The United Nations in Maintaining International Peace and Security - Literature review Example

UN in maintaining international peace and security xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Instructor xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date How effective is the UN in maintaining international peace and security? The United Nations mission in global peacekeeping and security began in the year 1948. UN first mission was in the Middle East were it was involved in observing and maintaining ceasefire during the Arab and Israeli war. Duane (1997) asserts that, since 1948, UN peacekeepers have taken part in various missions worldwide. Although, the peacekeeping agenda is not described in the UN charter, it is defined in chapter six and chapter seven (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). Since 1948, the UN has been involved in 53 missions with 40 of them created by the Security Council between 1988 and 2000. Duane (1997) asserts that, the peace keeping mission originated as well as evolved on a ad hoc basis where each designed operation that meet the demand of different conflicts. Peacekeeping in the UN mission is defined as assisting conflicting parties to resolve their disputes peacefully. The UN charter calls on people across the globe in strengthening and maintaining global security and peace (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). Duane (1997) asserts that, initially, the concept of peacekeeping by the United Nation was to develop a buffer zone so that to separate fighting forces a good example is in the conflict between Syrian forces and Golan Height. Duane (1997) asserts that, creation of buffer zone enabled the united nation to minimize conflicts and this reduced the number of deaths especially among women and children. In the past two decades, there has been an upsurge in both number and intensity of international conflict that have largely marked displacement of individuals. This represents increased challenges of post cold war period. Duane (1997) asserts that, due to increased international conflicts, the United Nations peace keeping operations have increased in complexity and numbers. Duane (1997) asserts that, in order to develop an effective institution, the UN was created comprising of five member state namely; USA, France, Soviet Union, France and China. According to Antonio (1998), the UN through the Security Council has been issued with the mandate of maintaining global peace and security whereby its decision is bounded in the United Nations member states. Additionally, the Security Council has been charged with the mandate of defining the structure of a given security threat, structure an effective response to such a threat and enforce its decision to ensure that the threat is dealt with accordingly. According to De Waal (2007), the UN has been tasked with the responsibility of assisting all parties to a given conflict; reach a diplomatic settlement, diffuse crises and prevent further argumentative entanglement. According to Antonio (1998), the maintenance of global peace and security represents the prime purpose that led to the establishment of United Nations. Antonio (1998) maintains that, UN largely reflects the desires as well as intentions of its founders who sought to develop a global organization for achieving peace and security worldwide. Duane (1997) asserts that, because of the importance global peace and security to each and every individual, the founder on UN greatly insisted on it and placed emphasis in the preamble and charter of the organization. They laid down all the methods, procedures and principles that could be used to attain global peace and security. This paper aims to discuss how effective the role of United Nations in maintaining global peace and security. Additionally, the paper will discuss various areas in which the UN has failed in its role of maintaining international peace and security. The paper will discuss various recommendations on how United Nations can be structured to ensure that its role in international peacekeeping is effective. The uniting for peace was due to early cold war between the West and East. Duane (1997) asserts that, increased conflict related challenges made the conventional form of peacekeeping and security to be obsolete and outdated. According to Eric (1998), with new complex crises, a new shape of peacekeeping by the United Nation have played a key role in enhancing political stability through conflict resolution and management. Duane (1997) maintain that, the worsening situation across the globe is been dealt by UN peacekeeping operation whereby they are involved in spending billion of money to ensure stability in all parts of the world. Reports indicate that, in any given time there are about fifty conflicts raging across the globe. Roland (1997) maintains that, during these crises, 90% of individuals being affected are women and children and therefore; the reason as to where UN deploys its peacekeepers to try and keep peace. United Nation Development (UNDP) indicated that the UN spent about $2.4 billion in a year in ensuring public health and security is maintained. Roland (1997) maintains that, the same scenario was experienced in countries such as Sudan where a huge amount of money was spent for building bridges, waters supplies and hospitals destroyed by war. Roland (1997) maintains that, if basic measure of UN effectiveness is creating interventions that enhance peace then, UN can be given all the credit. Eric (1998) asserts that, the UN was a key instrument in the creation of nuclear non proliferation treaty which is considered to be a success due to