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Revitalizing the United Nations
Prof S. M. Habibullah, Head of Political Science Department, T.U
The article is an attempt to review the current efforts underway in revitalizing the United Nations. It briefly touches at the role and functions of the world body, looks at the major failures such as during the Iraq War, and reviews the proposed reforms. It concludes that the best alternative of the United Nations is a stronger United Nations in maintaining international peace and security in the unipolar world since the end of the Cold War.
The United Nations has not always been effective in maintenance of peace and security. It was founded at the end of the World War II in 1945 with great expectations that the theory of might is right would never be repeated. It has not been able to play an effective role in the maintenance of global peace and security, especially since the end of the Cold War. Instead, it has unleashed the demons of cultural and religious fanaticism on the one hand and the division on controlling the natural resources by great powers on the other.
It would be uncharitable, however, to ignore altogether the outstanding contribution of the world body. It has proved beyond doubt that it is the most effective platform in the social sectors such as education and health all over the world, especially in the poor and developing countries. It has also contributed significantly in promoting economic and social development, and helped promote cultural conservation. It has also helped promote democracy, good governance and human right. It is a long list of impressive achievements.
Yet the world body has not been very effective in dealing with critical global issue. The Gulf War I and Gulf War II are cases in point. In the case of Iraq War, the United Nations Security Council remained paralyzed from implementing its own resolution. This led to the unilateral action by the United States. The same can be said about fighting terrorism. It has not only failed to agree on defining terrorism but has not been able to do much in combating terrorism.
The United Nations came into being at San Francisco on 20 June 1945 by representatives from 50 nations. It was the product of efforts of many decades by diplomats, international affairs experts, private groups, the London Union, commissions and organizations such as the League of Nations. At the end, the World War I, an attempt was made under the leadership of President Woodrow Wilson to build a community of nations to make collective efforts for international peace, security and human welfare. The Covenant of the League of Nations was the product of this effort.
The League of Nations experienced an initial set back when the United States of America itself failed to be its member. The United States neither was interested to break with the self-imposed isolation, nor did it seem prepared to be dragged into international politics. The threat to the League also came from the subsequent rise of the anti-democratic and nationalistic doctrines. The rise of the aggressive forces of Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and Japanese Militarism rendered the hopes and aspirations of peace-loving people to create an international structure for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The important landmark in the evolution of the United Nations was the principles of the Atlantic Charter signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States and Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain on 14 August 1941. The United Nations Charter would not have been possible if the people and governments who played a key role in drafting of the Charter, had not been motivated by a common desire to maintain peace and security in the world devastated by the World War II. The war had unleashed its forces with the help of modern sciences and technology that virtually destroyed world's greatest civilizations.
Great Expectations
After the World War II when the United Nations was formed, the nations of the world, small and big, rich and poor, had great expectations that the theory of ~ right would never be repeated. They had expected a new era marked by equality, liberty, fraternity, and respect for the right and sovereignty of all nations without any discrimination irrespective of the size, strength, wealth and population. Undoubtedly, the United Nations did a wonderful job in the beginning. It came to the rescue of oppressed nations and the people of the world in developing countries took a sigh of relief particularly to see the end of the World War II.
But with the passage of time, it became crystal clear that there was no common measuring rod for the problems of the member states. The august organization imposed economic sanctions and arms embargo on certain Revitalizing the United Nations
countries and even allowed armed interventions on flimsy grounds and unfounded allegations. However, the United Nations failed to apply the same standard over certain rich, strong and powerful countries for the same breach of United Nations Charter. It not only caused imbalance of power in the world but also gave way to dismay and disappointment.
The United Nations has now 190 members out of which only five are permanent members of its Security Council, the most important and prestigious organ of the world body. The other 10 members are non permanent members of the Security Council and they do not enjoy the veto power the five members enjoy. The veto power can be used to shoot down any resolution if any member does not like it for one reason or the other. All five members are militarily powerful with full nuclear capabilities.
