It Can't Be Done Alone.

• Author: Culpeper, Roy
• Position: Brief Article

THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE UNITED NATIONS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE

What does the world expect of its United Nations in the coming century? It is easy enough to offer the typical responses--universal peace, an end to global poverty, gender equity, respect for human rights throughout the world, and sustainable development. But the UN family, no matter how effective and well-financed, cannot achieve these lofty objectives alone. Without the political will among Member States and the world's citizens, countless UN conference declarations and lucid reports are unlikely to accomplish much by themselves.

The United Nations, however, is in a unique position to help forge the necessary political will on which to build an agenda of global equity, justice and peace. Given the profound differences among UN Member States on fundamental issues, from security to sustainable development, forging that will for such an agenda is itself a daunting challenge, one that will require skilled leadership and astute diplomacy.

On the issue of security, for example, recent experiences in Africa, the former Republic of Yugoslavia and elsewhere have demonstrated a growing tension between the principle of non-aggression among States and the enforcement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Armed intervention by other States, such as by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Yugoslavia--albeit with the stated objective to prevent or arrest egregious human rights abuses of a Member State against its own citizens--is clearly inconsistent with the UN Charter. But various UN initiatives to deal with human rights abuses have also been blocked by some members on the grounds that they intrude on State sovereignty.

With regard to sustainable development, witness the debate over climate change. On one side are the proponents of the 1992 United Nations Convention who favour limiting carbon dioxide emissions. On the other side is an alliance of States and business concerns whose vital interests are tied to the production and consumption of fossil fuels. Neither side is wholly right or wrong. The resolution of such complex and divisive issues will demand all the ingenuity and dedication the world can muster.

The United Nations is the only body with the requisite legitimacy and universality for the task. On the State sovereignty vs. human rights issue, for example, the United Nations will need to build consensus around the notion that, while the principle of State...