The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them. Activists, politicians and commentators regularly advocate the term, in the context of calls for action to be taken against political repression and to preserve the respect for human rights. It is also urged as an approbative for evidence-based policy in governance, and frequently for moral syncretism, justice and peace.
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The beginning of human civilization in prehistory and antiquity presented conditions for some early ancestors, with fertile areas and an ecological niche to prosper and migrate. The population growth of segregated groups and clans achieved tasks at a faster pace with a level of group effectiveness. There was early tribal warfare and a survival of the fittest, where groups clashed in a conflict of interest and a competition of resources, later tactics were devised to divide and rule and at some point the concept of a value system emerged.
The political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining authority produced the earliest forms of tribal chiefs, monarchies, dictatorship, imperialism and colonialism, instigated with various methods and aims. The uprising and demands of citizens developed democracy and popular sovereignty, which today continues in a resurgence of ideas and hopes, for example equality and freedom.
The modern age of industrialisation began and advanced technology started a renewed capacity for conflict, enduring World War I and World War II with the threat of the atomic age, lead to greater co-operation and an acceptance of concessions, for agreements between nations. The use of international agreements is an acknowledgement that the parties involved recognise a common understanding. The United Nations was established in 1945 for dialogue and progress. The UN remains a central part of global unity and on occasion still achieves unanimous resolutions at the General Assembly and Security Council. The development of regional groups, economic communities and continental unions continue to maintain the relation and partnership of sovereign countries.
After World War II during the 60s and 70s began the space age and information age that increased the quantity of scientific achievement and collaboration different cultures worked on to develop. The modern globalization of popular culture, mass tourism and aviation expanded together with economic and social interdependence.
A mutual advantage in friendship and trust are traits of a community of people, across distances and areas with other people, familiar and unknown. The exchange of experiences and identifying with individuals are also common to human nature and civil society.
People may sometimes refer to "the will of the international community" to strengthen their own point of view or the opposite expression "the international community is divided" to explain a consensus has not yet been reached. In diplomacy and debate a case that includes this statement could be a sentiment of majoritarianism and a description of options to take action for the benefit of all countries. It is occasionally asserted that powerful countries and groups of countries use the term to describe organisations in which they play a predominant role, that might be interpreted as indifference toward other nations. The enactment of conflict or war may be claimed as an action of the "international community" by a superpower or coalition that could represent under half or less of the world's population.
An example of the term used by some western leaders is when denouncing Iran, for its nuclear ambitions of suspected nuclear proliferation, by stating that "Iran is defying the will of the international community by continuing uranium enrichment". The Non-Aligned Movement which consists of 118 countries from the 193 United Nations member states, has endorsed Iran's right to enrich uranium for civil nuclear energy.[1]