UNITED NATIONS AND GLOBAL CONFLICTS

1. UNITED NATIONS AND GLOBAL CONFLICTS MADAN YADAV DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE,MAC

2. AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW • The United Nations is an international institution founded in 1945. • It is currently made up of 193 Member States. • The UN is an association of sovereign states who have bound themselves by a charter to maintain global peace and security. • UN is an instrumentality which the victorious nations in Second World War established in 1945 having view several high goals and aspirations. • The UN is a political experiment on the largest possible scale and of the greatest complexity and difficulty after WW-II in global politics. • The Delegates of 50 governments convened on April 25, 1945 in the Opera House in San Francisco, they expected to create a new world organization. • League of Nations emerged from the First World War, so the United Nations is product of the Second World War.

3. League of Nation was the brain child of the President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S, which was based on the 14 points. • League of Nation was founded in 1919, it was assumed that all of the states in the world would join and membership would be universal. • Both the failure to obtain universality of membership and unwillingness of some states to renounce war as a means of policy conflicted with the fundamental principles of league. • League lacked the cooperation of some of the major powers. • The next major step towards international organistaion consisted of of a joint declaration by the adherence to the ‘Atlantic Charter’, plus China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and some Latin American states.

4. Signed by 26 governments, this” Declaration of the United Nations” stated that the Atlantic Charter would be viewed as a common programme for the allied states. • Its signatories pledged to give each other full support in the war efforts and not to conclude a separate peace or armistice. • Groping towards the details of new international institutions intensified during 1943. The “ Declaration of Moscow” by foreign ministers of US, UK, and Soviet Union as significant step, it was later signed by China. • The new international organistaion got focal point at the “Tehran Conference, 1943. This was attended by Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt. • “Dumbarton Oask Conference” (Washington), the most significant planning effort took place from August to October 1944. During this conference, where plans made in the U.S Department of State furnished the basis of discussion, the principles of the United Nations. • Today, We know as ‘United Nations’ , were formulated and approved by the U.S, the UK, the USSR and China.

5. “Yalta Conference” in February 1945, agreed to a system of trusteeship. It was dealt by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. • The United Nations Conference on International Organization opened on 25th April 1945, in San Francisco and ended on 26 July 1945, with agreement on the United Nations Charter, the constitutional document of the new institution. • The United Nation is global organization and has different organs and a number of specialized agencies. The purposes of the UN, as given in the Charter in Artcle-1 are four, -: • Maintenance of international peace and security • Development of the friendly relations among nations • International cooperation in solving problems of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character, promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom, and • Centre for harmonizing the action of nations to achieve the above ends.

6. The United Nation is global organization and has different organs and a number of specilaised agencies, all of which will be found in ultimate analysis directly and indirectly contributing towards the maintenance of world peace. The purposes of the UN, as given in the Charter in Artcle-1 are four, • Maintenance of international peace and security • Development of the friendly relations among nations • International cooperation in solving problems of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character, promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom, and • Centre for harmonizing the action of nations to achieve the above ends.

7. PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES • The power realities of the post war were reflected in the UNO in 1945, at the same time as the Charter purposes and principles allowed for living institution to adopt itself to dynamic world. It was bipolar world led by US and USSR had agreed to cooperate through prescriptions of documents which reflected the traditional concert system. • The first declared objective of the UN is ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind’ and towards this end ‘to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and institution of methods, that armed forces shall not be used, save in common interests……’ To attain these goals, the Charter laid down some prescriptions and set up an enforcement machinery…….B.S Murty.

8. STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS • The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, The Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, The International Court of Justice and the UN Secretariat. All were established in 1945.All specialized agencies ILO,UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP,UNHCHR and the UN program and funds.

9. GENERAL ASSEMBLY • Every member of the UN has a seat and one vote in the General Assembly. It hold regular sessions each year between September, and many meet at the other times in special or emergency session. • According to Article 10 of the Charter, the General Assembly may discuss any matter within scope of the Charter, itself broad constitutional document, or matters relating to the powers and functions of any other organ including maintenance of international peace and security, Budgetary matters and admission of new members etc.

10. SECURITY COUNCIL • It has 5 permanent members (P-5) (US, UK, France, Russia, and China) and 10 non permanent members. • Under UN charter, Permanent members have primary responsibility to maintain global peace and security. • The Security Council has both conciliatory and coercive powers. • Article 33 has provided privilege to try to find settlement by means of negotiations, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, or regional organizations as well as other peaceful means of their choice. • Under Chapter VI of the Charter, the Security Council may help in such conciliatory efforts and may take initiatives in making recommendations for settlements when a dispute is put before it as an issue that, if not resolved , may threaten to peace.

