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WHY DO WE HAVE THE UN?

WHY DO WE HAVE THE UN?

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WHY DO WE HAVE THE UN?

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  1. WHY DO WE HAVE THE UN? THE UN CHARTER: DO IT’S CONTRADICTIONS MAKE IT UNWORKABLE?Paragraph 1:“We the peoples of the United Nations are determined to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”Paragraph 2:The purpose of the UN is to develop “friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.”

  2. WHAT DOES THE UN DO? How does it deal with major inter-state conflict? Avoid war to begin with, permit selective force, coordinate sanctions, coordinate-oversee peacekeeping, facilitate and enforce WMD and other security treaties Why has it locked in a set of “Great Powers” in favor of the west? How does the UN deal with “belligerents” Chapters 6 (ov of peaceful settlement and authority to intervene) and 7 (the UN’s options—blockades, sanctions, force) Why is there no permanent military force at the UN? Where do the troops come from? When is “peacekeeping” used to end conflict? When can the UN use humanitarian intervention to prevent disorder within states? Should such force be reserved for acts of genocide and international sec. circumstances only? What proactive (preventative vs. preemptive) role does the UN—if any—have in stopping nuclear proliferation? What about more general threats to security?

  3. WHAT ELSE DOES THE UN DO? Why do we need a permanent forum where even dictators get their say? What role does the UN play in the recognition of states and “legitimate” groups Can the UN create intl. norms and agreements? Can the UN facilitate development in a way that is different from the World Bank and the IMF? To run the Intl. Court of Justice and prosecute human rights violations? (When do the rules apply?) To deal with ad hoc humanitarian crises? (WHO, World Bank)

  4. HOW DOES THE UN WORK? How does the Security Council function? 5 permanent members; 10 regional (2yr terms) “Great power unanimity” (vetoes) 9/15 rule: Why doesn’t it work? The General Assembly Voting procedures (majority here, but not weighted) 54 member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Regional and functional commissions The General Secretariat (Kofi Annan, 1997 & 2002, to Ban Ki-Moon, 2007) 5-year term (renewable), nominated GA, approval voting in Sec Council 16 thousand employees (about the same as the city of San Antonio, TX) US in 1946 = 40% budget; today we give about 25% (of the $15 b. total budget) By comparison 2007 US military $= $720b; US budget = >3 trillion)

  5. CAN WE MAKE THE UN RUN BETTER? How did we fix America’s Articles of Confed.? Were its problems any different from the UN’s Should be expand the Security Council? Should we end or modify permanent vetoes? Should more power be shifted to the general assembly or a new UN layer? Weighted voting? Democracy? Regional rotation on commissions? A military force and taxation powers? Autonomy for delegates? Do we need to establish rules for domestic intervention?

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