Is the U.N still relevant? To what extent can it effectively adapt and reform to deal with challenges such as human rights, peaceful conflict resolution, terrorism, and genocide? Discuss with reference to course readings and lecture notes.
Intro:
* The UN was established at the end of ww2
* Its main purpose: maintaining international peace and security
* Un charter: refers to the needs and interests of peoples
* The UN remains to be relevant however it tends to be flawed in many ways possible
Although there are many flaws to the UN, it remains to be relevant due to the crucial consolidating role it played in, promotion and development of public international law, defence of the universality of human rights, dissemination of new ...view middle of the document...
However,
Most of the UN's political operations, including peacekeeping, answer to the Security Council.
Security Council made up 15 states. Decisions to be made by majority of 9 out of 15.
The ones who get things done veto
5 five permanent members have Veto (the US, Britain, France, USSR -later Russia, and China)
problem : biases and values towards the west
theres political decentralization and that worries us due to the fact that societies have different norms and values, historical experience, we have diverging interests
where’s the cohesiveness
* the way someone attains the position of SG anan – from Ghana America thought he could help and work with them – so there is a lot of politics involved with choosing the SG – we want someone who takes the initiatives on matters like the genocide
* question of legitimacy --- programs like the unicef and their claims --- the need for transparency – in order for you to trust you must have the information : ex; tsunami one third of the money went to beracracy
* Yes we do need a global international effort, but it lacks transparency, accountability and -- -we need to do that to maximize its impact
Problems with SG:
- There is a tension between what each powerful state wants and what the intl community can do.
The SG must reconcile the interests of multiple actors.
Issues from genocide to global trade, to ensure the observance of international law and measure the power of a self-interested Security Council that is driven by the selfish interests of its members.
Role: Is the UN a site where states gather to do their business or is the SG and the UN staff influential actors in their own right.
solutions : change the sc , adding more players to the table
