The Liberal Order or Empire? Security co-binding: together against common threats. Forced to stay together? Penetrated hegemony: leadership role for the United States. Are they really listening? Semi-sovereignty: some states are not fully sovereign and the EU also undermines sovereignty. Fine, what about US sovereignty? Economic openness: free trade and open markets strengthen peace. How open is the US? Civic identity: we share the same basic norms and values on how society should be run. Do we?

Pillars of the Liberal Order From a philosophical point of view the peaceful liberal order is built around two political doctrines that, together, ensure good governance: –The doctrine of democracy –The doctrine of human rights

Democracy Free and fair elections, individual freedoms, accountability of institutions, rule of law, and peaceful change of government. On this basis, democracy has demonstrated its superiority (the End of History argument). Evidence: an increasing amount of countries have democratised over the last 30 years.

Democracy: as good as it gets? Is Fukuyama right? The belief that democracy is as good as it gets may be correct, but is there only one model of it? –Differences between liberal democracy and social democracy. –An Islamic democracy?

US/EU policies Democracy promotion is at the top of the foreign policy agenda. –Aid to democratic forces in authoritarian countries. –Marginalisation of authoritarian regimes. –Nation building when possible. –Military invasion. –…massive contradictions!

HUMAN RIGHTS - The Sources - American Declaration on Independence in French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of American Bill of Rights of 1791.

Questions Are human rights a western notion? If so, why would others subscribe to this partisan notion? There is a claim to universality, but how can that be reconciled with their Western origin?

The International Human Rights Regime Universal Declaration of Human Rights of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966.

3 Generations of Rights First generation rights are the political and civil ones: easier to accord and enforce. Second generation rights are economic, social and cultural: easy to accord difficult to enforce. Third generation rights are group rights: difficult to accord and to enforce.

Relativism VS Universalism Are human rights universal or culture- specific? Attempt of the West to dominate? Authoritarian regimes use the cultural specificity argument to justify their authoritarianism.

5 Points to keep in mind The regime exists and increasingly adhered to. Liberals are correct: the world can improve. Power is however an important component. Cultural relativism is very often an excuse. Social and economic rights are difficult to enforce: a threat to the West.