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UN, multilateralism best for global problems: Scholars
Multilateral approaches and a strengthening of the 63-year-old United Nations would be the best ways to address the challenges of the 21st century, leading Swedish scholars say
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Multilateral approaches and a strengthening of the 63-year-old United Nations would be the best ways to address the challenges of the 21st century, leading Swedish scholars say.
"We don't have any other option under the present circumstances except to strengthening the UN through reforms," Peter Wallensteen, a Dog Hammarskjold professor of peace and conflict research at Sweden's Uppsala University, said.
Wallensteen spoke on The Role of the UN and Regional Organizations in Peace-building at a top level seminar on Peace and Security held in the Swedish town of Uppsala on Tuesday. The seminar, attended by 25 participants from 11 countries, was organized by the Uppsala University's Department of Peace and Conflict Research in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The seminar has gained a great deal of attention from the Swedish media, mainly due to the participation of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria.
Former Swedish foreign minister, Jan Eliasson, a visiting professor at Uppsala University, voiced similar views to Wallensteen.
"We are living in an interdependent world. Global problems are also local problems. Global problems cannot be solved with local solutions. Multilateral approaches are the best to solve these problems," Eliasson, who served as chairman of the UN General Assembly (2005-2006), said.
Problems such as climate change, the ongoing financial crisis, translational crimes and human trafficking, which have a nature both local and global, were the focus of the seminar.
The UN's most powerful organ, the Security Council, must change the way it works, Eliasson said.
"The UN Security Council should work like the Catholic Church (in electing its Pope) in reaching consensus. Veto powers can't be abolished, but there should be efforts to create a veto free culture," Eliasson, an authority on the UN, said.
The UN Security Council had, on many occasions, not lived up to expectations, he said.
"The importance of the role of the UN has been proved in many peace processes, but it has strengths as well as limits. The UN has an undisputed legal position in the international system," Wallensteen said.
Despite its weaknesses, the UN Security Council has been more effective in making decisions on international problems and conflicts since the end of the Cold War, he added.
"During the Cold War, there were 20 decisions per year at the Security Council and veto powers were frequently exercised by the Soviet Union and the U.S. But since the Cold War ended, the UN makes between 60 and 70 decisions per year and the trend of using veto powers is constantly declining. This shows the UN is functioning more effectively," Wallensteen said.
Both Eliasson and Wallensteen agreed that the UN and other multilateral organizations must be strengthened through drastic reform to deal with the problems facing the world today.
During Eliasson's chairmanship of the UN General Assembly efforts were made to reform the world body. Progressive ideas were put forth at the World Summit in 2005.
U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's proclamation that he wants to build "bridges of cooperation" with the UN is a sign of hope.
Last month Obama called on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss how to address current crises and strengthen partnership between the U.S. and the UN.
On his part, Ban said it would be an "historic opportunity" to work with Obama.
True to his commitment, earlier this week, Obama appointed Susan Rice, a staunch advocate of strong action against genocide, as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.
