Role of UN Security Council in international peace and Security




Herald: Opportune time for India to be UNSC member

Topic- Examine the role of UN Security Council in international peace and Security.

“We the people of UNs determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”- The preamble of Charter of UN directly shows its main motive for the peace and security in the world.

UNSC, which came in existence in 1945 after the WWII, has main role in maintaining peace and security. Its central mission is to maintain International Peace and Security.

It helps in preventing conflict; helping parties, in conflict, make peace; peacekeeping; creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish.

Under chapter VII of the charter, the SC can take enforcement measures to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such measures range from economic sanctions to international military actions. The council also establishes UN peacekeeping operations and special political Missions.

UN peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles

        I.        1. Consent
 2.Impartiality
3.Non-use of force except in self defense and defense of mandate civilians.

The multinational resolutions set out the mission’s mandate and size for UNSC.

Methods to maintain International Peace and Security by UN

1.       Conflict prevention: The most effective way to diminish human suffering and huge economic costs of conflicts and aftermath is to prevent conflicts in the first place. The UN helps in conflict prevention with the help of diplomacy, efficient office and mediation.

2.       Peacekeeping: It is a multidimensional process. It includes facilitation of political processes, protection of civilians, assistance in disarmament, demobilization and re-integration of former combatants, to support constitutional means, organization of elections, protection and promotion of human rights, assistance in restoring the rule of law and extending legitimate state authority.

The troops and police are provided by member states, managed by Dept. of Peace Operations and supported by Dept. of operational support.

3.       Peace-building: This is the measure to ensure sustainable peace and development. To support it, the Peace-building commission and Peace-building fund was set up.

4.       Counter Terrorism: One of the methods to maintain peace is to coordinate the global fight against terrorism. In 2006, the Global Counter Terrorism strategy was adopted.

5.       Disarmament: The office of Disarmament affairs is tasked to work to advance international peace and security through pursuit of the elimination of nuclear weapon and other weapons of mass destruction and the regulation of Conventional arms.

Some of the initiatives toward international peace and stability

  • ·         In 2005, peace-building commission was formed to better anticipate and respond to the challenges of peacekeeping.
  • ·         In 1970, Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed.
  • ·         Chemical Weapon Convention (1997), Biological Weapon Convention (1975) and Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1996) came in existence.
  • ·         UN office on Drugs and Crime, which is the guardian of UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Protocols on Trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants and trafficking of firearms was formed.
  • ·         To make the peace gender sensitive a resolution 1325- Regional partnership, National and local mediation and Gender inclusion was adopted, in 2000.
  • ·         In 2006, the Global Counter Terrorism strategy was adopted.
  • ·         At present 14 peacekeeping operations are deployed and since 1948, 71.
  • ·         In 2019, Action for Peacekeeping Initiative (A4P) to renew mutual political commitment to peacekeeping operations was started.

Some of the achievements of UNSC

1.       In Conflict Prevention: In countries such as Burkina Faso (2015-15), Colombia (2004) and Krygyzstan (2010), the UNSC mediated and helped in internal conflict prevention successfully.

2.       Peacekeeping Missions: Some of its peacekeeping missions were successful in operations such as Suez crisis, Cyprus and West New Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan.

Some of its present operations are, such as UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, UN Truce Supervision Organization stationed in Middle East, working.

3.       Peace-building: The commission addressed several country specific, regional and thematic issues to help to maintain and draws attention, to and enhance, coherence in peace-building, sustaining peace to strengthen coordination and synergies.

In Chad and Brundi, the commission has helped in implementing the national development plan and strengthening cooperation with multilateral and bilateral partners.

4.       Counter Terrorism: CT Committee passed a resolution 1373 against the terror activities in 2001. The terror financing resolution 2462 was passed in 2019. The resolutions against the terror activities of Iraq and Levant, Al-Qaida and associated groups were passed in UNSC.

5.       Disarmament: Resolution 1540 (2004) was passed to oblige the states to refrain from supporting non-state actions from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting chemical or biological, nuclear weapons. The respective states report the action taken by them.

Challenges

British historian Paul Kennedy said –“glancing failures had not only accompained the UN’s many achievements, they overshadowed them”. Having a record of successful operations across the world, the UNSC is also grappled with some shortcomings. They could by as under

  • ·      UN’s lack of reliable permanent military source. The military personals are voluntarily provided by the member states. India and China has been the major contributor to this.
  • ·       The five permanent members have created a nuclear club that pre-dominantly addressed the strategic interests and political motives of the permanent members.
  • ·    Failure of consensus reaching in Sri-Lanka, Syria, Israel-Palestine conflict among the member states.
  • ·     Lack of will to prevent massacres at some not-so-strategically important places such as Bosnia and Rwanda.
  • ·   Lack of consensus over the expansion of permanent membership and representation for developing states.


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