The security council has proved its value time and again as an indispensable means of defusing critical conflict and keeping intact the political integrity of sovereign states

The security council has proved its value time and again as an indispensable means of defusing critical conflict and keeping intact the political integrity of sovereign states”. Discuss achievements and failures of Security Council in maintaining International peace and security.

Introduction

The United Nations Security Council is one of the most powerful organizations of United Nations. The first and foremost responsibility of SC is bringing stability in world and also ensuring international peace and security. SC is one of the six primary or pivotal of the UN. The power, responsibilities, authorities of SC is sketched in the United Nations Charter. In the charter membership, organ, general assembly, settlement of dispute, regional arrangements, amendments and other information is clearly given. SC is the permanent and established peacekeeping tool of the UN and its main focus is on world peace.

After 1990, SC has increased its activity electrifyingly and now the members meet in regular sessions. It hustles military operation, redistributes election monitors, and authorizes equipment inspections and so on.[1] SC is beyond all parliament and hidden political assembly. The continuously changing president of SC sets program of work each month. SC works vigorously to make sure countries are at peace and peacekeeping that SC promises to maintain is ensured. The authority, responsibilities and power of SC is operated through United Nations Security Council resolutions. It tells what power and authority each member of SC has.

The Security Council controls disputes under different chapters in the charter. Regarding peacekeeping, SC needs permission of both countries to place military. It is true that there have been many wars and military conflicts in front of UN and SC. Still SC has worked very hard since its birth to resolve the disputes between all countries and make this world a better place to live in. To resolve these conflicts, sometimes SC imposes sanctions and many people risk their lives in peacekeeping discussions where they place themselves right in the middle of war to resolve the arisen dispute.

Basic Information of SC

SC was established in 1946. From then on, SC has worked hard and proved its value time and again as an indispensable means of defusing critical conflict and keeping intact the political integrity of sovereign states. SC has tried to resolve conflict that arose between various countries in the world through peacekeeping. SC has also worked hard to ensure human rights, basic freedom that is basic rights of people all over the world.

The first session of SC was organized at Church House, Westminster, London on 17 January, 1946. The main intention of SC was to help the war torn world. SC was focusing to bring the world out of the disaster that took place in the World War 2. It was important for someone to step up and help from war and civil strike.

The SC has 15 members altogether out of which 5 are permanent members and other 10 are elected and voted members with a two year timeline for them. The 5 permanent members are People’s Republic of China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States out of which France, UK and USA joined SC in 1946. All these countries have Veto power.[2] These countries also have nuclear powers with them. The non permanent members of SC are Azerbaijan, Argentina, Australia, Guatemala, Republic of Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Luxemburg, Rwanda and Togo.

Permanent Members

Non Permanent Members

Role

There are few roles that were assigned to SC when it was established and SC is trying since then to stick by their assigned roles. Some of the roles of SC are:

· Advice layouts for peaceful solution of a dispute when raised.

· Announce permanent and non permanent members to wholly or partly interfere economic and also air, mail, oceanic, radio communications or even cutting off political and interrelated connection if necessary.

· Check out any activity regarding world peace.

· Making sure that the decisions are followed, by military action or any other action if needed.

· To maintain the international unanimity and protection

· Worldwide appreciation for basic human rights and freedom for all regardless of their race, sex, language or religion.

· Refrain from negative encounter and keeping up concentration on mutual assistance.

· Control the disputes between countries following specific guidelines and promoting international relation and diplomacy between the countries.

· Provide protection and relaxation to hundreds of castaways from battle and exile, and supporting the reestablishment and migration of castaways and uprooted people.

· Advancing technical abetment in various fields to its affiliated countries in the third world part and today there are many growth and altruistic activities, which the SC is financing all over the developing countries.

· Ensuring better standard of living, socio and economical improvement and better employment opportunity for all.

· Defusing critical conflict and keeping intact the political integrity of sovereign states.

· Proposal of new sectary general to the general assembly.

These are some of the important roles assigned to SC while they have negotiated most, SC also failed comply by some of these role when it was necessary for them to follow.

Achievements

Since their birth in 1946, SC had given a lot of effort to make the situation of the earth better and make peace and able to provide security for everyone. Over the years, SC was able to taste many achievements too. Some major achievements that SC has achieved over the years are:

Ensuring peace and security:

SC has always tried to ensure peace and security for people living in the world. SC appointed 42 peace keeping forces and beholder charges as of 1996, SC was successful to bring tranquility and peace. It was SC’s effort that was the backbone behind the negotiation process again and finally SC was able to save the lives to many people by stopping that war. SC currently has 16 active peacekeeping missions in field.[3]

Promoting democracy:

The United Nations has successfully made people in over 45 countries to take part in autarchic and impartial ballot voting, even counting those held in Namibia, El Salvador, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Eritrea, South Africa and Mozambique. SC has also ensured electoral advice, assistance, and monitoring of results to guarantee fair choosing.

