UN Challenges

The United Nations (UN) emerged in 1945 after World War II as a result of the failure of the League of Nations, whose main objective was to prevent wars. The UN is known to be a global institution, which resolves conflicts while promoting equality, justice and liberty. However, struggles within the UN demonstrated that precisely because states are not treated equal in terms of nuclear weapons or even power capabilities and granting few states the power of decision-making within the organization. As part of the UN, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has the task to maintain international peace and security by providing positive changes to different aspects of human life. It has the power to establish and assure that their decisions are …show more content…
However, a disruption to the national sovereignty of states violates one of the fundamental principles of the UN. In 1991, Somalia became one of the first states in which the UNSC interfered and further violated the state’s sovereignty under Article2 (7) of the UN charter. Somalia’s dictator, Said Barre, experienced a coup, after which emerging struggles amongst the power and control of the government led to difficult conditions and mass starvation. As a result, the UNSC declared Somalia’s situation “a threat to international peace and security” and acted upon Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. Even though Somalia’s humanitarian situation at first was not considered a threat, the UNSC declared it as one, in order to act upon chapter 7 of the Charter and further intervene. Somalia’s security did not improve due to the lack of strategy in both missions, UNOSOM and UNITAF. As a result of the authorized used of force by the UNSC, to by all means resolve the situation and establish peace and stability, simply intensified the situation and the preoccupation of the international community, which doubted the effectiveness of the UNSC. The fact that the UNSC had little interest in Somalia, because of other distractions and issues around the world, such as in Bosnia and Rwanda proved the failure of the UNSC to tackle matters of equal importance around the globe undermines, also the legitimacy of the UNSC and the P5 to take …show more content…
“Legitimacy,” as I use the term, refers to an actor’s normative belief that a rule or institution ought to be obeyed” (Hurd, 2008: 7). This combination of power and supposed respect and trust towards members means that the UNSC needs the reinforcement and maintenance of the legitimacy among member states and within the international community. The UN promotes democratic ideals on a worldwide scale. Pehr Ksanda of Zambia states that “those who urged democratization at the national levels should be at the forefront of efforts to democratize international institutions, including the Security Council.” (Zambia, 2008: 183). However, the fact that states with undemocratic regimes rule and lead the world through the UNSC is ironic. Democratization dictates that the P5 must be democratic states and transparent in all the stages of the UN. China and Russia are non-democratic permanent states with the right of veto power and according to article 30 of the UN Charter; the UNSC has the right to determine its own work procedures. This is a clear example of how the geopolitical power relation of countries has surpassed the democratic ideals of UN. It also endorses uncertainties and disputes within the UN member states and undermines the legitimacy of the organization, where democratic ideals are ignored and national