United Nations Day: Is The UN Fit for Purpose!

October 24 is United Nations Day. Founded 80 years ago, the UN was purposely created to promote and protect human rights as the basis and the means to attain global peace and prevent war, ensure the respect for the rule of law and the attainment of sustainable development. It was indeed a necessary realization for the creation of such a human rights and peacebuilding institution given the carnage and untold suffering of the Second World War. But has the United Nations achieved its objectives? Are member states willing to uphold the principles of the United Nations? The situation in the world clearly shows that neither the objectives of the UN are met nor are its members willing to uphold its principles consistently and effectively.

Eighty years ago, the Holocaust, more than anything else, gave rise to the creation of the UN. Consequently, the Genocide Convention became the first treaty adopted by the General Assembly and?“signified the international community’s commitment to ‘Never Again”. Ironically, eighty years later, the world is forced to witness yet another genocide in real time perpetrated by Israel in Palestine and supported by the United States, UK, Germany and the EU. With the Rwanda Genocide still fresh in our minds, Russia also stands charged with genocide in Ukraine, raising the question as to the willingness of member states and the effectiveness of the UN to protect human rights and ensure global peace and security.

From 1945 to date, the incidences of conflict hold sway over the world. The use of nuclear weapons which in fact ended the Second World War when the US dropped atomic bombs on Japan have increased. The US itself has become one country that has deployed more nuclear/chemical weapons in wars than any other state. Meanwhile, the five permanent members have all armed themselves to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction when they are supposedly tasked with the mandate of ensuring global peace and security. Is the UN being a farce? Is it fit for purpose?

Since 1945, the incidence of invasions by nation against nation, assassinations of leaders, overthrow of governments, sponsor of terrorism and armed groups, and direct interference in the sovereignty of other nations have become commonplace. The leading culprits of these crimes and violations of the UN Charter continue to be the United States, France, UK, China and Russia, among others.

Consequently, today, human rights and peace are at a greater risk than ever thanks to the ineffectiveness of the United Nations mainly due to the disregard of international law by mainly Western states including Israel, Russia and China. Yet these nations constitute the five permanent members of the UN Security Council which has been given the unique mandate to guarantee global peace.?Rather these five permanent members of the UN Security Council have individually and collectively hijacked, manipulated, controlled and corrupted the UN thereby rendering it totally incapable of achieving the objectives of the organization. They continue to flout the principles and objectives of the UN to suit their selfish interests with impunity.?

One evidence of the weakness and the hijacking of the UN by its permanent members is the inability of the Security Council to institute a ceasefire in Gaza or to end, if not prevent the war in Ukraine, not to mention the shameful failure to end the 76-year-old Israeli occupation in Palestine.?All that aside, armed conflicts continue to rage in Sudan and DRCongo, while China continues to threaten Taiwan with impunity, just to mention a few. This raises the rhetorical question, is the UN faulty? And if so, how? One answer lies in the fact that the UN is the only association in which power does not lie with the majority of members. Rather power lies within only five members who, incidentally, are not committed to the principles and objectives of the organization which are human rights and peace.

There is an urgent need for the redrawing of the international order given that the current system has failed. The circumstances of 1945 do not prevail today and cannot continue to determine the future of the world in totally different circumstances. The hegemony of the West over the rest of the world which previously gave rise to the 1945 situation must be dismantled. For example, the current migration and climate change crises as well as the growing and widespread extremism and insecurity in the world are direct consequences of the hegemony of one part of the world over the rest of the world by means of force and violence! Due to Western hegemony, deep structural imbalances have been created within and between nations that continue to generate bad governance, corruption and the destruction of human rights.?

In other words, the current international system which emerged out of Western imperialism and its tools, slavery and colonialism has been the basis for underdevelopment, insecurity and injustice across the world – within and between countries. For example, the system either favors autocrats or undermines democratic leaders, while providing fuel for the growth and spread of extremism, terrorism and corruption and their attendant problems. This is why anti-colonialism, and anti-imperialism must form an integral part of human rights work and the agenda for global peacebuilding.

Until the vestiges of colonialism and imperialism which are embedded in the current international system are identified and dismantled there cannot be peace and security in the world. Rather the perpetuation of human rights violations and disregard of the rules of national and international laws shall remain prevalent and unending.?The world cannot operate on a narrative that holds that only powerful Western nations are always right, regardless.?That they should determine who is right or wrong, who is a terrorist or not, and how everyone else should live and behave. Yet when it suits them, they can remove any regime, invade or interfere in any country, aid and abet any corrupt leader or demonize and remove whosoever oppose them with impunity – and no one can judge them nor hold them accountable!?

The world needs a post-1945 international system and mechanism that is squarely situated on and guided by the principles and standards of human rights and dignity. A mechanism that will guarantee the sovereign equality of all nations and the absolute preservation and prioritization of human dignity. A system that prioritizes the preservation and survival of the planet, eradicates all oppressive and discriminatory ideas, relationships, and practices everywhere on earth. A system built on the lofty ideals and principles of freedom, equality and justice.?The current UN cannot serve that purpose.

We need a new international system!

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