Saving the environment:

SC has always believed that environment is an important factor. That’s why SC has taken many steps at different times to ensure that it was doing something from its part to save the atmosphere. In 1992, at Rio de Janeiro on the UN Conference on Environment and Development, SC declared a project called Earth Summit which was awareness against climate change that was taking place. All countries who were present there accepted that agenda 21 which was a draft of economic growth and sustainable development while protecting environment and its resources.

Bolstering unanimity:

Since its birth, SC has always tried to stop wars and make peace. By now SC has completed 172 successful peaceful settlements. Some of those are removal of army from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the civil war of El Salvador, end of Iraq – Iran war. SC has always used diplomacy to avoid any rising and imminent war.

Assisting development:

SC has committed more absorption and accessories to the advancement of the augmentation of human skills and potentials than whatever outsider abetment achievement. More than $10 billion amount was loaned and granted for the system’s annual disbursements. The UN Development Program in close connection with over 170 Member States and other UN agencies architects and applies projects for agriculture, industry, education, and the environment. More than 5000 projects were supported with a budget of around $1.3 billion. For the support of developing countries worldwide, only World Bank has given $ 300 million for helping developing nations. UNICEF spends more than $800 million mainly on booster shot, fitness issues, nutrition and basic learning of studies in more than 130 countries.

Aiding Palestinian refugees:

From 1950, the Works Agency and United Nations Relief has maintained four antecedents of Palestinians with costless apprenticeship, necessary fitness issues, benefaction gifts and key social services virtually without interruption. 2.9 million Castaways are there in the Middle East served by UNRWA.[4]

Blocking nuclear admeasurements: Through the International Atomic Energy Agency, are the SC has assisted in decreasing the risks of a nuclear war by examining nuclear atomic piles in 100 countries to make sure that the nuclear is not being used in other means than military purposes.

Promoting human rights: After accepting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, SC has worked on many detailed contracts on civil, economic, social, political and cultural rights. UN Human Rights Commission has taken more thought of world on beating, kidnapping, and cases by looking into the complaints regarding domestic abuses, human right complaints and has put pressure on the government to take strong steps.

Bringing an end to apartheid in South Africa:

SC was a prime player in bringing about the death of the apartheid system, by implementing measures ranging from an arms ban to a conference against divided sporting events, which the General Assembly tagged a crime against humanity. In the 1994 elections, all South African were allowed to take part in the election equally, by following the start of majority government. It started the movement of democracy for South Africa. Apartheid is a sick thinking and African people have suffered the most for this thinking of others. They even had to be the slaves of other people and work under them for slavery. SC has worked to make the situation better for them.

Emphasis on development of Africa:

Security Council has always given Africa special priority. Things that had gone through with the African people is responsible for that. UN has tried to make sure that those people get from what they have been deprived. In 1986, a special session was arranged by the United Nations to gain international support for African recovery from poor economic condition and step towards developments. 25 countries stepped up to support this cause and $ 233 million was collected and it opened doors for 1500 new employment opportunities. SC had applied new tasks and challenges on African development scheme and most of those ideas had paid in interest and benefit for all related parties.

Promoting self belief and independence:

SC has always believed a country can be supported best by itself only. It has always tried to help countries which are in poor condition to step up but at the same time it has emphasized the fact that one country should not be under any other country and has brought independence for many of its member states.

Fortifying International Law:

SC has always worked hard to ensure the strengthening of international laws all over the world. different countries follow different rules and it is not possible to bring all members under the same roof if they do not follow international law. More than 300 agreements that cover various issues have been taken care of by international law and with the monitoring of SC.

Administration and settlement of international disputes: International Court of Justice has helped settle international disputes involving boundary problems, non-impedance in the inside problems of States, diplomatic discussions, kidnapping, the right of refuge and den, right of authorization and economic rights by giving judgments and advisory opinions. With the help of cooperation from both the countries, SC has been able to solve many disputes and differences. SC has also put emphasis on putting more security in airports and aviations and at the same time increase in security standards.

Arrange altruistic support for victims of dispute, conflict, war: SC has supported many war victims, supported people who are having troubles because of war, dispute, conflict and differences between different countries. More than 30 million refugees have received support from SC and UN High Commissioner for refugees since 1951. Around 19 million refugees, out of which most are women and children have received shelter, medical assistance, food support and education from SC.

