How are local and global issues connected, and what can be done about them?
Global issues and interdependence: how the world is connected, the key global issues such as poverty, conflict and the environment, and the role of international organisations and NGOs in tackling them.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to global issues and interdependence. Covers what interdependence and globalisation mean, key global issues such as poverty, conflict, human rights and the environment, and how international organisations and NGOs respond to them.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point asks you to explain how the world is connected, what the main global issues are, and how international organisations and NGOs respond to them. The key idea is interdependence: that countries and people depend on one another, so problems and solutions cross borders. The marked skill is defining interdependence and globalisation, naming real global issues, and explaining how the bodies that tackle them actually work.
Interdependence and globalisation
Because the world is interdependent, a decision or event in one country can affect many others. This is the lens through which all of the global issues in this dot point should be understood.
The key global issues
You should be able to name and explain several global issues, each of which crosses borders:
- Poverty and inequality. Large gaps in wealth between and within countries, affecting health, education and life chances, and driving migration and the need for aid.
- Conflict and its consequences. Wars and instability that create refugees, damage development and draw in other countries.
- Human rights abuses. Denial of basic rights in some parts of the world, which the international community seeks to address.
- The environment and climate change. Pollution and greenhouse gases released in one country affect the whole planet, making flooding, drought and rising seas shared problems.
- Disease and health. Illnesses that can spread across borders and require a coordinated response.
For each, the move that earns marks is explaining the link that makes the issue global rather than local.
Sustainable development
A recurring theme is sustainable development: meeting the needs of people today without damaging the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It connects the environment, poverty and the economy, and underlies many international efforts, because solving one global issue should not create another. Mentioning sustainability shows you understand that responses must work for the long term.
How international organisations and NGOs respond
Two kinds of body lead the response. International organisations such as the United Nations bring countries together to agree action, for example coordinating aid, peacekeeping and climate agreements, and setting shared standards on issues such as human rights. NGOs (non-governmental organisations), such as large international charities, deliver aid on the ground, run long-term development projects, and campaign to put pressure on governments. The two work alongside each other: governments and the UN set frameworks, while NGOs deliver and hold them to account.
Try this
Q1. What does interdependence mean? [2 marks]
- Cue. Countries and people depend on one another through trade, travel and shared problems, so what happens in one place affects others.
Q2. Name two global issues. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: poverty and inequality, conflict, human rights abuses, climate change and the environment, disease.
Q3. Give one way an international organisation responds to a global issue. [2 marks]
- Cue. For example, the United Nations coordinating aid, peacekeeping or a climate agreement among countries.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)4 marksIdentify two global issues and explain why they affect more than one country.Show worked answer →
A four-mark question. Reward two valid issues, each developed to show why it crosses borders.
Issue one: climate change. Greenhouse gases released in one country affect the whole planet's climate, so flooding, drought and rising seas are shared problems no single country can solve alone.
Issue two: poverty. Poverty in one part of the world drives migration, affects global trade and prompts aid from richer countries, so it is not contained within one nation's borders.
Other valid issues include conflict, disease and human rights abuses. A strong answer names an issue and explains the link that makes it global rather than local.
CCEA Unit 1 (style)6 marksExplain what is meant by interdependence and describe how an international organisation or NGO responds to a global issue.Show worked answer →
A six-mark question. Reward a clear definition of interdependence and a developed example of a response.
Interdependence means that countries and people across the world depend on one another, through trade, communication, travel and shared problems, so what happens in one place affects others.
Response: international organisations such as the United Nations bring countries together to agree action on global issues, for example coordinating aid, peacekeeping or climate agreements. NGOs such as large charities deliver aid, run development projects and campaign to put pressure on governments.
A top answer defines interdependence, then explains how the chosen body actually responds, rather than just naming it.
Related dot points
- Diversity and inclusion: the groups that make up a diverse society, the factors that create diversity, and what inclusion means in practice.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to diversity and inclusion. Covers the meaning of a diverse society, the factors that create difference, the difference between equality and inclusion, and how a society includes everyone fairly, presented even-handedly for the Northern Ireland context.
- Human rights and social responsibility: what human rights are, the key declarations and laws that protect them, and how rights are balanced by responsibilities to others.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to human rights and social responsibility. Covers what human rights are, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention and the Human Rights Act, and how rights are balanced by responsibilities to others and to the community.
- Democratic institutions and government: how decisions are made at local, devolved, national and international levels, and the institutions that govern a democratic society.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to democratic institutions and government. Covers what democracy means, the levels of government from local councils to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster, and the role of international bodies, presented neutrally for the Northern Ireland context.
- Active participation in a democratic society: the ways citizens can take part and influence decisions, from voting to pressure groups and non-governmental organisations.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to active participation in democracy. Covers what active citizenship means, the ways people can take part and influence decisions including voting, campaigning, pressure groups and NGOs, and why participation matters for a healthy democracy.
- Prejudice, discrimination and promoting equality: the difference between prejudice and discrimination, their causes and effects including sectarianism and racism, and ways to promote equality and good relations.
A CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work guide to prejudice, discrimination and equality. Covers the difference between prejudice and discrimination, the causes and effects of sectarianism and racism, and the laws and actions that promote equality and good relations, presented even-handedly for the Northern Ireland context.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work specification — CCEA (2017)