The question of the American domination now stands at the center of international relations and their analyses. But which form of domination is it ? It is a fundamentally inter-State one, but it could translate itself either as imperialism, or as leadership, or as hegemony. The latter concept seems to suit it best, even if hegemony is by nature existential, therefore ambiguous. It implies a defensive domination policy, resting on the economy of means and on minimal involvement, without a (...)  lire suite

In terms of arms control and disarmament, the balance-sheet of the 1990s has been ample but mitigated with regards to international agreements. As for disarmament « mechanisms, » they have been characterized by growth and deadlock, especially at the last Disarmament Conference. For the future, the most realistic hypothesis is that of the continued pursuit of arms control and disarmament, however, this will no longer be conducted as during the Cold War or in the 1990s. On strategic matters, (...)  lire suite

French policy towards the United States is losing its traditional bearings. Given the balance of power, there would be little purpose for France to attempt to imitate the US’ attachment to a Westphalian vision of the state sovereignty. France’s action should base itself on several propositions : the substantial improvement of our knowledge and understanding of the US and US society ; to confront the US as a last, not as a first, resort, and to do so only on the basis of an exact (...)  lire suite

Independent of the skill of its diplomats and successive ministers, and in spite of its assertive and self confident conceptions of foreign policy, Boris Yeltsin’s Russia has suffered a considerable decline with regards to its position in the international scene. This step backwards is observable in most domains of interaction, namely in the CIS, western Europe, Asia, the US and strategic negotiations. The Russian retreat could certainly be considered a result of an American roll back (...)  lire suite

Since 1945 Japanese diplomacy has been deployed along three major axes : that of bilateral cooperation (with the Nippo-American Alliance), that of regional cooperation (in the APEC) and that of interregional cooperation (with organizations such as the ASEM). It is presently necessary that Japan make a positive contribution to the formation of a new international order. It is across such an ambition that Japan will find its way to internationalization in the 21st Century. In order to do this (...)  lire suite

The building of a Palestinian state is currently hindered by both an uneven balance of power between Israelis and Palestinians, and by the difficulty in constructing a national and political identity. The establishment of an interim Palestinian Authority, charged with managing the autonomy designated by the Oslo agreements, has created a legal and administrative framework. However, it has equally led to a deterioration of Palestinian standard of living, to greater difficulties in movement (...)  lire suite

The united Germany is a stable and loyal actor in the European integration process, and it’s goal is to pursue simultaneously the enlargement and development of the European Union. In addition, it seeks a solution that will maintain Europe’s nation-states while at the same time doting the Union with important competencies, according to the principle of « subsidiarity ». The European Union must become a key actor in 21st century international relations, and for the united Germany the Common (...)  lire suite

The Caucasus, situated at the junction of the Asian and European continents, is the scene of a bitter rivalry, namely among the USA, Russia, Turkey and Iran, which is intended to fill the relative geopolitical void left after the Soviet Union’s collapse. The hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian sea increase the strategic significance of this region, inducing competition, wars, and disputes concerning the sovereignty, sharing, exploitation and transit of these materials. However, the (...)  lire suite

The context of international relations has led the military to intervene more and more often in humanitarian crises. As a result, the traditional « operators », Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have learned to work next to, or even with, the members of the French military health services (Service de Santé des Armées - SSA), and this has led to a mutual evolution in the mentalities of both NGOs and the SSA. The obstacles that stand in the way of a more organized cooperation are numerous, (...)  lire suite

The ideology of human rights is often presented as founded on universal principles, and it’s terrain is largely occupied by the United States and France who equally present themselves as the cradle of its genesis. In this regard, the legal systems of these two countries have certain points in common, notably the existence of a declaration of rights written in the 18th century, and largely founded on the concept of natural law. However, the existence of such similarities does not hide the (...)  lire suite