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| A BROKEN ORGANIZATION |
What''ll happen if World War III commenced today--nothing but the USA AND RUSSIA would veto each other's resolutions to shred our dear planet Earth to its last atoms while the UNSC relishes the entire phenomena, maybe with a tub of popcorn, who knows! Such has been the utter descent of the security council that they're, most possibly, beyond the event horizon of this black hole named VIOLENCE. The United Nations Security Council has failed miserably in its primary goal of preventing conflicts and fostering peace across the World thanks to its troubled veto system, vested geopolitical interests, and a feeble enforcement mechanism.
| https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bih8qmnXfQVZ5fSfm3GHv |
The veto framework of the UNSC is, without a speck of doubt, faulty to its very core foundation. Its very formation was set in light of a World War and the tone it had set was not of worldwide peace but that of worldwide domination by the allied forces which is further proven by the creation of the United Nations Security Council with only five permanent members and that too by not paying any heed to the pivotal necessity of coming up with an equal representation for mere sake of dealing effectively with diverse social issues and cultural aspects.
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| Uneven representation in the UNSC |
An expert perfectly quoted,"in the case of religious representation, we do not see a Muslim country as a permanent member. In the case of geography, we do not see a permanent member from the African continent."
The veto system's utter injustice towards the underrepresented and utterly unrepresented is not the only thing that makes this a major obstacle in the way of delivering mankind the peace they so dread. The fact that it was incorporated with the 'notion' of taking quick and effective action without getting involved into military intervention is quite laughable, not for democratic interests though, which are brutally slaughtered every time a collective notion is hampered by a single objection. That makes the situation quite resembling a lost battle for anyone in support of the veto system, as on one way the very giving out of exceptional powers to a few selected power-hungry nations is in itself quite ridiculous and in the other hand the assassination of democracy by allowing any of those five members to permanently pause the implementation of any act pushed forward by the majority of the Security Council members. " We need to be able to break the gridlock that too often stymies progress and blocks consensus on the council. We need more voices and more perspectives at the table."(Joe Biden, [2023]) "The world has changed. Our institutions have not...We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions do not reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem."(Antonio Guterres, [2023])
From the communist states' boycott of the security council to the USA's abrupt neglect of international norms, UNSC's ever persisting inherently internal and integrated geo-political rivalries that result in widespread and a remarkably painful human suffering and loss of fertile land, property, and most importantly the inevitable but
unexpected disillusionment brought forth by the unofficial promotion of enmity by the so-called 'world leaders'. People are deemed to suffer the wrath of the numerous erroneously taken decisions of the UNSC and its paramount abundance of Geo-political tug-of-war in which neither may win nor lose but the people are, just like the unfortunate rope, destined to suffer. Who has got the right to direct them to pains unbearable and misery that was never meant for them? And if not for them, for whom else's sake do we have the UNSC? From the Rwandan genocide to the still persisting Syrian Civil War, UNSC's failure to prove its worth in this world of conflicts is as striking as its broken system which infected by geo-political interests which are to the member states apparently more important and precious than millions of human beings who are being subjected to these, -- these heinously barbaric acts of vested political greed and a seduction of power and influence.
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| MUZAFFAR SALMAN/Reuters/LANDOv |
These are not merely historical facts and lores of the past events. These are those that are often portrayed as inevitable to human civilization as it marches ahead. Really? Is this how humanity is supposed to perish and suffer in all the grotesque ways imaginable? These powerful entities have made UNSC a puppet with no consciousness of its own and there is but the only way which is either free this puppet or make it kick the bucket. Humans deserve better-- something that's not as imbecile as the UNSC, something that doesn't aim at conquering but at containing and resolving, without giving much heed to vested political interest but the interest of humanity.
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| ZAIRE 1994 © Sebastiao Salgado |
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) faces significant obstacles in ensuring the successful implementation of its resolutions. Unlike individual nation-states with their own militaries, the UN relies on member countries' voluntary contributions of troops for peacekeeping missions. A recent Stimson Center study (2023) highlights a concerning trend of stagnation in troop contributions. Only 60% of authorized military personnel are currently deployed on active missions. This dependence on voluntary troop offerings leads to delays in deploying peacekeeping forces, ultimately diminishing the missions' overall effectiveness. Furthermore, UN peacekeeping efforts are frequently hampered by financial constraints. A 2022 UN report revealed a funding shortfall exceeding $1 billion for ongoing missions. Such financial limitations translate into inadequate equipment for peacekeepers, hindering their ability to prevent violence and protect civilians. These combined shortcomings significantly impede the UNSC's capacity to uphold its resolutions, raising questions about its efficacy as the cornerstone of international security. There is a risk that the UNSC may be perceived solely as a platform for pronouncements, lacking the necessary backing of a more robust, reliable, and well-equipped peacekeeping apparatus to enforce its mandates.
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| HOW UNSC DEALS WITH THE WORLD |
However, the UNSC, although useless mostly till date, remains the sole authoritative organization capable of bringing about peace around the world. The powers given to it as an institution are like no other and if in right hands and mentality, can foster peace. The resolutions of the UNSC carry the endorsement of the global community, promoting collaboration and reducing independent measures by states. Moreover, the UNSC sanctions peacekeeping operations that help to calm unstable areas and defend the populace. Even with its grave difficulties and unmistakable malfunctions, the UNSC holds a certain dim but profound position as the premier institution for international harmony and safety.
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| Steady decrease in UN peacekeeping missions |
The idea of another World War shows just how badly the UN Security Council is failing. It's become a place where powerful countries bicker thanks to a few nations having veto power, and all the while, real rivalries tear it apart. The Rwandan genocide and the Syrian war are constant reminders of these failures. So, is the UN Security Council useless? Not exactly. Even with its problems, it's the only organization with the power to bring everyone together for security. When countries don't play favorites, its decisions hold weight because they represent the whole world. Peacekeeping missions, when they have the resources and get deployed quickly, can bring calm to war zones. The bad news is, the UN Security Council needs a serious overhaul. That veto power system from way back when needs to change. More countries need a seat at the table to reflect how the world's power has shifted. And countries need to worry more about working together than just their own interests. If the UN Security Council can't clean up its act, it might become completely irrelevant. A world with no brakes on violence? No thanks. That's a future nobody wants.
REFERENCES
The New York Times, 2023, interview with Justin Trudeau
United Nations. (1945). Charter of the United Nations [UN Charter], Retrieved 2024, April 16, from https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text
SWAYAM CENTRAL. The Problem of Veto System. United Nations and Global Conflicts - - Unit 13 - WEEK 13 (swayam2.ac.in)
Gordon, J. (NA). The United Nations Security Council and the Emerging Crisis of Legitimacy. Yale Journal of International Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.yalejournal.org/publications/the-united-nations-security-council-and-the-emerging-crisis-of-legitimacy
Morris, J., & Wheeler, N. J. (2023). The Security Council's Crisis of Legitimacy and the Use of Force. Palgrave International Law. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ip.8800185
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