The United Nations in its Second Half-Century

The Independent Working Group

The Independent Working Group on the Future of the United Nations was convened by the Ford Foundation at the request of Secretary General Boutros Boutros- Ghali in late 1993.

Challenges to Humanity at Century's End
There has been a growing interdependence of world economies. The gap between rich and poor populations is widening. In addition, security issues are a problem that is shared by rich and poor civilians worldwide.

The Future United Nations System
United Nations organizations must complement each other within the framework of an integrated system.

Future Goals:

1. The Security Council will be enhanced and more representative of the international system.
2. The need to assist faltering states and bring them back into the international community will have been broadly recognized by UN members; in accordance with nation-building guidelines.
3. Regional organizations will play a greater role assisting the United Nations in the work that it conducts.
4. The United Nations security system of the future will have learned the lessons offered by the successes and failures of peacekeeping missions of the early 1990s.
5. The fear that a sweeping human rights agenda would intrude upon national sovereignty will have given way to the recognition that societies are better protected, and their prospects for sustained human development improved, by systems of representative government whereby the rights of individuals and groups are assured.
6. As the global economy becomes interdependent the enhanced UN system will have begun to harmonize trade practices, technological cooperation and monetary policies of Member States and international institutions.

Strengthening the United Nations for its Second Half-Century

Providing Security from the Scourge of Violence

The widening mandate and changing characteristics of United Nations operations have caused problems within the organization including monetary strains on the system, mandates and inconsistent guidelines for certain operations. There have also been some problems regarding operations taking place simultaneously. Furthermore, mandates and guidelines have created unmanageable and often unfeasible circumstances due to expected inconsistency when combining peacekeeping, peace-enforcement, humanitarian action and post-conflict rebuilding.

Security Council: Sustaining Authority and Effectiveness
•Proposal: Expansion of the Permanent Membership and a restriction of the existing veto privilege.

1. The Security Council would be expanded from its present membership of 15 to a total of approximately 22 Members, of whom not more than five would be new Permanent Members.
2. The veto is an issue that has prevailed in the reform debate. Most proposals suggest that the veto be eliminated or at the very least only applicable to peacekeeping and enforcement measurements

Early Warning and Threat Assessment
•Proposals:

1. Establish in the Secretary General’s office an early-warning and threat assessment section; provide the Secretary General and the UN’s intergovernmental bodies with better information of impending crisis.
2. Recommendation that a Security Assessment Staff, drawn from existing departments and through secondment from functional organizations, be established as part of the Office of the Secretary-General.

Clarifying the Concepts of UN Military Action
•Proposal:

1. Recommendation that when the Security Council adopts a resolution authorizing the use of military force of any kind, the resolution should clearly state whether the force will be used for peacekeeping, peace-enforcement under Article 40 of the Charter, or collective security action under Article 42. It should be clearly provided that forces acted on behalf of the Council will not exceed the Council’s mandate. In addition, any change in the original mandate must be approved by the Security Council and explained to the participating Member States.

Action against Aggression:
•Proposal:

1. The Security Council should establish an ad hoc military authority for each operation, encompassing representatives of the parties involved in the operation.

Rapid Response Capability:
•Proposal: A United Nations Rapid Reaction Force should be established for urgent deployment on the decisions of the Security Council.

•The responsibilities of this particular force would include:

1. Establish a UN presence
2. Provide security for UN personnel
3. An airport to bring supplies and additional UN personnel for evacuations
4. Establish one or more safe areas for the civilian population
5. Limit escalation and assist in ending the violence
6. Provide limited humanitarian assistance in emergency circumstances
7. Assess and report on the situation to the Secretary- General and the Security Council

Sanctions:
•Proposal:

1. A system of field monitoring should be developed by the Secretary General with the cooperation of relevant UN functional agencies. This would be an important task for the Security Assessment Staff, which would provide the Secretary General and the Security Council with the information they require for imposing, measuring and adjusting sections.

Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction:
•Proposal:

1. The Security Council, through a joint General Assembly-Security Council Working Group, should keep under review the progress in disarmament negotiations, transmit proposals and guidelines to the Conference on Disarmament for negotiation, and mobilize the political will of governments in an attempt to provide impetus to the negotiations.

