WHAT SHOULD THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS BE?

THE BACKGROUND OF UNITED NATION - by Ahpiramii


Since it was establishment in 1945, the United Nations has been active in broad areas including peace-keeping, the North-South problem, social and human rights issues. Following the progress made in East-West dialogue and other recent changes in the international situation, it has improved its activities while its roles and responsibilities are being expanded. In the area of peace-keeping, in specifically, the United Nations has played an important role in Namibia achieving independence which is the last colony in Africa plus in the general elections held in Nicaragua in February 1990. The peace-keeping operations of the United Nations, traditionally to observe the activities, and have expanded into more wide-ranging of activities including observation of elections, as occasioned by its operations in Namibia. In August 1990, the U.N. Security Council decided on comprehensive and compulsory agreements, for the first time in the past 22 years against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At the same time, international cooperation extended through the United Nations and its organizations has become ever more important in dealing with global issues such as drugs and the environment. 

The Soviet Union, which had previously had not been active in U.N. activities, has shifted its position toward attaching importance to them under the Gorbachev Administration. Similarly, the United States under the Bush Administration has proved its cooperative attitude with the U.N, demonstrating that it will pay up its arrears to the U.N. In this connection, at the 44th session of the General Assembly in 1989, the United States and the Soviet Union co-sponsored a resolution which called for the strengthening of the roles of the United Nations in international peace, security, and international cooperation. This was the first joint proposal ever made by the two countries in the history of United Nation.

At the same time the United Nations still has its problems including difficulties in financial and organizational improvement in economic fields. Tackling these problems will be very important for the U.N. in winning the confidence of the international community in the future. Also the new trend in the world away from conflict toward dialogue makes necessary a review of the systems and functions of the United Nations.

Since joining the world body in 1956, Japan has all along placed cooperation with the United Nations as a major pillar of its negotiation. It has cooperated in U.N. activities in a wide range of areas, making the second largest financial contributions among the member States next only to the United States. For instance, Japan has been actively supporting the United Nations University and the International Tropical Timber Organization, helping them set up their head offices in Japan. 



THE ROLE AND PURPOSE OF UNITED NATION - Nevettha

The ideas
Specifically, the UN summarizes its role in the following terms. Its purposes are:

•  To maintain international peace and security 

• To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples 

• To cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

• To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends.

Its principles are:

• It is based on the sovereign equality of all its members
•  All members are to fulfil in good faith their Charter obligations
• They are to settle their international disputes by peaceful means, and without endangering international peace and security, and justice
• They are to refrain from the threat or use of force against any other state
• They are to give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter, and shall not assist states against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action
• Nothing in the Charter is to authorise the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.

THE ROLE 

This idealistic expression of the aims and purposes of the UN needs to be set against what has been possible, given the limits placed on the organisation by the most powerful states in it. The principles of the organisation make it clear that, if the UN is to work, the individual members must fulfil the obligations they undertake. Unlike the Concert of Europe, the UN is a permanent structure, but 'it is an extension to the states system, not an alternative to it'. Next, it is an organisation of equal sovereign states and indeed all states in the General Assembly have one vote regardless of size or wealth. However, in the Security Council, which is the only organ with binding powers, some states are more equal than others.

The UN is not an autonomous agent making decisions separate from the power politics of the world. Thirdly, the victorious powers and allies of World War II, have a veto power and therefore their interests are supreme when decisions are made on what actions the UN will take and how well resourced such action will be. From 1945 to 1990, the Cold War ensured that all conflicts around the world were translated into tests of one or other of the superpowers and this precluded action in all but exceptional cases, such as Korea. As a result of the power of the Permanent Five in the Security Council, the UN has been prevented from acting on any matters that affect them or their interests, for example in Tibet, Chechnya or Central America. Moreover, the organization, on the decision of the members, particularly the most powerful member the United States, has been deprived of funds, for both peacekeeping and for its humanitarian functions. On the one hand, the hope that the UN might provide a solution to the problems of war and injustice has been dashed for many people. Besides that, there is confusion over the UNs role and the place of the nation state within it. 

In this inquiry, a large number of submissions voiced criticisms that reflect this disillusionment with the UN. It was claimed that the UN was a world government and that this resulted in the destruction of our national sovereignty. The elements of this destruction, it was argued, lay in the treaty system, the International Criminal Court, the demand for a standing army or even for peacekeeping forces. These submissions appeared to believe that the old system of bilateral arrangements between states should be untouchable and that the UN, through its existence and its activities, was the source of what were perceived to be fundamentally sinister changes in international relations. They viewed multilateral treaties, not as useful agreements freely entered into, but as attempts by some outside force to control the country. Additional complaints were made about the cost and inefficiency of the UN. These criticisms about the nature and role of the UN will be addressed in this and subsequent chapters.

