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United Nations Reform - Security, Development, Human Rights

Jean-Louis Roy
President
Rights & Democracy

In its current form, the United Nations no longer ensures global security, shared development or the universal protection of human rights—contrary to the terms of the initial political contract between the world’s nations.

The restoration of the functioning and credibility of the UN is the main challenge for the New York Summit, where close to 180 Heads of State and government leaders will gather from September 14 to 16.
  

Global security


When it comes to ensuring its common security, humankind has advanced at a snail’s pace.  The New York Summit will be called upon to address three significant and urgent challenges:

1. The breakdown of the dominant security structures, standards and practices during the second half of the 20th century following the implosion of the Soviet Union and the disengagement of the United States from major international treaties, namely those regarding nuclear weapons.

2. The evolving nature of war and conflicts that now have little to do with traditional confrontations between States.  Of sixty conflicts identified over the past decade, only two fit in this category. All others have broken out within the borders of States, which nonetheless have major regional and/or international consequences.

3. The resurgence of organized terrorist networks operating internationally, constantly threatening surprise attacks against innocent civilians, undermining security institutions and leading to unprecedented forms of authoritarianism in Western democracies.

These three challenges must be met with substantial and immediate international measures.  They also raise difficult question regarding the membership, legitimacy and efficacy of the Security Council, the primary institution responsible for ensuring global peace and security.

In certain cases, international negotiations that have been stalled or interrupted must be resumed.  One priority comes to mind, namely the policy on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons: stopping their experimental testing, gradually phasing out existing nuclear arsenals and strict monitoring of the export and import of fissile materials.  The failure of the conference on the review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons last May, the Iranian policy and posturing about its nuclear programme--as well as the nuclear ambitions of many other countries--point in the same direction:  unless the political debate and ethical discourse change dramatically, many States will possess nuclear weapons before the end of this decade. In the current disorder, it is also probable that non-governmental actors will come to possess this ultimate means of blackmail and terror.  These concerns apply just as well to the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons.

In other cases, we must learn lessons from our recent history and must implement the necessary instruments and institutions to prevent future catastrophes.  What come to mind in particular are the United Nations’ peace-keeping missions, which aim at preventing and managing conflicts and rebuilding conflict-devastated regions. The continuous multiplication of States in turmoil and conflict cannot be tolerated.  In the current situation, violence re-erupts within five years in half of all countries that emerge from war.  The continuous failure of peace agreements is murderous, dangerous and extremely costly.  To have the slightest chance of succeeding in its peace-keeping function, the United Nations must establish a Peacebuilding Commission with adequate resources and guaranteed levels of financial, logistical and military support from the world’s industrialized nations.  

Finally, the rebuilding of a global security framework must absolutely include a global convention on terrorism that adequately defines terrorism as well as the acceptable parameters for our common efforts against these terrible crimes.

  
Shared development

 Another two billion individuals will be born by 2020, 90% of them in the underdeveloped regions of the world. The scope of the current and future needs of humanity calls us to refocus on development.  It is therefore regrettable to note the absence of bold proposals submitted to the Summit.


Basically, we must reaffirm the Millennium Development Goals, unanimously adopted five years ago by the leaders of the world.  For example, take the objective of cutting extreme poverty in half by 2015. Despite the partial nature of this objective, it is no less significant—if it is attained.  However, if we fail, we are not only confronted by spiralling levels of poverty, but also increased levels of insecurity in a world with billions of destitute, desperate and disillusioned people.

Funding for development must also be increased to progressively re-establish official development assistance budgets to previous and promised levels, seeing as they have been drastically cut since 1990. Today, these budgets represent a mere 5% of the world’s defence and weapons budgets.

The cardinal weakness of current development policy is that it is too focused on official development assistance.  Other growth factors must also be given priority:  direct international investment the results of which can be seen in the case of China; creating margins for national-level investments as can be seen in the cases of India and Ghana; and access to developed markets as the Asian dragons clearly demonstrate.  Official assistance alone will not provide real access for the “non-member countries of the global economy” (to use the OECD’s dubious phrase), with respect to sustainable growth and development.  Alone, official development assistance will probably not lead to forms of democratic governance that are conducive to participation, initiative and public debate.  As is the case with the European Union’s policy regarding the States wishing to join its structure, rules and standards must be applied before they can access official assistance. These rules and standards must be agreed to by all.

Protection of human rights

The evolution of the doctrine of human rights into a universal policy represents one of the 20th century’s major events.  It is possibly the most revolutionary idea of the modern era.  This doctrine is the foundation for our common humanity with people from all corners of the globe.

 
The Summit must make a decision regarding the institutionalization of human rights promotion and protection within the United Nations’ structure at a level on par with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.  This decision would remedy the relative absence of human rights from the main UN system during the past decades and the currently disastrous state of the Geneva Commission on Human Rights.


The implementation of a Human Rights Council would be conducive to the submission of human rights issues to the General Assembly and Security Council.  It would correct both in substance and appearance the impression of double-standards with respect to the human rights performance of different States by implementing them system of investigation and review for all United Nations Member States.  Finally, it would align the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights with a permanent and specialized political body.


In this uncertain era, the rededication to common values represented by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its related conventions, the renewal of a policy based on common dignity of all human beings, and the promise to liberate all men and women from fear and want could illuminate an otherwise dark and troubling horizon.  Human rights could also clarify the Responsibility to Protect, an idea which is at the centre of the proposed UN reform. 


These reforms are often severely criticized.  Member States have the opportunity in September to live up to their role and demonstrate the level of responsibility they are willing to accept.  States must give a renewed sense and meaningful direction to the political contract that the United Nations upholds. This contract must ensure cohesion within an open, dangerous and unequal world.  It must ensure this cohesion and progressively build an international community capable of respectfully living together.

These reforms are often severely criticized. Member States have the opportunity in September to live up to their role and demonstrate the level of responsibility they are willing to accept. States must give a renewed sense and meaningful direction to the political contract that the United Nations upholds. This contract must ensure cohesion within an open, dangerous and unequal world. It must ensure this cohesion and progressively build an international community capable of respectfully living together.

 

These reforms are often severely criticized. Member States have the opportunity in September to live up to their role and demonstrate the level of responsibility they are willing to accept. States must give a renewed sense and meaningful direction to the political contract that the United Nations upholds. This contract must ensure cohesion within an open, dangerous and unequal world. It must ensure this cohesion and progressively build an international community capable of respectfully living together.

 

Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote, advocate and defend the democratic and human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing countries.

For More Information

Please contact Steve Smith (ext 255) or Louis Moubarak (ext 261) at Rights & Democracy, 514-283-6073.