TO:                  Professor Ahmad Kamal

FROM:            Michiru Sugi

SUBJECT:       NYU-UN-MS-A2

Peacekeeping and Security or Economic and Social Development?

INTRODUCTION

This paper intends to examine the two primary missions of the United Nations: peace and security and economic and social development, in order to present analysis as to which mission is more important in creating a better world for tomorrow.

 

 

FACTS

The followings are some facts about the United Nations’ peacekeeping and security missions, as well as its economic and social development programs:

 

Peacekeeping and Security

·          In the words of the United Nations Charter, the Organization was founded in order "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

·          Article 1 of the United Nations Charter states the purposes of the Organization. One of them is to take “corrective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression and other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace.”

·          Article 2 states that Member States shall “settle their international disputes by peaceful means” and “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force”.

·          Article 2 also states that the United Nations shall not intervene the sovereignty of any state, with exception of the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII.

·          Articles 42 and 51 under the Chapter VII approve of the use of force in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

·          Article 24 confers the Security Council primary responsibility for peacekeeping and security, and it shall make recommendations or decide what measures to take in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

·          There have been 55 United Nations peacekeeping operations since 1948, and there are currently 15 operations in the field.

·          Approved peacekeeping budget during the period of July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003 is about 2.6 billion, which is almost twice as much as the UN regular budget.

·          At the wake of some peacekeeping failures in recent years, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan requested the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations to research on the UN missions and make necessary recommendations. This so-called Brahimi Report emphasizes the importance of peace-building, which encompasses some development activities to be more effective in maintaining and restoring peace and security in the war-inflicted areas.

·          The United Nations also attempts to maintain peace and security through efforts in the sphere of disarmament.

 

Economic and Social Development

·          Article 55 states that the United Nations create “conditions of stability and well-being” and shall promote: (a) higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development; (b) solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational cooperation; and (c) universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

·          Article 60 confers the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council responsibilities with regard to the UN economic and social activities, which are set forth in Chapter IX and in X respectively.

·          Through its development programs, the UN system provides over $25 billion in assistance each year, with nearly $5 billion in grants and over $20 billion in loans.

·          The activities include supporting refugees, the poor, and the hungry; promoting environmental protection; providing technical and financial assistance; and setting rules regarding transnational concerns such as postal service and telecommunication.

·          Expenditures of the UN operational activities for development — mostly for economic and social programs — total about $6 billion a year (excluding the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Fund for Agricultural Development). This is equal to 0.75 % of world military expenditures of over $800 billion.

 

 

ANALYSIS

In my opinion, the economic and social development programs hold out a greater promise for world prosperity than peace and security because they provide some necessary foundations for the world to grow: (1) conditions of stability and well-being, (2) joint action by states, and (3) proactive measures to address issues. Detailed explanations about these three factors are presented as follows:

 

World prosperity needs conditions of stability and well-being. When I consider the contributions of economic and social developments to the world prosperity, I cannot help but to think about how Japan recovered from the devastation of the World War II and flourished shortly afterwards. It is said that Japan’s postwar boom was due in large part to the policies implemented by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to establish a democratic self-government, to develop a legal system which will protect individual and civil rights, to reform the educational system, and provide financial support for economic and industrial reforms. I believe that Japan’s prosperity was made possible because these policies helped secure the “conditions of stability and well-being.” Although the current matters in the world cannot be simply compared to what happened in Japan about half a century ago, this example can be an indication that matters such as good governance, reliable justice system, and technical and financial assistance are necessary foundations in order for a state to grow.

 

World prosperity needs joint action by states. The economic and social development endeavors can more easily solicit support of international community at the wake of globalization. As their transnational activities increase, states will probably recognize the importance of international standards and rules of conducts. Also, the states can probably see the need to cooperate one another in order to address large-scale and shared issues, such as the environmental concerns. On a contrary, the international community may be reluctant to participate in some peacekeeping operations because these are “not of strategic interest” to them. It is said that the failure in the peacekeeping mission in Rwanda was due in large part to Member States’ “lack of political will”. When they did not see the “strategic interest” in the activity and “faced with the risk of a catastrophe”, they became ineffective in responding to the situation.

 

World prosperity needs proactive measures. The current UN peacekeeping missions are reactive and limiting in a sense that they are conducted to address existing, potential or emerging conflicts. Such operations may cease wars but do not necessarily create conditions where people can live peacefully. In this sense, the economic and social development programs can be more effective because they can proactively foster cooperation, mutual understanding, a healthier environment, and peaceful means to resolve conflicts.

 

 

CONCLUSION

For the reasons stated above, I believe that the development activities hold out a greater promise in creating a better world than peacekeeping and security missions. However, I must note that sustainable development activities cannot be achieved unless existing, potential or emerging conflicts are also addressed. Thus, the United Nations should place primary emphasis on the economic and social development while pursuing peace and security.