Understanding the constraints of the UN's pivotal role in the international order
The ancestral faults in United Nations contrast with its humanitarian code of conduct. Analysis of the UN’s theoretical background, Veto power and difficulty modernizing demonstrates the organisation’s political agenda in favour of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China, will always undermine social justice. The objective here isn't to shame the United Nations for its current functioning, but to shed light on the environment cornering the organisation. The political entity can’t exist without favouritism of some at all other expense, for its own survival. The UN was built on a faulty foundation and can’t fully reform, rendering it unable to accomplish its textual mission.
Theoretical Setting
How do theories of Intergovernmental Organisations apply to the United Nations?
The liberal international order is a result of The Cold and The World Wars, to avoid mutual destruction between powers involved. The geopolitical project quickly expended and was consequently mishandled into a ‘crisis of purpose’. (Inkberry,2018) Liberal internationalism values are of 5 convictions: open trade and exchange, commitment to loose rules based on relations(multilateralism), security cooperation, possibility of reform, and an expectation of progress in the liberal democratic sense. (Inkberry,2018) To join this western mutual protection society and the organizations working for its goals, one must be aware of the hierarchies involved. The cold war resulted in the United States as hegemonic sponsor of the liberal order, theoretically committed to supervised open world economy. The post-war liberal order was also built around a new permanent international institution: The United Nations. A major intergovernmental multilateral liberalist upholder, the UN easily showcases the discrepancies between the positive intent of equality in its codes and the obstacles in practicality.
Theory exposes international politics as competitive, resulting in a tendency towards resembling competitors. (waltz, 1979) Waltz argues that balance-of-power theory “begins with assumptions about states: They are unitary actors who, at a minimum, seek their own preservation and, at a maximum, drive for universal domination.” (Waltz,1979) Meaning the multilateral approach can only result in a state, or group, striving for universal domination and exerting as central power above the others. The ‘others’ under this managerial power are second class and treated as such. This is crucial to understanding the current circumstances in world conflict and the UN’s difficulty to reform despite complaints from member states, corrigibility ideals aside. Diesing and Downs further clarify: the highest concern in political decision making isn’t to achieve members’ goals but to ensure continuity and sustainability of the organization. (Diesing, 1962; Downs, 1967) It doesn’t matter that head powers of the United Nations are losing political influence. It matters less that members, scholars, critiques, are screaming for reform. Populations needs and uncountable war casualties are equally insignificant. The united Nations was built to eternally live as proof of P5 dominance; that surpasses all. If the liberal powers weren’t so selfish in purpose, the organization wouldn’t be able to exist. But it is impossible to practice an ‘all men are created equal in international rights’ ideal when the death of some matters more than the others’ based on nationality. It’s equally unimaginable to reach theoretical values of equality and peace when some states’ interests prevail. This essay argues that the United Nations was created on faulty foundations, rendering written political and ideological goals unachievable; theories on international politics, multilateral liberalism and political anarchy demonstrate so along Veto powers.
United Nations VETO Implications
What does VETO allocation mean for all member states?
Unless all political institutions purposefully collaborate to reform United Nations defects, its adequacy to protect humanity from global holocaust will remain questioned and, counterproductively, inflate tensions. Many international relations scholars argue that the UN’s anarchial veto powers are the main force disturbing peace initiatives meant to salvage global crises. Why were veto powers established? What’s the purpose of this arbitrary utensil? Why do the states that possess this power “deserve” it when others didn’t? Most importantly, why actively avoid reform despite modernism and western loss of power?