11. The Security Council may legally take stronger action under Chapter VII of the Charter. • It may recommended provisional measures or move directly to call on member states to apply diplomatic and economic sanctions (Article 40 and 41). • The Veto power –P-5 has veto power

12. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL • It is principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendation on economic, social and environmental issues. • It has 54 members, elected by General Assembly for overlapping three years terms. • ECOSOC has very broad jurisdiction related to the general welfare, and the underlying conditions of peace. • It has power to make recommendations to the UN members, other organizations,, and to the specialized agencies associated with the UN. • It reports to the General Assembly annually, and send most of its resolutions to that organ for approval.

13. ECOSOC has right to initiate the formation of new international organizations to promote the general welfare and it intended to coordinate the work of such specialized agencies, including some of that had been founded under the auspices of the League of Nations. • It concludes agreements with such agencies as Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO. • It is also UN’s central platform for reflection, debate, innovative thinking on sustainable development.

14. THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE • International Court of Justice established by the Charter of the United Nations as the principal judicial organ. • Its seat is at the Peace Palace in Hague(Netherland). • It began work in 1946, when it replaced the Permanent Court of International Justice which had functioned in the Peace Palace since 1922. • The Court has dual role: to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by states , and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies. • The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine years terms of office by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council sitting independently of each other. • Elections are held every three years for one third of the seats. • Members of the Court do not represent their government but are independent magistrates.

15. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION • ILO is special organization of the UN that regulates labor relations. • The ILO was created in the 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WW-I, based in Geneva since 1920. • ILO is devoted to promoting Social Justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. • The main objectives are:- • Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and right at work • Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income. • Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue.

16. UNESCO • UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is specialized agency of the United Nation System that promotes collaboration among members countries, • Its Constitution stated that “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. • The constitution was adopted by London Conference in November 1945, and entered into effect on the 4th November 1946 when 20 states had deposited instruments of acceptance. Its headquarters in Paris. • The main objective of UNESCO is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture, and communication in order to further universal respect for justice and rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion.

17. WHO • When diplomats met to form UN in 1945, one of the things they discussed was setting up global health organization. WHO’s constitution came into force on 7th April 1948- a date celebrate every year as World Health Day. • WHO is working in more than 150 country offices, in 6 regional offices and headquarter based in Geneva. • “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”-WHO Constitution. • The overall objectives and goals of WHO are :- • Human survival and healthy livelihoods are the ultimate goal and true measures of success of humanitarian assistance. • To restore the delivery and access to preventive and curative health care quickly as possible and in the sustainable manner.

18. UNICEF • UNICEF, United Nations International Children Emergency Fund is one of best noted global institution as a well administered, streamlined organization of the UNO. • UNICEF was established by the General Assembly in 1946, to provide special aid to children, who has suffered from WW-II. • UNICEF supports governments and civil society in some 155 countries to implement UN Convention on the Rights of Child and other global standards, headquarter based in New York. • UNICEF’s rule of law work includes support to child rights legislative reforms, justice for children, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups.; monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children as per Security Council resolution 1612; and protection against abuse, exploitation, and violence including trafficking and sexual and gender based violence etc.

19. UNDP • UNDP-United Nations Developing Programme is the UN’s global development network- an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people to build a better life. • UNDP works to assist national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges, considering rule of law an indispensible factor for the enhancement of human development challenges and reduction of conflict, poverty and insecurity. • UNDP has focused on the supporting strategic planning for successful justice and security reforms, including through developing guidance on assessing needs and capacities and measuring impacts. • UNDP’s global programme ‘Accelerating Access to justice for human development (lunched in 2009) focus on strengthening nad expanding UNDP’s ongoing engagements and contribution to rule of law and access to justice services particularly for poor and vulnerable people.

20. UNEP • As a result of the Stockholm Conference (1972), the General Assembly established the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to monitor significant changes in environmental practices. • The UNEP is leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within United Nations system. • It headquarter in Nairobi. • UNEP played a major role in making ozone protection. Environmental policy is immensely complicated • The main goals of UNEP –to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. • UNEP focus in the filed of Climate change, Disaster sand Conflicts, Eco system managements, Environmental governance, minimize the impacts of Chemical & Waste, Resource efficiency and Green Economy Initiatives (GEI).

