Page - (000098) - in Knowledge and Networks

90 League positions on Palestine, whereas the Arab League has supported the African Union’s position on economic development. Examples of pressure are less well- documented but are occasionally mentioned in the minutes of the meetings, albeit without precise targets. Before examination of the voting behavior and speech pat- terns in the UNGA, a short review of the UN system seems appropriate to justify some methodological choices. Studying the UN System from a Geographical Point of View The UN organization can be considered a relational system and a bureaucratic orga- nization at the same time. First, positions of actors in the UN system depend on the relative positions of other actors. Moreover, an actor’s behavior in one specific organ can in certain cases be explained by the position of this actor in another organ of the UN system. One familiar example is the voting behavior of the United Kingdom and France in the UNGA—they often vote differently from other member states of the European Union (EU)—behavior that can be explained only by their permanent member status in the Security Council. Another relational aspect relates to the possibility of action in the UN system in general and in the UNGA specifi- cally: Any decision involves a dense network of relations with other actors, with all decisions being adopted by consensus or majority. But the UN system is also a bureaucratic organization where the behaviors of actors are highly predictable (needed to strengthen cooperation), where stability outweighs evolution, and where reform is always a long and costly process. One of the most famous examples of this bureaucratic aspect is the reform of the Security Council, which generated hundreds of speeches, reports, and recommendations but not one single concrete decision. Since its creation, the UN system has been extensively studied by academics, especially by North American academics in the fields of political science and inter- national relations—the U.S. government has always paid a great deal of attention to UN activities and has financed numerous research projects. Geographers have paid scant attention to the UN’s decision-making processes. However, at least two aspects are of particular interest: the geography of cooperation and conflict, and scale issues related to daily operations. Because nearly all states are represented in the UNGA, this institution allows one to observe patterns of cooperation on a worldwide scale, from both dynamic and thematic points of view, and studying voting behavior provides some valuable geopolitical input. A brief explanation of the purpose and function of the UNGA seems warranted at this point. The aim of the UNGA, according to the UN Charter signed in 1945, is to “consider the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of interna- tional peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments” (Charter of the United Nations, Article 11) and to initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of (a) promoting international cooperation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of L. Beauguitte