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Fifty years after the creation of the United Nations, there is continuous debate amongst its member states on the proposal for the reform of various United Nations systems. The main reform proposals call for the reformation of the Security Council and for the creation of an International Criminal Court. The issue regarding the Security Council address the need for change in the UN's most important and most powerful body. These reforms take two main views, one calling for the expansion of the Security Council and the other calling for the limitation and gradual end of the right to veto especially among the permanent members.
In the past decade, there were two occasions when criminal tribunals were set up to try criminals for crimes against humanity, one after the war in Bosnia and the other after the civil war in Rwanda. Both these tribunals have helped persuade the International community to propose for the creation of a permanent Criminal Court. Because the United Nations has begun to take up a more prominent role in global affairs the increasing number of member states and countries advancing economically, the United Nations is feeling the pressure to The United Nation was created with the purpose of an organization that would ensure global security and one that would find a peaceful resolution to conflict between nation states throughout the World. After fifty years of creation, the United Nations has had many achievements but has still failed to bring about the end of global problems, the way its founding members had hoped it would during its creation. During the nineties in particular, the global community has seen many occasions where the United Nations was powerless to stop the aggression of a nation against others or its own people, of failed to achieve goals regarding social development and human rights. The UN has also been blamed for working towards regional goals rather than international welfare and security.
It's member states are now responding to this failure by presenting various proposals for the reforming of the United Nations. The idea for United Nations reform has grow and gained support over the last seven years. (1) Patrons for the reform of the UN have mainly looked at reform in the Security Council, the coordination within the UN system, management, the recruitment of new personnel and the creation of an International Criminal Court, creating 'working groups' to look at these five areas. (2) Reform of the Security Council is aimed at the enlargement of the body especially with a proportionate number of seats from the South and the limitation of the veto right. Reform is also felt needed regarding the coordination of the UN system, and a better external and internal management system... The creation of the ICC is together with the Security Council reforms are regarded as the most important proposals for UN reform. All these reform s mean the re-examining of the UN Charter, policies, missions, peace-keeping roles, and its agendas. (3) These areas must be closely examined if the UN is to achieve success through reform and fulfill the role that it is meant to play. Individual countries must also help make reform possible by looking at the common good of the whole world and global security rather than just national security and national interests.
Today we see countries that are becoming more aware of the global picture and are agreeing that reformation of the UN is the solution that will help answer to the Since nineteen ninety seven, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has taken the first steps towards the reformation of the United Nations. (4) Even though the member states each have their own opinions regarding differing proposals and measures, nearly all members of the General Assembly recognize that reform is needed within the organization. Through the actions of the Secretary-General, decisions and proposals for reform are open for review by the General Assembly. The General Assembly's assigned 'working groups' of the various areas for reform have all made progress during the last few years and so far much information has been submitted to the General Assembly by these groups. Working Groups like the Group on the Financial Situation of the UN have reported that in order for change to occur member states must ensure that their payments are made as well as ways to promote member states to pay on time. (5) An example dealing with the groups issue is the United States refusal to pay her UN fees which amount to 25 % of the regular budget and 30 % of the separate peace-keeping budget. (6) The Group on the Agenda for Peace has been central to the reformation of the UN's role in the world today, while the Group on the Strengthening of the UN have come up with many measures to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN. (7) These are just a small example of the broad range of reforms that the UN is looking into as they near the twenty first century. It will be through the work of the various 'working groups' that will shape the future decisions The main debate on reforming the UN is focused on the future of the Security Council. A s the primary body that deals with global peace and security, it's reform is vital for reshaping the the role of the UN.
Over the past decades the make-up of the Security Council has been grossly imbalance and unde representative of the entire UN body. The permanent members have also used their veto power for their own interests and usually through the majority of the Cold War, in separate camps. The make-up of the Security Council is based on the victors of the Second World War over fifty years ago and an enlargement in 1963 when four more non-permanent members were allowed to join, making the total of 15 members. This make-up of the membership does not properly represent todays UN membership nor does it allow for the effective administration of the UN because of the five permanent members increased power with the veto right.
Also with the fact that the body is run by the victors of WWII, economic power have shifted to different countries as well as their military and political influence. More and more members of the UN regard the reformation of the Security Council as being the main answer to the problems the UN has been suffering. This pressure for reform has only grown larger and stronger in the last couple of decades. States feel that the Security Council does not properly represent them nor do they like the idea of so much power and authority being held by five countries that work more for their own interests rather then that of the global community. The two main proposals that members are trying to pass is 1) the expansion of the Security Council so that it includes members from the South, and 2) being the gradual loss of the veto right. (8) These reforms can only take place through careful dealings with the permanent members and with the interest of individual nations put aside. The reforms for the membership within the Security Council have taken many forms usually in the area of expanding the non-permanent members for greater regional representation.
Many countries have put forth their own proposals usually in the interest of themselves or their region. Some of the main proposals have focussed around the admission of Germany and Japan as non-veto permanent members. Both these countries have contributed greatly to the budget of the UN, second only to the U. S. (9) Today both countries are no longer considered as enemies but are regarded as two of the world's most important economic and financial industrial powers. The United States is a key supporter for this proposal and consider the financial contributions made by both Germany and Japan as being reason enough for their acceptance as permanent members on the Council. This proposal is not without opposition, many developing countries agree that the admission of Germany and Japan would only strengthen the representation of the industrialized world. (10) These countries would like to see representation within the perma...
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Research essay sample on International Criminal Court Germany And Japan