Mitigating never ending hunger and poverty: developing countries has always found it difficult to fight with hunger and poverty problem, it is almost a never ending fight for developing countries. SC with the help of International Fund for Agricultural Development provides loan on very low interest. It was first started b Dr. Yunus of Grameen Bank and almost 230 million people of over 100 countries have been benefited from this.

Failures

In all these years, along with those achievements, there are some failures too that SC had to share. Some of those failures are:

Failure to Control Syria: Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed SC for failure to control the situation in Syria. SC failed to react quick enough to stop the killings and humanitarian tragedy that is seen in Syria in the reign of Bashar al-Assad for the last 19 months.[5] Even UN leader Ban Ki-moon said that SC failed to control the proxy war in Syria. Furthermore, Bashar al-Assad’s use of “heavy weapons” in the civil war was approved by 133 votes, with 12 countries against and 31 abstentions.

Failure in leadership and peace: A scathing report from Amnesty International has alleged that the United Nations Security Council is redundant as a guardian of global peace, and its failure to intervene in global conflicts has allowed human rights violations to flourish. Amnesty International’s The State of the World’s Human Rights report for 2012 said SC failed to control war in recent times in Sri Lanka, failed to provide solution regarding Malaysia conflict.

Controlled by USA and other Western countries:

The UN Security Council is blamed by many sides for defeating to carry through its flag as the world’s leading collective security body. It is abused by some for backsliding to react quickly to stop what the United States has termed carnage in Darfur and to allow Iran for failing to halt its uranium enrichment program. Others say it is a mechanism of Washington and other Western powers that disembowels the security problems of the poor and those who need help. Many agree its organ gram is misplaced and troublesome, with permanent, veto-holding members reflecting the post-World War II attacking tendency

Other Failures

· Wars are fought in mainly those countries that cannot afford those wars. Of more than 150 major conflicts since the World War, 130 have been fought in the developing world.

· Since the 1950s, more wars have started than have stopped. By the end of 1995, wars had been running in Afghanistan for 17 years, Angola, 30; Liberia, 6; Somalia, 7; Sudan, 12.

· Refugees and displaced people have increased in the world at a dangerous rate. The number of refugees from armed conflicts worldwide increased from 2.4 million in 1974 to more than 27.4 million today, the report notes, with another 30 million people displaced within their own countries. Children and women make up an estimated 80 per cent of displaced populations.

· Out of the 12 countries in 6 made ready for a research report, the entrance of peace-keeping military has been associated with a rapid rise in child prostitution.

· SC voice in Hungary and Czechoslovakia was ignored by the Soviet Union in 1950s.

· Number of nuclear powers and their nuclear activities has been increasing despite UNSC’s and its nuclear control agency and watchdog IAEA’s best efforts. Notably, China’s assistance in development of nuclear weapons and its supply of nuclear capable missiles and missile technology to Pakistan, assistance in building up of DPRK’s long-range and nuclear capable missiles, and finally, Pakistan’s supply of nuclear weapons technology to DPRK.

· Iraq and Afghanistan have large contingents of UNSC peacekeepers; still the situation has become worse despite or perhaps because of their arrival and inefficient operations.[6]

· Failure to control delicate situations diplomatically.

· Inability to define, grasp the scope of and resolve the war on terrorism.

Summary and Recommendation

There is no doubt that SC was established to fulfill a noble cause of controlling war situations and bringing peace and tranquility in the world. To some extent SC was successful in achieving its goal too. But at the same time there have been some lacks in their part that can be resolved if looked into seriously. Sometimes delegates are not aware that the Security Council as a committee has the right to send peace forces, impose economic embargoes or even authorize NATO military intervention. Therefore when dealing with an international crisis or a military situation keep this in mind to amp up your solutions or proposals. Moreover, the countries that have veto powers should be more liable in controlling those veto powers. Developing nations should get more priority as they constantly have to face the troubles and deal with wars. It would be nicer to see if everyone works together to make this world a better place to live in.

Conclusion

SC was established to ensure security and peace in the world among different countries and mostly with the developing countries. It is a part of UN has members in different parts of the world. It sends peacekeeping troops to different part of the nation when it is necessary. In many situations SC has to work delicately and diplomatically to resolve the issues between different countries. Many a times SC has been successful but are also situations where SC failed to resolve the problem.

References

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[1] See http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council.html

[2] Veto Power – A negative vote, or veto, also known as the rule of great power unanimity, by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal, even if it has received the required number of affirmative votes which is 9.

[3] See http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/current.shtml

[4] See http://www.unrwa.org/

[5] See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/13/turkey-un-security-council-reform-syria

[6] See http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/conrad-black/iraq-and-afghanistan-wars_b_1097255.html