Improving Global Economic Conditions

The Global Alliance for Sustainable Development

The foundation of a Global Alliance for Sustainable Development should consist of two councils. Currently the proposed Economic and Social Councils are joined under one single organ known as ECOSOC. This alliance takes on a number of different duties including consensus on development issues and plans of common action that can best alleviate economic and social concerns around the world. Furthermore by bringing together their expertise and knowledge on various subjects, The Alliance will be able to achieve cooperation between various elements of society.

The Economic Council
•Proposal: The establishment of an Economic Council as a principal organ of the United Nations is recommended. The Economic Council should, in consultation with the Social Council, the Security Council and the General Assembly, be empowered to formulate guidelines to integrate the work of all UN agencies; including international institutions, programs, and offices engaged in economic issues.

•Important functions of the Council would include:

1. Building consensus among the member states of economic policies
2. Harmonizing economic policies of major economies around the world
3. Open discussion on politically sensitive issues that have a global impact
4. In dealing with poverty, the Economic Council should create development policies involving government, intergovernmental and non-state actors

•Proposal: We further recommend that the Economic Council have a standing Advisory Committee, composed of distinguished and talented individuals drawn from various disciplines and professional fields. The involvement of the private sectors is also important in this endeavor.

Social Council

The Social Council, similar to its counterpart the Economic Council, would be a forum for discussions to take place and form consensus on the methods that states should implement in order to remedy the social issues around the world. Examples of global social issues are: the spreading of the AIDS epidemic, persistent gender inequality, failing educational institutions, rapid population growth, drug abuse and narcotics trafficking and corruption

•Proposals:

1. The Social Council should be empowered to supervise and
   integrate the work of all UN activities relating to issues of social development.
2. The Social Council should consist of representatives of no more that 23 states elected by the General Assembly with due regard for geographic representation and a balance between countries with larger and smaller populations.
3. The Social Councils would also look to non-state representatives to assists
   in every states of its work, from early consultations to implementation. It is essential that the Council have always available the advice of regional organizations and that for their part, regional organizations have a sense of participation in the Council’s work. Like the Economic Council, the Social Councils should also have a standing advisory Board composed of distinguished individuals drawn from various disciplines, professional fields, and other groups involved in social and human rights policies.

Promoting Respect for Human Rights
•Proposals:

1. The Center needs an enhanced capacity to assess alleged violations of economic, social, environmental and political rights in an independent and timely manner.
2. The Commission should report to the Social Council and continue to undertake human rights investigations. It should develop links with, and consult, regional organizations concerning fact finding and adjudication.

Assisting States in Distress
•Proposal: The Social Council should coordinate efforts to rebuild the weakened society.

•The Social Council in cooperation with the Economic and Security Council should:

1. Mobilize the resources of the UN system to aid a state encountering severe problem in order to prevent total disintegration of the social fabric
2. Should work to build into any recovery package, social, political and environmental dimensions

Leadership, Organization and Resources

Leadership

The General Assembly needs to be the organ of the United Nations under which all member states are represented. The Secretary General’s authority as chief negotiator ought to be reaffirmed, recognized and supported.

•Proposal: Further streamlining and rationalizing of General Assembly procedures with emphasis on a smaller agenda. Efforts should be directed towards implementing agree-on agendas in the economic and social spheres with the new Economic Council and Social council. These councils will be handling such issues on a continuing basis, but still need a close working relationship with the Assembly. Above all, Member States must recognize their responsibility to support the General Assembly’s vital place at the center of the world organization.

Organization:
•Proposal: We recommend that a committee of permanent representatives and senior staff appointed by the Secretary-General be convened to consider how these and other reforms recently proposed by various external bodies and individuals can be undertaken.

Financing:
•Proposal: Most important of all, the time has come to recognize that the UN will need additional sources of funding that are not dependent on political and budgetary constraints under which most governments operate. An expert group should review and examine the administrative, legal and economic feasibility of the options.

Reaching the Common Goal

In order to be effective and successful the United Nations system needs to be revitalized. If the goals of the United Nations are set in the correct direction with peace and security of the international community in the forefront, then the United Nations will be critically important in centering the world’s attention on what needs to be accomplished, and identifying solutions to the problems that block the way.