The UN Security Council does not include world's most powerful nations in the world today. They include Japan, India, Brazil and Germany. Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, is also not represented in the Security Council. There is thus representation from neither the Muslim or Islamic world nor the African continent. The lack of representation of the Muslim world as well as African continent seems deliberate and intentional. Unless the flaws in religious and regional representation in the Security Council are address, there is little hope for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Reforms
The United Nations General Assembly, which meets annually in New York, deliberates and takes important specific course of action for the promotion of basic human rights and the political, economic and social advancement. The General Assembly is the body for deliberations while the Security Council is the organ for action. It is recognized, however, that there are two circumstances under which the General Assembly can make recommendations with respect to the questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, especially the ones concerning a limited number of states.
The first is when the Security Council is not exercising in respect to such questions as regarding its function under the United Nations Charter. The second is when the Security Council requests the General Assembly to consider the questions and make recommendations. According to Article 10 of the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly may discuss any question or any matter within the scope of the United Nations Charter and expect, as provided in Article 12, to recommend to any member of the United Nations or the Security Council or both on any such questions or matter as regards to article 68.
The Economic and Social Council may set up commissions in the social and economic field and in the area of promoting human rights or such commissions as and when they are required in the course of performance of its functions. The architects of the idea that there would be an American empire are a group of brilliant and powerful people who now hold key positions in the Bush administration.
They envisioned the creations and enforcement of what they called Pax Americana or American peace. The idea for this was floated in a report issued in September 2000 by the project for the new American century at this particular time in history as the international security order being very conducive to American interest and ideas. The report stated: "The challenge of this coming century is to preserve and enhance this American peace."
Reforms in the United Nations, especially of the Security Council are necessary to reflect a more equitable geographical representation as well as making the Security Council more responsible towards the general membership. Resistance from a few members, whose own claim of being major power, should not be allowed to stand in the way of reforms in view of the changed global realities.
The issue is not one of enlarging permanent membership but enlarging participation as the Security Council is unrepresentative. The first step reform must be towards increasing the numbers of permanent as well as non-permanent members. The veto system, which is the creation of power politics of the past, must also be reformed with a view to making it face the challenges of the emerging new world order up to the end of the 21st century. The United Nations is the only conducive institution capable of providing the vehicles for the comprehensive and integrated approach to peace and development.
Secretary General Kofi Anan has called to overhaul the world body so it can tackle conflicts, terrorism, poverty and human rights abuses. In a report along with recommendations for sweeping reforms in March, he urged we leaders to "act boldly." A key proposal is to give greater priority to human rights at the UN by creating Human Rights Council that would replace Commission on Human Rights. Annan has also proposed a Peace building Commission to ensure that countries emerging form conflict do not return to fighting. On the question of the Security Council, he has proposed two options- add six permanent seats or increase non-permanent seats. The proposals are to be discussed at the world summit this September.
In this regard, the priority must be according to an agenda for international cooperation based on global partnership for promoting the welfare of mankind as a whole while discrimination on grounds of race, religion, caste and color in the east or west, south or north. The size of the international organization has grown four times than it was during its creation nearly half a century ago. The United Nations has to function in a heterogeneous and multicultural environment. The issues cannot be resolved in the narrow parameters or an overbearing sense of cultural supremacy.
We must learn to honor diversity of opinion and multiplicity of worldviews and perspectives on life and society. It should not impede the efforts made in implementing the genuine resolutions for common shared problems. We must accept new realities, particularly the change of mind after 9/11 and the systematic strategic transformation. After the Iraq war of human liberation from the yolk of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes in favor of human rights and democracy, claim shifts to new vision in the global economy and redistribution of its achievements captured by the West or the so-called developed countries. Thus the present day world requires tolerance and moderation between diverse religions and ethnic communities for the development of human values in the absence of which development efforts of the United Nations will remain sectarian or unaccomplished.
Conclusion
The United Nations efforts to coordinate global support in the Asian tsunami catastrophe has once again proved that the United Nations is only ultimate world organization which can play a pivotal role in all kinds of miseries or at the time of conflicts. It is the only body whose presence is felt all the time in most circumstances all over the world. The graceful action of the United Nations on many occasions and disgraceful actions on some occasions have created illusions that the United Nations needs effective reforms to enhance its performance.
Text courtesy: Journal of Political Science Vol 8, no 3, Tribhuwan University-Ed
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