the fact that after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima, there has not been another explosion of nuclear bomb. Additionally, UN was also a key instrument in the Ottawa Convection on land mine which gave rise to ban on all personnel landmines. Further, the role of UN nation in peace keeping has been effective in its present in the implementation of UN millennium development goals. In regard to the pacific settlement crises, the UN has provided numerous ways in which disputes, situations and conflicts have been maintained and resolved. Here, the diplomats in the Security Council have been involved in applying various techniques in solving several international disputes. According to Eric (1998), the UN through the Security Council dispatched special envoys for various tasks such as fact finding, reconciliation, investigation and reconciliation. Roland (1997) maintains that, through the use of Secretary General, the UN has been involved in assisting parties in reaching into a common agreement. According to Eric (1998), the Secretary General is one of the greatest UN assets. The Secretary General has been involved in taking various diplomatic initiatives that maintains as well as encourage momentum of negotiations between the disputing parties. According to De Waal (2007), in chapter VI which relate to pacific settlement of disputes, the Security Council, United Nations and the General assembly have a role in maintaining global peace through investigation, discussion and recommendation (Simmo1999). According to Eric (1998), various discussions have been of help in resolving some disputes in the pacific region thus indicating their effectiveness in their outlined roles. For instance, in the Palestine, the UN discussions assisted in disarmament. Additionally, over years, UN has assisted in promoting peaceful relations among countries through ensuring that they adopt declarations on security and peace and thus enhancing global cooperation. Over years, the UN peacekeepers continue to evolve as a way of meeting up new demands of various conflicts as well as the changing political environment (Simmo 1999). Today, UN peacekeeping roles have been restricted to maintaining ceasefires and stabilizing various situations on the ground. In Darfur region in Sudan, the UN has been involved in assisting to build sustainable grounds of governance, disarmament, reformed Sudan security system and finally, the UN demobilized and reintegrated former combatants. Roland (1997) maintains that, the role of UN in peacekeeping mission can be termed to be effective due to the successful integration into Croatia. Here, the establishment of United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) saw peaceful integration that involved demilitarization of the region and thus promoting an environment of confidence among local individuals of all ethnic origins within Croatia. Additionally, UNTAES allowed the safe return of refugees promoting reconstruction and redevelopment of the region through ensuring free and fair elections have been held. Roland (1997) maintains that, the success of the UNTAES was due to a well organized mission and a viable mandate by the UN. Unlike other United Nations operations in Balkan which had more complex and desperate aims and goals, UNTAES mandate was finite and specific in promoting peace and security (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). Fukuyama (2004) asserts that, over the past five years, United Nation mission in peace keeping have been complex due to the numerous global undertakings. Evidently, even with much credit being given to the effectiveness of UN in peacekeeping and security, there are various shortcomings. According to Eric (1998), similar to other institutions, UN is not a perfect institution and there has been a growing misperception on what UN is expected to do, what it can do and what it cannot do. According to Eric (1998), the UN has been blamed to stop ethnic violence in Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and Somalia (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). The UN was not able to restore the hopeless situations in these countries and thus UN lost respect. According to Eric (1998), the UN came to criticism as most military commanders wondered how diplomats that have no experience on drawing rules of peacekeeping produced a list of resolutions in the Security Council. This situation caused more deaths than good. The soldiers send for peacekeeping came to recognize that politicians the whole peacekeeping idea was a charade. It is important to note that the fact that the UN members can invade any nation simply implies that the peacekeeping mission has been effective (Roland 1997). Certain countries such as United States of America has huge amount of economic impact, power and influence and therefore it has made the role of UN to be viewed as ineffective (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). A good example is the most debated US invasion against Iraq. The USA approach the Security Council seeking enforcement of chapter VII against Iraq, the council was divided where most members was against the invasion. Nevertheless, with no conclusion from the council, the US invaded Iraq which made most people wonder whether the UN is an applicable player in the globe politics (Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). According to De Waal (2007), the fact that the United States of America can invade other nations without being authorized by Members of the Security Council has undermined the purpose and goal in which the United Nation was created. The invading of Iraq was not peaceful and