Politics in cold war world:
-UN was affected by cold war because of the unity of the great power that made effect to cooperation.
- The effects of the nuclear power 1946 UN became a forum to discussions and negotiations on arm control that it in need to peace and security.
The UN’s role in decolonization and the emergence of new states:
-after World War II and the end of colonial rule there are many emerged of new independence states and become a member in UN especially in the period of cold war. Those newly independence states know as G77.
-The north-south conflict; by the south is less developed states and north is developed states. There is an economic gap between the north and south. Therefore; in 1970 push a new international economic order. The debates between NIEO and UN system in 1970s made both economic and security impossible to achieve.
Post cold war world politics
-Cold War end but many issues remain the same such as nationalism, civil war, ethnic conflicts, fails states and related series of humanitarian crises and it lead to the need of UN ever before to deal with peace and security also environment and development issue democratizations, population growth, and humanitarian crises.
Globalization and World Politics in New Millennium
-ILO, WHO, WIPO become a much involved in globalization related issues of labor, health, and intellectual property right.
-Globalization’s focused on interdependence issue and gives pressure within UN.
-New Millennium to convene a Millennium summit in 2000, 3 day meeting by 147 head of states or government, 40 representatives of other state to consensus on two priorities of Peace and development such as on HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases.
Persistent Organizational Problems and the Need for Reform
- The institutional problems of the UN involve
Ø Financing
Ø coordination, management
Ø and structural weaknesses
- Developed countries want:
Ø more productivity and efficiency from the UN’s staff
Ø reduction in programs and activities
Ø elimination of overlap
Ø improved management
Ø better coordination
Ø maintain their power within the system
- Developing countries want:
Ø Greater economic and political equity through redistribution of resources and enhanced participation in key decisionmaking
Ø More power within the system
Ø More programs and activities oriented toward development
- NGOs want:
Ø A UN that is more open and accountable to civil society
Ø Allowing them more input and participation
- “In a world divided by chasms between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, differences of interest are certain to shape all reform efforts and keep the UN a contradictory and divided institution.” (Paul 1997: 1-2)
Financing
- Three types of budget expenditures:
Ø Regular budget
Ø Peace-keeping
Ø Specialized Agencies
- The UN has frequently experienced difficulties in getting states to pay their assessments. The reasons for states’ failure to pay range from budget technicalities to poverty to politics or unhappiness with the UN in general or with specific programs and activities.
- The only sanction to deal with this is provided by the charter in Article 19. It is that a state is unprivileged to vote in the General Assembly if she fails to pay the money for 2 years.
Coordination and Management
- The problem of multiple agencies engaged in similar tasks with no coordination has plagued the UN system
- As a result of globalization, issues do not fit into clear sectoral or regional boundaries. Hence, there has been a persistent call for better coordination and management of the UN system.
- The coordination problems have been compounded by the global conferences of the 1990s. Each conference spawned a special commission to follow up on the program of action, yet because of zero-growth budgets, there have been fewer resources to meet greater demands. Recent changes have involved refocusing ECOSOC’s activities around crosscutting issues and strengthening its authority to ensure implementation of resources, decisions, and agreed conclusions (Taylor 2000).
- Coordination for economic and social development also involves dialogues with the World Bank and IMF, more effective relationships with the specialized agencies, funds, and programs, as well as greater involvement of NGOs in policymaking processes (Fomerand 2002)
- Coordination and management issues have also plagued UN efforts to deal with humanitarian crises since the early 1990s.
- Globalization issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic particularly demand better coordination and management.
Structural Reform of the Security Council
- Issue over UNSC reform (figure 4.7, p.141):
Ø Representation
Ø Openness
Ø Efficiency
- The first issue concerns whether more states should be added to UNSC
- The second issue concerns whether or not to continue the distinction between permanent and nonpermanent members. Should the new permanent member have veto power?
- There have also been demands to increase the openness (transparency) and efficiency of the council’s work
Integrating Nonstate Actors
- The increasing involvement of NGOs and private businesses with UN programs and activities demonstrates another area of needed reform: how to better integrate nonstate actors into the UN system of operations.
- Prior to the Millennium Summit in 2000, a Millennium Forum brought together more than one hundred NGOs. Its participants resolved to create a global civil society forum to deal with UN institutions, member states, and other institutions.
