The UN is a fundamentally flawed institution
Regional, Analysis, 4/26/2003

If there was ever a time when it was evident that the UN and its Security Council are useless institutions for solving the major problems facing the world, what happened in Iraq could not be a greater demonstration of that.

On the one hand, the UN Security Council was unable to prevent the United States from invading another country in breach of international law, on the other hand, the Security Council members want to claim it to be a legitimate institution. The US wants it to be legitimate also when it wants the council to achieve one of its goals, and on the other hand, the other Council members wants the Council to be legitimate as this is their place at the power table and afford them some leverage that the USA can throw their way on irrelevant matters.

With the current fight for the legitimacy of the UN as an institution, the US and those who oppose it on the council -- which we will call the opposition -- are fighting each other. At stake is -- who will have a say in Iraq. But the issue is really not only about Iraq -- or north Korea or the Irish problem or Indo-Pakistani problem or the African problems or the Arab - Israeli problem, the issue is how as an international community are we going to govern ourselves. Is it going to be a dictatorship run by the US or a community of nations resolving their problems through democratic institutions.

When the US sought the approval of the UN Security Council to attack Iraq, and failed to win this support, it went ahead and attacked Iraq anyway. Rather than the opposition delegitimizing the US, the US counter attacked by delegitimizing the UN Security Council as being irrelevant. The US seems to be always two steps ahead of the opposition because it is a single country making the decision, while the opposition have to pool several countries to be effective -- at best, which slows them down considerably as a decision and tactical making process. So we are stuck in phase two of this confrontation with the opposition having failed phase one by failing to delegitimize the US and its presence at the Security Council. What are the alternatives. There are many permutations to this problem that we are not going to discuss, so we will focus on a solution.

The problem defined:
1. The UN Security Council is a very undemocratic and very destructive institution to world development -- politically, and economically.
2. The UN Security Council is composed of five permanent members with veto power to obstruct all decisions. This veto power is the very problem that obstructs a democratic process that would begin to facilitate the needed changes in the world.
3. Those holding the veto power will not relinquish this power -- because who wants to give up such monopolistic power when they have it?

As you can see, the situation does not hold much hope. Unless, the UN General Assembly -- an assembly that has demonstrated ineffectiveness in security, political and economic matters, will delegitimize the Security Council or fundamentally change its undemocratic nature; an unlikely event to happen.

The other option is to change the Security Council from within. That is also unlikely, but it is the fastest and most plausible of all scenarios. What it requires is that a single veto wielding country declare publicly, that it is going to veto every single item of the Security Council, until the Council members agree that the very first order of business will be a resolution to fundamentally alter or dissolve to Security Council in order to transform it into a democratic institution with democratic legitimacy and authority.

But which country of the five veto-power countries (US, UK, China, Russia, France), is up to the challenge. Certainly not the USA as it already holds all the power. The UK -- with a foreign policy establishment that is a relic of imperial thinking that is not worth dwelling on -- baring a revolution which would make them think that unifications such as that of Germany's was something to be supported and not opposed. Russia is unsure about which way it wants to go --democracy for the world or hold on to its a role that has degenerated defacto to little more than symbolic, and defensive. China -- will not be interested in taking the slightest risk. So we are left with one and only one country: France.

Silence will not counter US active measures and diplomatic dominance. To the contrary, it is a loosing game, for certain. The stakes are extremely high. Phase one was won by international dictatorships. Phase two gives a major opening. Will France, on its own, simply take the chance to change the world? France has been attacked and vilified enough. What is one more condemnation? France can declare in a historic decision tomorrow that: "The world is in need of being set on a different course from its current path by creating or reforming its institutions. Towards that end, France declares that it will, and without regard to the issues involved, veto every single issue related to the Security Council, no matter the urgency of the issues."

The United Nations, is fundamentally flawed. So is the European Union and the Arab League and other such major institutions. Although lumping the European Union, despite its flaws, is not anywhere near the scale of the flaws of the UN or the Arab League and the like. These institutions are left at the mercy of a single country or two to always obstruct their development. That was the price they had to pay in compromise for them to found these institutions, a price that they pay for when they are trying to grow later. All these institutions are in need of fundamental reforms. England continues to obstructs the fundamental changes needed so that the EU can act as an effective entity. Similarly, Kuwait and others do the same to the Arab League, and the US does the same to the UN. The problem is one and the same. A very small minority cannot and must not have veto power in a democratic institution. This is a fundamental flaw that has and will continue to dramatically slow down and prevent progress. The solution, is to change these institutions, or abandon them completely for a much small groupings of countries that are capable institutionally to make a decision, democratically, by sacrificing some sovereignty. This is how nations were build and were able to gain from the economy of scale, and that is what needs to be done for the new national regional groupings.

A dramatic decision on France's part to this effect will bring the world a new world order. Let there be no mistake about it, half measures are most certainly going to be a loosing game. This is a grand game, and at this time you had better know where you stand, or else, surrender it all again to the US, as we will be back were we started again, one way or other, USA willing.

To save Iraq, the US destroyed it by sanctions, constant military attacks, and finally a flat out military invasion. Maybe the US is correct, some things need to be destroyed in order to rebuild them properly. That is one way of changing things. The other way is by peaceful means. The UN Security Council needs to be destroyed, whether from the outside or the inside. France is our only hope. Let us hope that they fully understand the magnitude and benefits from such an act, for France and the world.

By,
Jamil Kazoun

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