21. UNHCR • UNHCR –The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee was established on 14th December 1950 by UN General Assembly. • It was positive outcome to creation of international standard for the treatment of human beings around the world. • Concern with human rights became an integral part of the new United Nations System. The UN made its first milestone step of practical implications of human rights with adoption of the Universal declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948. • The main objectives of UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well beings of refugee. Using 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention as its major tool to ensure the international protection of uprooted people worldwide. • UNHCR promotes international Refugee agreements, helps states established asylum structures and acts as an international watchdog over refugee issues.

22. PEACE KEEPING, PEACE MAKING,AND ENFORCEMENT AND PEACE BUILDING AND RESPONSBILTY TO PROTECT • There has been a tacit transition from the concept of collective security, as set out in Chapter VII of the UN Charter to a more realistic idea of peace keeping. The idea that conventional military methods or, to put it bluntly, war can be used by or on behalf of the United Nations to counter aggression and secure peace, seems now to be rather impractical”.( UN Secretary General U. Thant, 1963). • The UN represents an attempt to create the most effective instrument ever designed to maintain international peace and security. Peacekeeping operation make up part of what Hammarskjold called “preventive diplomacy”. Peacekeeping involves interventions by the UN in conflicts that were marginal to Cold War and also continued in the different part of the world after post Cold War era.

23. Peace keeping operations are operations of a military, Para military or non military character, which are to be conducted by UN for maintenance of international peace and security with the exception of enforcement action under Chapter VII. These operations undertaken at the invitation of and with the consent of the parties to the crisis. There is no obligation on other member states to give contributions in the form of personnel or money. • Uniting for peace resolution was first applied to the Korean Issue that impelled its creation. The peacekeeping forces grew out of the ‘Swez crises in 1956.

24. MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALs • MDGs- The leaders of 189 countries signed the historic millennium declaration at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, at that time eight goals that called MDGs with measurable target and clear deadlines for improving lives of the world’s poorest people. • The 8 MDGs were set to target achievement date of 2015 – 1)Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, 2) Achieve Universal Primary Education, 3)Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, 4) Reduce Child Mortality, 5) Improve Maternal Health, 6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, 7) Ensure Environmental Sustainability and 8) Develop a global partnership for development.

25. The Programe were formulated at the country level to adress national MDG and related development priorities that form part of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the common strategic framework that guides operational activities of the UN system at the country level. • More than 25 UN Agencies were involved in the formulation and implementation of MDGs joint Programme. This methodology stimulated more effective and comprehensive approach that build on the value added of each specialized Agencies.

26. MAJOR GLOBAL CONFLICTS SINCE WW-II • KOREAN WAR • VIETNAM WAR • AFGHANISTAN WAR • BALKANS: SERBIA AND BOSNIA

27. KOREAN WAR • Korean War (1950-1953) was the first major armed clash. • The Invasion of South Korea by North Korea was the first international crisis since the WW-II and the first crisis since the United Nations was created. • The Korean War set the precedent for future disputes and credible future role of UN. • UN Security Council passed the Korean resolution but China more than USSR encouraged North Korea to go to war. However they perceived war differently. • The Security Council had decided under Article 39 that a breach of the peace had occurred and called upon North Korea to withdraw its forces. • But, in reality it was the President Truman planned to send American troops to support South Korea without approval of Congress.

28. China, USSR and US were sending military aid before the UN resolution. US was sending more aid to South Korea than USSR and China together . • Resolution was passed due to Britain and France supported to US. but, China, North Korea and US were really pro war. • It is interesting facts that USSR did not veto the UN resolution calling for measures against Korea, especially Stalin did not war(Khruschchev claimed later) . This shows that his contempt for the UN was greater than his desire to avoid war. • The Soviet Union and US were already supplying Korea before resolution was passed. therefore, situation was very dangerous because of this ,and as the League of Nation had proved the international organization was not important for countries!

29. VIETNAM WAR • The Vietnam war was the longest and most unpopular war. • The Vietnam war was protracted and bloody. The Hanoi govt. estimates that in 21 years of fighting , 4 million civilian killed across North and South Vietnam, and 1.1 million Communist fighter died. • The period that American refers to as the “Vietnam War” – and Vietnamese calls the “American War” –was the US military interventions from 1965 to 1973. • U.S was driven by Cold War concerns about the ideological pattern of communism, particularly “Domino Theory” – idea that if one Asian nation fell to the leftist ideology, others would quickly follow. • The resolution was never passed on Vietnam War in UN Security Council, as both China and US has no respect for UN.

