the organization

• The source of financial contributions

• Limitations on the sovereignty of individual members, if applicable

• Criteria for the use of force, if applicable.

During PASS Module 4, students will have the opportunity to study a variety of international organizations that contribute to security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond.

Readings and/or lectures cover the UN, NATO, and EU, with additional reference materials provided on the OSCE, SCO and CSTO. Discussion groups will need to decide whether their proposed security organizations should supplant or complement an existing institution or institutions and give reasons. Group discussion will inevitably highlight the advantages and disadvantages of current security organizations.

You should insist that students avoid vague, “catch all” mission statements and security roles for their proposed organizations. Their proposals should be designed to address real security concerns not generalities. That said, students should restrict their outline proposal to general principles, rather than get bogged down in details. I suggest that students record their ideas on flip chart sheets and affix these to the wall for comparison during the wider seminar discussion of each group’s findings.

Timings (Suggested)

10 min – Students issued with the exercise and briefed

10 min – Students read through the exercise individually

50 min – Working in discussion groups, students create a new security organization and outline details on a flip chart sheet

10 min – Break

50 min – Group presentations and discussion (10 - 15 min each)

20 min – Extra discussion time and/or overview Module 5

Concluding Remarks

This is yet another new exercise being trialed on PASS 06-1. Please let me know if you have any queries prior to the exercise on 17 February. As always, post-ex feedback will be welcome.

Seminar Exercise : A New Security Organization?

Introduction

During this module you have had the opportunity to study and discuss a variety of the international organizations that contribute to security and stability in our region. These organizations provide a means by which states can cooperate to tackle common security problems and prevent, manage or resolve conflict between them. Inevitably, as the members of these organizations are sovereign states, there are frequent disagreements on policy, and existing institutions have experienced difficulties adapting to the early 21st Century security environment.

For example, NATO has yet to find an agreed strategic purpose in the post Cold War period, a common approach to security and defense policies still eludes the EU, and the OSCE has been accused of double standards in its approach to humanitarian norms. Could you and your seminar colleagues come up with something better suited to the contemporary security environment?

Aims of the Exercise

This seminar discussion exercise provides you with the opportunity to create in outline a new security organization for our region. It should also offer insights into the main constraints and problems that policy makers face in creating and maintaining international organizations.

The Conduct of the Exercise

Working with seminar colleagues in a discussion group you will have to decide on the basic features of a new security organization. It can cover the whole of our region or part of it. It can complement or replace existing organizations. You will not have time to go into great detail, but you must consider the following issues in your proposals:

• What is the purpose of your security organization? Be as specific as you can in describing the security needs it is designed to fulfill. Will it replace an existing international institution?

• What are the criteria for membership? You will probably need to consider political, security, resource and/or geographic factors.

• How will the organization be administered and make decisions? What will be the executive decision making body? Will decisions be made by majority voting or consensus? Will individual states have the right to veto policy proposals?

• How will the organization be financed?

• What restrictions will the organization place on the sovereignty of fellow members e.g.

laws, norms, intervention in internal affairs?

• If applicable what will be the criteria for the use of force, both within and outside of the area covered by the organization? How would security forces be provided to execute the will of the organization?

Presentation of Findings

Each discussion group team will be required to make a presentation of their findings to other seminar members. Team presentations must cover the topics listed above. Presentations should last no longer than 15 minutes. You will also need to be ready to field questions on the role, structure and policies of your draft organization.