The United Nations (UN) is a global organisation, and it was meant to be that since the time of its establishment. It is the byproduct of the wartime alliance, which after the world war, did not want to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors and created the UN as a platform for diplomacy and dialogue between countries. Hence, it is clearly unmistakable that the UN was born from and is now responsible for preventing global conflicts.
The UN is a significant organisation as it provides the opportunity for mediation and arbitration at the same time, regardless of the country. The UN today addresses problems ranging from human rights abuses to conflict resolutions and controlling diseases. However, all is not perfect for the UN, and if it wants to stay relevant, then it will have to change some of its procedures in these fast-changing times.
The P5 countries created the United Nations in 1945 after the second world war. The P5 countries are the U.S.A, Britain, France, China and the U.S.S.R (Russia). The main aim of the organisation is to prevent another global conflict, and these five countries formed the security council and are given the power of veto according to the UN charter. The veto has often caused a situation of paralysis and indecision in situations of grave concern like Srebrenica and Syria.
Currently, the most effective way of enforcement for the UN is through sanctions on rogue states and intervention through peacekeeping forces. Both of these options have been exercised regularly in cases of hostile states like North Korea and Iran or war-torn countries like Syria, Yemen and Sudan. However, the use of sanctions especially in the past decade seems to be more ineffective than ever before and almost like an empty threat as these countries still get away with their actions and are often supported by other countries that protect them.
Whereas, the UN peacekeeping forces have been more effective while curbing conflict, but ultimately they have not been allowed to enter as many countries believe it harms their sovereignty. Also, some troops provided are not properly trained and suited to the hostile environment where they might have to serve. Hence, the UN will need to make sure there are tougher sanctions imposed with greater authority for it to be taken seriously.
The peacekeeping forces are a combination of forces from member countries, and for greater enforcement, there needs to be a standing army for the UN which can independently act on the secretary general’s direction and not the member countries alone. This needs to be realised by the P5 countries, and if they do not adapt and welcome changes that make the UN stronger as a standalone body, then the purpose of the UN might never be fulfilled.
The UN needs to be less dependent on member countries and have the power to act on its own to keep countries under check. The UN security council also requires a reform since the Achilles heel of the UN has been indecisiveness and a slow reaction to pressing situations. The security council needs to have more representation in terms of permanent members with countries like India, Germany and Japan deserving a seat in the council. Moreover, there needs to be greater control on the use of the veto by the P5 with at least some sort of restriction on its use in a stipulated period.
Additionally, the UN also works on humanitarian aid and development through its agencies which have done some really effective work in the past two decades, especially with regards to disease control and refugee help. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been termed as the greatest idea by many people. However, the implementation of this declaration has not been smooth as violations continue in all countries around the world, including the P5 countries themselves who have often put nationalistic aims above the UN and its aims.
Moreover, this is only due to the lack of enforcement in these member countries as people are now getting aware of human rights. This has been an inherent problem of the UN ever since its inception as its ideas are fantastic, but the implementation is not. The council can only recommend something and not enforce it, and it applies to other UN departments like the ICJ (International Court of Justice) as well.
The UN also works on the development of living standards and sustainable development for developing economies. Hence, the UN also has its sustainable development goals which have been designed well and are important for countries to follow. However, again, the underlying issues of the UN which need to be resolved for the future are highlighted — The lack of enforcement and accountability from countries. The UN itself is a unique platform and has been successful at averting many crises and conflicts around the world.
In times of increasing nationalism, the UN needs to have greater control and only then will it be able to stay relevant and serve its purpose, well into the future and in an ever-changing world. The UN does not need to revolutionise itself, but rather evolve by strengthening its powers and operating at its full potential.
Featured image for representational purposes only.