Article 27 of the United Nations Organization grants the five permanent member states of the Security Council, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China, authority to oppose all Security Council resolutions. It was birthed at the United Nations Funding Conference (UNFC) of 1944, debated from 1944 to1946, resulting in constitution. The purpose of article 27 was reduction and potential halt of post war looming tensions, as states misconception and misperceptions jeopardize global peace and security. The powerful P5 all possess nuclear weapons that could engender nuclear warfare and exterminate mankind. (Greenstock, 2008) Consequently, self-ambitions of the P5 is the endemic charge bedevilling the international relations scene, as most conflicts have been prompted, intensified, prolonged by veto power. The veto was used in these trends until 2016:
Even now, Russia has used the Veto power most often to undermine Ukrainian aid during the Russo- Ukrainian war. The chart exposes Veto is utilized to support respective allies or undermine enemies in major and ongoing conflicts. In 1946, when the veto system was introduced and bestowed on the P5, the integrity and efficacy of the United Nations were unfairly given to specific powers despite core UN international liberalist values; but a world of unbiased international relations is unrealistic. Core International politics theories disagree on the possibilities, opening the eye on foundational realities of the United Nations. Yes, the goal may be prevalence of liberalism, peace, and internationalism but only achieved through securing 20th century powers’ supremacy and upheaval for as long as possible. In fairness, if weaker member states of the UN didn’t benefit in some way, the organization wouldn’t have expanded as drastically as it did. Multilateral systems like the UN are preferred because self-help systems indicate those who do not help themselves(effectively) are susceptible to danger and hardly prosper. “In a competition for the position of leader, band-wagoning is sensible behaviour where gains are possible even for the losers and where losing does not place their security in jeopardy. Externally, states work harder to increase their own strength, or they combine with others, if they are falling behind.” (waltz, 1979) Important to notice, weaker states believe they benefit from being part of the organization because it is better than feigning for themselves and struggling alone. Yet the notion of security in this quote is to be questioned. Since the higher powers have built a system that caters to them and their allies only, weaker states benefit from funding and military support but remain at war and are often stuck in conflict cycles. Those states signed a contract to eternally have less than what is written they deserve, but just enough help to survive. African states are granted three non-permanent representatives, one for Western Europe and Other Group (WEOG), one for Latin America and Caribbean Group (LACG), two for The Asian Group (TAG), and two for The Western European Group (TWEG). It is no coincidence the world's most prominent international organizations (the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Group of Twenty (G20), and the International Criminal Court (ICC)) have those 5 nations as key members. Interests of less valued regions are side-lined and never truly represented. (Blessing and Sheriff,2018) Ironically, most materials useful for global economic growth originate from non-western regions. Vetoes don’t exist without alliances. As such, developing countries often suffer from dictatorship, despotism and hegemony. Democracies don’t fight democracies but conflict is tolerated for undemocratic states, cornered as such by the system. As Northadge states “Any global system which only believes that a particular part of the globe, either developing or underdeveloped, is only suitable for the extraction and exploration of raw materials needed for global economic growth and sustainable development, but considers it not suitable enough to partake in the global decision making, can never be credible enough to adequately pilot the global affairs in a way that would save humanity from global threats to peace and security”. (Northadge,1976)
UN Difficulty to adapt
Why does the organisation struggle to adapt to today's demands?
The following fault in the United nations is its in-adaptability to fast changing society, especially considering the oppressive times the organization was built in. Policy neglecting minorities and their respective intersectionality is rooted in how gender equality was a revolutionary idea when the United Nations were established. In 1945, less than 50% of nations allowed women to vote. While the United States dominated the liberal international order, women locally were restricted from all aspects of life including employment, credit, criminal justice system, jury service etc. (Defeis,2011) Added intersectionality like race and class are in the mix, it is obvious the United Nations was well established before women were treated as valuable members of society. The United Nations, an organization created to promote equality, peace, and non-discrimination was built in a discriminatory society and the sequels remain visible today. Although, there have been great improvements in human rights worldwide with decolonization (1960), civil rights movements, 1975 as the year of the woman and great strides over following decades. Despite, United Nations’ weakness remains highlighted in today’s constitution on many matters; women’s rights included. Reservation to human rights treaties and CEDAW have been an obstacle. For example, in the conflict between Sharia law and the convention, sharia law prevails, leaving women in typically traditionalist countries as lawful matrimonial properties or unequal to men under the justification of “deep-rooted nature of some traditional customs and practices” (Defeis, 2011) The convention has been judged for ineffective implementation, weak language, ineffective reporting system. The committee also only meets yearly, for 2 weeks, and has low budget allocated. (Defeis, 2011) The committee recently refused advocacy for equity in the debate about gender equality vs gender equity. The decision has been critiqued because gender equality implies an ignorance of difference in realities between men and women. The textually improvable nature of the addressed international body is regrettably undermined by inability to enforce mandates. The UN is due to respect state sovereignty; they can only retaliate with recommendations or in-organizational sanctions. Martial politics, once again, prevail.
“power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Acton,1887)
Theory deduction, veto implications and in-adaptability outline the UN’s failures to complete its goals. The United nations is unlike other international systems and accessories (treaties, power balance, alliances, diplomatic security) because its conduct and procedures are against arbitrary abuse. Yet in practice, the system can’t exist without hierarchy and anarchy. The peaceful and humanitarian ambition will therefore remain unattainable, an unreachable utopia rooted in theological ideals facing unforgiving realities. P5 nations ultimately establish what conflicts construct actionable threats to international peace and security by exercising their power. The system can’t be reversed but it can be improved. Permanent membership could be allocated to new powers for diversification of political interests. Or permanent membership and veto can be separated for an extra couple of seats, meaning there would be 2 non-permanent member states as extras with veto power for a limited time period. Allowing a rotation of power would improve global political setting and afford most the yearnings for equal rights and decision-making opportunities. UN reform is crucial for its survival.
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