TEHRAN – Big powers are not a good agent for incorporating ethics into global politics because to maintain their hegemony they try to keep the status-quo, Mahmood Monshipouri, an associate professor of international relations at San Francisco State University, has said.

“Big powers (superpowers) are NOT typically a good agent -- or fit -- for incorporating ethics into global politics. This is so in large part because the maintenance of their power and hegemonic stability requires them to be pro status-quo,” Monshipouri told the Mehr News Agency when asked which actors define international principles or norms such as ethical principles.
Following is Monshipouri’s explanation:
A: Big powers (superpowers) are NOT typically a good agent -- or fit -- for incorporating ethics into global politics. This is so in large part because the maintenance of their power and hegemonic stability requires them to be pro status-quo. By contrast, mid-range powers: Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, or South Africa are better fit to do so. Take, for example, the cases of USA, Russia, India, and China, which have refused to be a member of the International Criminal Court -- also known as ICC (effective July 2002).
Today ICC has 111 members and is legally independent of the United Nations. There is a saying in International Law: “The temple of law is built one stone at a time.” Progress in law and ethics is slow and it requires enormous patience. ICC is about punishing those responsible for the crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. Institutions like these will play an important role in incorporating ethics into the international system. Some scholars/experts, who have given up on states, have turned to NGOs and transnational advocacy groups/organizations as the key to promoting ethics in international affairs. There is no question that intergovernmental organizations (such as the European Union--EU) have been instrumental in defining and altering norms. Consider, for example, the role that European Court of Human Rights has played in setting some standards for its member states.
Interesting enough, many scholars have in recent years focused on domestic mechanisms--such as public justice systems (police, judges, and lawmakers), social movements, empowered groups with the motive and the means--to play a much more crucial role in protecting and promoting human rights. I like this focus because, on balance, the commitment of states to ethics is neither strong nor consistent. Local NGOs and groups should take matters in their hands and do not wait for states or their politicians to push for ethics in politics. Many of norms against child labor has been spearheaded by NGOs--local as well as foreign. Jody Williams, who won 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, was an English teacher from Vermont (USA), who led an international campaign against land-mine and brought more than fifty NGOs in that campaign to Canada. I truly believe in unexpected power of the power. As they say, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. The struggle for ethics takes shape at locally and human rights struggles are won or lost nationally.
Professor Mahmood Monshipouri is a faculty member of the department of international relations at San Francisco State University. His most recent work is “Muslims in Global Politics: Identities, Interests, and Human Rights”. He is also currently working on editing a book on human rights in the Middle East.