other than reducing terrorist actions, there have been increased terrorists movements to nation within the UN. Duffield (2001) maintain that, the role of UN in the case of Iraq invasion has been termed to be ineffective due to the fact that powerful and strong states can indulge in their own cause of action without been confronted by the global community(Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). It has been argued that the US invaded Iraq due to its oil and the fact that no weapon of mass destruction was found this argument is becoming feasible. This therefore indicate that US invading Iraq for its peripheral motives indicate that UN has not been peaceful within its boundaries let alone enhancing peace building in other countries. Reports indicate that, UN security and peace keeping operation during the Cold War indicated that military observers and peace keeping forces were design with an eye on juridical power and politics of defensive restraints. This is a clear show that the UN has not has the intention of enhancing people security as well as protection of human rights. This clearly indicate that it has not been effectively been involved in the goals and aims it was built for(Barnett, Kim, O’Donell and Sitea, 2007). Fukuyama (2004) asserts that, united Nation is well placed to deal with the crises being experiences across the globe. It can be termed as the only place a government has a place in dialoguing and coming up with ways of solving problems facing countries. It is for such reasons that certain recommendation to be made on this body to enhance its effectiveness in promoting international peace and security. Reports indicate that in order for UN to undertake its role in promoting international peace and security, it is important that it reduces the stockpiles of nuclear weapons, military hardware and resources that have been put aside for peacekeeping. Fukuyama (2004) asserts that, Article 26 in the UN charter calls for the development and maintenance of global peace as well as security with least diversion for armaments of globe economic and human resources. Additionally, the UN need to highly promote a culture that is non violence. This will automatically ensure increased human survival thus minimizing increased conflicts especially between the East and West. In the quest of ensuring that there is increased international cooperation, the UN should invest in peace education both for children and adults. According to Antonio (1998), it is quite evident that universal education to tackle upcoming international issues such as terrorism, climate change and civil wars. Finally, the UN need to decentralize its role of peace keeping as this will allow government functions to participate in peace keeping and security thus enhancing cooperation. Fukuyama (2004) asserts that, it is important that the United Nation members to understand that the future of peacekeeping largely depends on how we manage our globe. With such reformations, UN can be a more effective instrument in enhancing peace and preventing the spreading and recurring crises across the globe (Fukuyama 2004). In conclusion, it is quite evident that UN role in peacekeeping and security continue to grow both operationally and conceptually to meet the growing challenges as well as political complexities. UN has continued to ensure effectiveness through strengthening its capacity in supporting and maintaining field operation so as to enhance global cooperation. It is quite important to note that UN has and continue to play an important role in alleviating human suffering as well as building organization for sustaining peace within conflicting nations. It is quite observable that financial commitment plays an important role in making the UN roles in peace keeping effective. Lack of political will as well as financial material have and continues to threaten the role of UN in maintaining international peace and security. In the history of UN, members have not been willing to pay sum of money required to enhance peace and security and therefore, lack of finances continue to unabated in today operation of the security council. With increased terrorism attacks, the role of global peacekeeping has not only been left to UN rather, there have been an increased interest in regional security across different continents. To face new and complex challenges in today global conflicts, the UN needs to partner with other regional organization to carry out peace building operations. References Antonio, D. 1998. "Asserting Humanitarianism in Peace maintenance", Global Governance, Vol.4, No.1, 1998, p. 82 Duane, B. 1997. "Explaining Peacekeeping Performance; The UN Internal Conflicts", International Peacekeeping, Vol.4, No.3, autumn 1997, p. 45-70. Eric, B. 1998. “The Security Council’s increasing reliance on burden-sharing: collaboration or abrogation?” International Peace-keeping, Vol.5, No.1, spring 1998, pp.1-20 Simmo, B. 1999. "NATO, the UN and the Use of Force: Legal Aspects", European Journal of International Law, Vol.10, 1999 Roland, P. 1997. “Blue Helmet Blues: The end of the United Nations as a Security Organisation?" Washington Quarterly, vol.20. no.1, Wintern 1997 Barnett, M.M. Kim, M. O’Donell and L. Sitea, 2007, “Peace building: What Is in a Name?” Global Governance, Vol.13, pp.35-58 De Waal, A. 2007. “Darfur and the failure of the responsibility to protect”, International Affairs, Vol. 83, No. 6, pp.: 1039–1054 Duffield, M. 2001. Global Governance and the New Wars: The Merging of Development and Security, New York, Zed Books. Fukuyama, F. 2004. “The imperative of state-building”, Journal of Democracy, 15:2, pp. 17-31 Read More