30. AFGHANISTAN WAR • Afghanistan hit world headlines in 1979. • Russian paratroops landed in Kabul on 25th December 1979, installing puppet regime. • BabrakKamal installed as ruler, backed by USSR. But, opposition intensifies with various mujahedeen fighting Soviet forces. • US, China, Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia supply money and arms to mujahedeen in Afghanistan in early1980s. • U.S begins supplying ‘Stinger Missiles’ to rebel mujahedeen, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Barack Kamal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet backed regime. • UN Security Council consider a response to Soviet intervention, but draft resolution was not passed ,because USSR used ‘Veto’ in early 1980. • UN General Assembly held an Emergency Special Session on Afghnaistan from 10th January to 14 January 1980.

31. UN General Assembly adopted a series of resolutions for end of the conflict throughout 1980s. • UN General Assembly also began separate consideration of human rights situations in Afghanistan in 1985. The first annual resolution on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan was adopted on 13 December 1985. (resolution 40/137). • USSR, Afghanistan, US and Pakistan signed peace accord and USSR begins pulling out in 1988. • Red Army (Soviet troops) leave in 1989, but civil war continues. • Najibullah’s government toppled , but devastating civil war follows in Afghanistan in 1992.

32. BALKANS: SERBIA AND BOSNIA • The formor Yugoslavia was torn by a brutal war (1991-1995) between the different ethnic groups contending for dominance in a post Communist world. • It was civil war between Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats, and Muslim Bosniacs. • The War started because the Bosnian Croats wanted to live in Croatia, the Bosnian Muslims in a sovereign Bosnia, and the Bosnian Serbs in Serbia, the number of people in each ethnic group that wanted and wants otherwise is negligible. • The failure of the UN to stop killing in Bosnia seriously compromised its credibility as its 50th anniversary in 1995. • The UN already had UNPROFOR (United Nation Protection Force) troops in Sarajevo at the outset of war because it was their base of operation for the UN mission in Croatia.

33. The UN hoped that their presence would discourage the spread of conflicts from Croatia to Bosnia. But, when Sarajevo came under attack by Serb artillery in April 1992,the UN forces pulled out to avoid causalities., leaving behind only a small and lightly armed contingent ‘peacekeepers’ to discourage the attacks by Serbians nationalists. There to was clearly no peace to keep. • As the situation deteriorated , creating a humanitarian nightmare, the UN struck a deal with the Serbs to control the Sarajevo airport. In reality, the Serbs only allowed the UN to use the airport under de facto Serb control. • The UN personnel were well aware of massive violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed by Bosnians Serbs nationalist, yet did nothing. • Wrenching scenes were broadcast around the world showing hundreds of emancipated men and women behind barbed wire, their eyes hollows from hunger and despair. They never succeed in protecting civilians from attack, the UN took seriously its obligation to investigate the war crimes, genocides, and crime against –humanity in the former Yugoslavia and established the ICJ.

34. UNO: REFORMS AND PROCESS OF REFORMS • The UN is numerouno institution in global politics. The global scenario has changed after Cold War in international relations. • Change is inevitable process. Reforms is essential part of growth and dynamic process of any credible global institutions • The objectives of UN is the global cooperation. There is big scope for democratic reforms and revitalization of UN system in 21st century. • The attitudes of great powers i.e P-5 need to be taken into account because whether or not the reforms involve formal charter amendments, the P-5 votes in Security Council count. • The quest foe efficiency, viability and cost effectiveness has been a continuing process from the very inception of the UN system. • The Demand for reforms and reorganization is need of hour in the era of interdependence and interconnected world in 21st century.

35. The objective analysis indicates that the framework of the UN is based on the hard realities of international politics and not on ‘fallacious notions’ as an expert ignoramus would have us believe. • The International community, as represented in the UN , is standing today at crossroads. • Growing North –South conflict has significant impact on reforms and reorganization of UNO. • It is regrettable that most of the studies on the current crisis of the UN system have failed to extend due recognisation of the real questions- the equitable sharing of international economic management etc. • The crisis of the existing new global (dis) order is clearly apparent. But , the shape of the new order is still out of sight? • Privatized peacekeepers and outsourcing war have significantly growing in international relations of global conflicts. But, the role of UNO system is marginalized?

36. THANK YOU