Admission Requirements
A 200-level course from the "International Law" track of the International Justice Major, or permission from the course instructor.
Description
No single country can tackle today’s complex problems on its own. Think of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in clear violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. But think also of international and non-international armed conflicts elsewhere in the world, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, the devastating consequences of climate change, and the so-called refugee ‘crisis’... all of these have the potential to strongly destabilize our societies and the global order.
The objective of this course is to assess the means available to the international community to address these security challenges in a coordinated manner.
The course will be construed around different thematic security threats and will critically assess the ways in which the international community attempts to address these issues. The role of the United Nations Security Council will of course be crucial in this context, but it is not the sole actor that might be of relevance when addressing security related issues. Due regard will also be paid to regional security mechanisms and arrangements. Since the starting point of the assessment is a legal one, this course is not only about what ideally should be done, but also what can lawfully be done under international law.
Course Objectives
Skills:
Analyse treaties, UN Security Council resolutions and other official documents.
Be able to formulate a well-construed argumentation both orally and in writing.
Discern relevant facts and apply legal principles to those facts.
Advice governmental and/or non-governmental organizations on difficult and technical issues relating to global security issues.
Knowledge:
Define the concept of collective security and understand the history behind it.
Critically reflect on the main security threats the world is currently facing.
Have a comprehensive knowledge of the functioning of the UN system, and especially the UN Security Council, in the framework of the UN’s role in relation to peace and security.
Explore some regional security structures and arrangements.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2023-2024 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of Instruction
Seminars form the main body of this course, and a Brightspace site supports in-class discussion and debate as well as host readings and related multi-media material. Students are required to take an active part in seminar discussions.
The policy brief exercise allows students to learn how to advice governmental and/or non-governmental entities on difficult issues relating to global security issues and how a collective action response could/should be provided to these issues. It encompasses both a written as well as an oral component. The written component consists in the writing of a policy brief and the oral component will take the form of a simulated televised interview.
Assessment Method
In-class participation and discussion of core readings – 10% – Ongoing Weeks 1-7
Policy Brief – 31% - Week 4
Simulation of a televised interview – 19% - week 5
Final essay – 40% – Week 8
Reading list
The course will rely on primary and secondary sources as well as on official documents the link to which will be provided on Brightspace. Given the variety of issues addressed there is no single textbook covering all the relevant issues addressed during the course, hence the need to rely on different sources.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Otto Spijkers, at o.spijkers@luc.leidenuniv.nl