Many of these critical submissions were expressions of fear and uncertainty in the face of rapid changes, particularly changes that undermined the efficacy of existing institutions and structures. The committee believes that these concerns are understandable, but unwarranted as far as the role of the UN is concerned. At any time, international relations are dynamic; the rules, conventions and practices of international relations are embedded in history, but change as circumstances change and the members of the international community decide on different approaches to the resolution of conflict or mutual problems. History has shown that systems decay and are replaced or rejuvenated.

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES - by Rohani

In January 1989, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution to implement in April the resolution to establish the U.N. Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) and called for material and employees support from member countries. In November, a legal assembly election was held under observation of the UNTAG. As a result, Namibia became independent in March 1990 and joined the United Nations in April.

Japan provided a $46 million special contribution to the UN-TAG as well as a $13,550,000 voluntary contribution as startup costs to purchase automobiles and other equipment. Also, Japan sent 27 election observers and a supporting staff. Japan's supply of workers was highly rated by the international community as representing the country's beginning of its full-scale support in the U.N. peacekeeping operations.

The situation in the full of territories, which get worse, became a major focus of the Middle East discussions at the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council. The 44th session of the General Assembly in 1989 passed, by a majority vote, an "intifada" (uprising) resolution critical Israel's policy on the occupied territories, an action which proven to a high degree of concern among countries about this issue. In a related development, the Security Council resolved again, as it did in July and August of 1989, that Israel's rejection of Palestinians from 'the occupied territories disturbed the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

Regarding the emigration of the Jews from the Soviet Union which became a major issue in 1990, the U.N. Security Council held a session at the request of the Soviet Union between March through May 1990. But too bad, no resolution has been implemented.

Also, regarding the treatment of a resolution by the Security Council on the killings of Palestinian laborers by a retired soldier of the Israeli National Defense Forces on May 20, 1990, differences overcome among parties concerned. 

Another development was a proposal made to improve the PLO's status in the United Nations and help it obtain memberships in specialized agencies. Japan, which does not recognize the PLO as a state, takes a stand basically that such a proposal will not favor the peace process in the Middle East.

After the critical issues in August 1988, the U.N. Secretary-General has hosted four Iran-Iraqi Foreign Ministers meetings in 1988 and 1989, but no significant progress has been made.

During the peace negotiations, over which the U.N. Secretary-General presided, practically no debate took place on the issue at the General Assembly and Security Council. In February 1990, however, the Chairman of the Security Council issued a statement in support of the peace efforts by the Secretary-General. 

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES – by Syarmin

International Decade for Natural Disaster Decrease

Regarding the International Decade for Natural Disaster Decrease, in which Japan plays a central role, the 44th U.N. General Assembly adopted, by agreement, a resolution on International Framework of Action. The resolution cosponsored by as many as 155 out of a total of 159 member countries declared the start of the decade as of January 1990, provided for the establishment of a special high-level council, a scientific and technological committee, a secretariat, and a trust fund.

HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVITIES

Japan, maintaining a basic position that human rights possess a universal value of mankind and that they form the basis of the world's peace and stability, has actively taken part in U.N. activities related to human rights for the protection and promotion of human rights in the world. In May 1990, Japan was re-elected as a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

At the U.N. General Assembly in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by consensus. At the same time, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of the death penalty was adopted. A large number of countries including Japan voted against or abstained because the protocol mandates the abolishment of capital punishment while there has been no international consensus on the issue.

On the other hand, changes in East-West relations have led to a marked decrease in the deliberations on human rights issues in Eastern countries, while attention has been drawn to developing countries. For instance, the human rights situation in Myanmar was taken up at the U.N. General Assembly in 1989 and the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. Heated discussions ensued over a resolution related to human rights issues in China following the Tienanmen Square Incident.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS- by Saranya

The United Nations is in chronic financial difficulties. As of the end of 1989, the total amount of assessed contributions in arrears was approximately $46,116,000, which accounted for nearly 40% of the U.N. general budget. The Soviet Union, which had accumulated a large amount of contributions in arrears, has gradually changed its policy and has begun paying off the arrears in stages. In contrast, the default by the United States continued and accounted for about 80% of the total amount of the contributions in arrears to the U.N.

However, partly in view of the progress made in the administrative and financial reforms of the United Nations, the U.S. Government has since decided to pay up its share excepting the part which the U.S. has been refusing to pay for political reasons. According to its budget message for fiscal 1991, the U.S. Government budgeted the full amount of its assessed contributions to all the international organizations it is party to for the year 1990, and plans to pay off the outstanding arrears to international organizations and to the U.N. peace-keeping operations over the next five years. When these payments are completed, the financial position of the U.N. system will improve significantly.

CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, in order to strengthen the role of the United Nations, efforts should be made to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The authority of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security must be preserved and role of the United Nations in development area should be strengthened. To strengthen the role of the United Nations, it is essential to ensure to all Member States of the United Nations the right to equal participation in international affairs and the rights and interests of the developing countries should be safeguarded.

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