The United Nations has come under some heavy scrutiny these past few years. From its indecisiveness towards the war in Iraq, to its faulty efforts to curb nuclear weapons proliferation, the body of many nations has failed to fulfill its duties.
The UN first found itself at a crossroad early after 9/11 when it passed Resolution 1441 declaring that Saddam Hussein failed to meet the standards outlined in the 1991 treaty that resolved the Persian Gulf War. The resolution listed steps necessary to keep him and Iraq compliant, giving him an ultimatum of 30 days to comply or face retribution.
A month later and still unable to get its inspectors in, the UN granted a 45-day extension, finding every possible way to prevent war. Nations like France and Russia did not consider war to be an option. Two months later, when Iraq was still noncompliant, Congress voted to go to war and a year lat er the Security Council passed a resolution that sanctioned US rule in Iraq.
Yet the most taxing problem that still lingers in the minds of everybody is the nuclear weapon programs springing up in North Korea, Iran, and Libya which were all provided by Pakistan. Allowing such deadly power to fall into the hands of these rogue regimes has ultimately caused the UN to fail in fulfilling its founding purpose – to maintain peace and international security.
The problems keep building and not just with a split Security Council, but also with its leader, Secretary General Kofi Annan, who has dealt with family problems that relate directly to the UN. His son, Kojo, was recently implicated in a scandal involving the oil-for-food program from which many believed Saddam had stolen money for personal use.
With all of these ensuing problems from the Iraq War, the UN has found itself stretched thin by scandal. Most importantly, people and nations seem to rely less on the UN’s role primarily due to its ineptitude of maintaining unity and order.
Right now the best way to resolve the issues that currently plague the UN involves relieving Kofi Annan of his duty as Secretary General and replacing him with someone who can mend the council’s fractured state.
Perhaps former president Bill Clinton. He has an impeccable resume and has developed a strong rapport with leaders of many other nations. He is a perspicacious individual particularly as it pertains to global basis. Clinton could help create resolve by uniting the split council and putting the UN back on track in fulfilling a mission of peace.
In the end, something must be done to repair the United Nations. Otherwise, it will face extinction in near future, setting the world back into unrest.
Serafini can be reached at jserafini@campustimes.org.
