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Some
Ideas for the CSUN Roundtable on the Future of the UN, July 13, 2003
by Brian Aull
In 1995, the Baha’i International Community at the UN published the statement Turning Point for all Nations, which reflected on the future of the UN and proposed a number of reforms to revitalize the executive, legislative, and judicial functions of the UN system. I have extracted some of the key ideas from this document in formulating the points below.
Characteristics of a viable international system:
- It must have a moral foundation, based on a recognition of the fact that the body of humankind is one and indivisible, and each member of the human race is born into the world as a trust of the whole. So human rights are central to its purpose.
- It must be shaped by a process that is not confined to leaders - be they in government, academia, business, religion, or civil society. Broad participation by women and men at the grass roots is necessary.
- It must be decentralized. International institutions act only on issues of international concern where states cannot act on their own or to intervene to preserve the rights of peoples or member states.
- At the same time, it must come to be entrusted with the authority and resources to perform those functions. Ultimately it must be able to adjudicate disputes that would otherwise lead to war, address human right abuses, and ensure that labor and environmental standards are respected by global businesses.
Where is the world now?
- First, the good news: the Charter of the UN does lay out a moral vision based on human rights. The achievements and victories of the UN are very significant, not only in its humanitarian work around the world but also in the area of peace and security (where so many focus on its failures). Even the events leading to the recent war in Iraq demonstrate the growth of a "peace ethic." (Recall Dr. Robert Muller’s comment that "never before in the history of the world has there been a global, visible, public, viable, open dialogue and conversation about the very legitimacy of war.") The UN draws much more heavily on civil society input than its predecessor organization, representing a step forward toward the even more broad based participation that is necessary.
- The bad news: The UN has not been given the authority to fulfill the goals of its Charter. The sovereignty of the nation state is given undue weight in the current structure of the UN, mechanisms such as the CTC to regulate global business have been suppressed, and the UN is under attack, and is now denied any substantive political role in the reconstruction of Iraq.
How to move forward
- The status quo is not going to be "fixed" overnight. The international system evolves with a lot of trial and error, setbacks and discontinuities, and experiments that build confidence enough to take the next step. Having this "evolutionary" mindset helps us learn from the setbacks, identify the fundamental principles that lead to success, and figure out what has the most impact in the short run.
- What we are calling for is not just a new layer of government at the supranational level, but an ethic of governance that is applicable at all levels, and we need to articulate this clearly. The human family is like the diverse and interdependent collection of cells comprising a living organism – the well being of the whole derives from that of its parts and vice versa. Often, however, the functioning of our "democratic" institutions is not based on an awareness of this reality. Leaders are often motivated by a desire for reelection, their constituents often motivated by a desire to enlarge their own share of the "the pie." The challenge is to create a new moral compass in governance among both office holders and the general citizenry. (The CSUN Peace Platform elaborates on this ethic of governance as well as suggesting specific measures that reflect it.)
- International bodies such as the UN have historically remained distant from the minds and hearts of the world’s peoples. Separated by several layers of government from the international arena, most people have not developed an affinity for the UN. Paradoxically, to be effective, international institutions require a closer relationship with the world’s peoples. This would set in motion a virtuous cycle of trust and support: international institutions would seek input from all those affected by their decisions and strive to merit their confidence and respect, and the resulting increase in grass roots support would enable these institutions to gain the influence required to establish a legitimate and effective world system. The task is not only to make the structure and decision making of the UN more inclusive, but also to adopt initiatives that empower people to participate in this virtuous cycle (examples of which from the Turning Point statement include implementing more effective models of social and economic development, protecting human rights, advancing the status of women, and incorporating moral development in school curricula).
- What does all this mean about what our groups should be doing? Office holders and candidates do need to hear that there is support for the UN and support for the US to pay dues, ratify and implement the treaties, and use the multilateral security mechanisms provided for in the Charter. But they also need to hear ideas about what constitutes good governance, rather than just "preserve my benefits, cut my taxes, but balance the budget." Citizens also need to learn about the UN, its work, and its relevance to their lives. But, in order for a mature international system to come about, they cannot be passive recipients of what the UN provides but proactive world citizens shaping these institutions. In sum, the advocacy work and the public education work go hand in hand, and the specific political reforms promoted must be placed in the context of a moral vision.
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