Outdated structure of the United Nations: Increased prospects of global conflict

“The United Nations was created not to lead mankind to heaven but to save humanity from hell. Decades after, his words still ring true”

Without a doubt, as far as the prospects of lasting world peace are concerned, these are trying times. For several weeks now, the United States of America has significantly toughened its opposition to further missile tests by North Korea so much so that about 24 hours ago, it announced the full deployment a Missile Defence Systems in neighbouring South Korea. In reaction, China called for a halt to further deployments in the region. Some days prior to this, the United States had also dispatched one of its largest aircraft carriers to the region. A couple of weeks before that, about 80 civilians were reportedly killed as a result of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. While the parties to that conflict continued to trade blame as to who was actually responsible for such an outrageous conduct, the rest of the world watched in trepidation as fears of the outbreak of world war three increased.

Firstly, the United States acting on intelligence which according to it identified the Syrian government as being responsible for the attack, launched missiles at a Syrian Air Force base. Shocked at this challenge to its interests in the region, owing to its relations with the Syrian regime, Russia issued a statement warning against further attacks. If it was felt that a hurriedly arranged meeting between the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Russian Foreign Secretary, Sergey Lavrov on the one hand, and between Mr. Tillerson and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, would help ease the tension, such hopes evaporated into thin air when after the second meeting Mr.Tillerson addressed the Press and stated amongst other as follows:

“There is a low level of trust between our countries,…The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship.”

Since the above stated events, the world has moved more towards the prospects of another global conflict. Yet the most worrying is the fact that these events are occurring 72 years since the establishment of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organisation set up to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict. With a membership of 193 its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict.

However there is a widespread belief that the United Nations has failed in its mandate. Before the current events, critics had pointed to the failure of the United Nations to prevent conflict in several parts of the world and particularly its failure to intervene in the genocide in Rwanda as indicative of its inability to meet with demands of an ever changing world. Addressing the subject, the Japan Times made the following observations:

(a)          Outdated structure

The same five countries — the victors of World War II — have been the power players since 1945: the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. They are the only permanent members of the powerful, 15-seat Security Council. Each has veto power, which has led to near-paralysis at the council on some major crises like Syria and Ukraine. Since 1982, the US has used its security council veto to block resolutions critical of Israel 35 times while in recent times Russia and China have used their vetoes to block UN intervention in Syria.

Critics say the council simply does not represent the world today. At its inception, the U.N. had 51 member states. It now has 193, many of them clamoring for more clout. All countries are represented in the General Assembly, but that body can only pass nonbinding resolutions. Germany, Japan, India, South Africa, Nigeria and Brazil are often mentioned as countries deserving of permanent Security Council seats.

(b)          Unwieldy organisation

The U.N. has become a sprawling system with 15 autonomous agencies, 11 semi-autonomous funds and programs, and numerous other bodies. There is no central entity to oversee them all. The secretary-general, currently Ban Ki-moon, can try to coordinate their actions but he has no authority over many of them.

The cumbersome structure was recently blamed for the World Health Organization’s delay in recognizing the Ebola epidemic. The WHO’s country directors in Africa report to the Africa regional director, not WHO headquarters in Geneva. And the WHO’s director in Geneva does not report to the secretary-general in New York.

(c)           Increasing demands

The U.N. is almost constantly asking its member states to contribute troops for its far-flung peacekeeping missions, currently numbering 16. The number of peacekeepers has risen to a record 130,000 — compared to 11,000 at the end of the Cold War — but the system is under severe strain. More than 100 peacekeepers have died this year and dozens have been taken captive.

The world’s refugee population has soared amid a growing list of humanitarian crises. The U.N. refugee agency is trying to help over 51 million people forced from their homes and displaced inside or outside their country, the highest figure since the U.N. began collecting those data in the early 1950s. The U.N. humanitarian office is tackling a record of four top-level emergencies — in Africa and the Mideast — as well as Ebola.

(d)          Unreliable funding

Raising money is a constant problem with so many crises vying for the world’s attention. Many U.N. agencies and humanitarian operations are funded by voluntary contributions, and appeals aren’t getting enough donations. On Monday, the World Food Program suspended a food voucher program serving more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees after many donors failed to meet their commitments.

All 193 member states contribute to the U.N.’s regular budget and a separate peacekeeping budget, but some countries are chronically behind on their payments. In early November, members owed about $3.5 billion for regular operations and peacekeeping.

(e)          Political horse-trading

There is widespread behind-the-scenes jockeying for top jobs in the U.N. Secretariat and U.N. agencies, not to mention seats on key bodies like the Human Rights Council and the Security Council. Every country belongs to a regional group that lobbies to ensure it is well represented. There is often criticism that those who get the seats are not the best qualified, such as dictatorships elected to the rights council.

The world still remembers the colossal loss which World War Two brought about. Millions of lives and property valued at Billions of dollars were lost.  The devastation brought upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki after nuclear bombs were dropped on them is well documented. The world cannot afford any such conflict at this time. The United Nations was set up with great ideals of world peace. I do not see why those ideals and objectives should not serve as guides towards a reform of its systems and operations. Humanity demands these reforms. Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary General of the  body stated that the United Nations “was created not to lead mankind to heaven but to save humanity from hell.” Decades after, his words still ring true!

AARE AFE BABALOLA SAN, CON