The world is a pretty big place. Even within our modern era there are still many mysteries left undiscovered and unanswered. Within our vast globes, there are multitudes of different cultures, different languages, different opinions and different ways of handling things. When one country talks to another country it’s much like two different planets talking to each other. In many ways, they are alien to one another. Bridges of communications need to be built, ambassadors and translators are then sent over in order to begin the communication platform. Without a proper mediator the two countries are left to fend for themselves. Communication in any relationship is crucial and very vital for its health. In 1919, precursor to the United Nations, the League of Nations was formed as a response to the Treaty of Versailles, which was one of the many peace treaties executed at the end of World War I. 2 The League of Nations primary fixation was on preventing wars between countries. It served as a mediating point for countries to settle disputes before tensions escalated into full-blown war. Unfortunately, the Leagues demise came as Europe spiraled into yet a Second World War. Obviously the League had done its job poorly. In 1945 the United Nations was assembled. 2 Its focus expanded not only to promote peace and prevent war, but also to solve humanitarian, social and economic problems around the world. 1 The United Nations became the new world stage. Its initial intention much like its predecessor was to serve as peacekeepers and as the new global center for all nations of the world. Perhaps the world before the First World War didn’t need a center of communication, but as technology advances, the world’s structure must be regulated in order to maintain balance. Communication is key in maintaining strong and healthy relationships. 3 However, the United Nations was built upon a corporate structure, which happens to be its downfall. The UN is a brand much like many other companies out in the world today. Its need for funding is its very own undoing. Money drives specials interests. It is a tool that can be used to sway decisions, buy friends and apply pressure. Though the UN has a ceiling rate so it never becomes overly dependent on any one country for it’s funding, it still does not mean that a non-paying country cannot apply pressure to the UN, in order to sway decisions made to favor said country.
It’s a double-edged sword.
On one hand, the United Nations should be impartial even to money. It should simply act as its intended purpose defines it; to keep peace no matter what, to maintain a positive economic and social environment and to uphold the respect and application of human rights. How can the original purpose of the UN be upheld if countries have the option of applying pressure to the UN by not paying, in order to push special interests? 5 Currency and the idea of needing a budget has no real place, or should not sway decisions in keeping peace within our world. In all seriousness, what is more valuable, a life or a dollar? Ironically, the proposed question will have a multiple of different answers. That is why the United Nations needs to be recreated.
Famed German philosopher Immanuel Kant, whose philosophies encompassed epistemology, history, religion and law wrote an essay in 1795 called, “Perceptual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch.” 2 Within the body of the essay, Kant proposes a peacekeeping program that consists of abolishing standing armies, states not interfering within the governmental structures of other states, and the opposition of larger states consuming smaller states. Kant’s essay served as inspiration to the League of Nations. 2 The concept of perpetual peace perhaps might sound insincere, but in actuality is what most governments strive for in their own manner. The United Nations, though shy to take its respected place as a would-be empire, has never fully stepped into those shoes. For the United Nations, walking the political tightrope on the world stage is a death-defying act. Not a single empire has ever been in a position to expand their influence over the entire world. Though many have come close, none have succeeded. In an attempt to stretch their wing of influence over the entire world, the Roman Empire 27 BCE comes to mind, the British Empire 1497 CE and in many ways the United States in our modern era through economic empiricism. 2 Amongst all of these would be world leaders; the United Nations is the organization closest in establishing a centralized global peace keeping program. However, the UN’s very own corporate structure keeps it from assuming its proper role in the world.
The United Nations is structure with five principal departments. These departments consist of the General Assembly, The Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Secretariat. The General Assembly consists of all member states, which currently number at 192. 1 Membership is open to all peaceful nations, which accept the rules and bylaws within the UN’s charter. 4 Ultimately sovereign states are the only ones admitted for membership. Within the General Assembly the direction of general decisions are agreed upon, but not truly finalized. The Security Council serves the role of peacekeeper amongst the countries of the world. The Security Council enforces binding decisions made between countries. 5 The Security Council consists of 15 member states with 5 permanent members, China, Russia, United States, France and the United Kingdom. While the General Assembly represents the majority opinion, the Security Council makes the final call in all matters (welcome to their club). The International Court of Justice, located in the Netherlands is the UN’s judicial department where criminals are brought in to be tried for their crimes. ECOSOC, the Economic and Social Council promotes economic and social developments while the Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General provides resolutions to international disputes, overseeing peacekeeping operations, and organizing international conferences to name a few of its duties. The Secretariat basically serves as the organizing component for the United Nations. 1
Uniquely installed within the United Nations framework are non-governmental organizations (NGO). These organizations, much of them being corporations are usually not directly representing any specific government. While the NGO’s exclude government representatives from having membership within the organization, their money is always welcomed. NGO’s are usually partially funded by governments or are funded fully by them. NGO’s have attached themselves to the main body of the United Nations as extensions that take care of very focused views. The focuses of NGO’s vary in areas of interest ranging from human rights, environment, and children’s rights to name a few. There are millions of NGO’s all around the world. Millions that serve a particular special interest that they lobby. 4 The NGO’s in many ways are misdirected parasites. They feed off of the UN and sometimes blur the intended vision to push their own.
As one begins to look at the structure of the United Nations and it’s attachments, an image of an exhausted Octopus handling many tentacles comes to mind. The United Nations is flooded by decisions on a daily basis. It appears to have become very convoluted in its practice. Politically and ideologically the United Nations has had an inconsistent track record on handling international conflicts, such as the invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003 CE. 2 The idea of having 5 permanent members in the Security Council is also an unfair structure. These elite nations having originally formed the United Nations off of the cusp of World War 2, have been sitting in their seat of power for way too long. Any nation can be given a serving time on the Security Council but it is not permanent. The idea that 5 nations have the veto power to make any decision pass or fail is open to much criticism. “The Tower of Babble” is a book written by Dore Gold, a former ambassador to the UN that establishes how the UN possibly fuels global chaos. The book goes off to draw a comparison as to where the UN started, with its purpose to incite peace during it’s World War II years, and how it has become a convulsion of decision making in its current state. 6 The John Birch Society wanted the United States out of the UN in 1959, because it felt the UN’s secret goal was to establish a one world government. 2
The idea of a one world government is a complicated issue all on it’s own. I don’t believe that a one world government is where the United Nations should evolve into, as it is faced with much ridicule. Though the UN has been sitting in the best seat, it has not acquired any real authority in terms of respected decision. The United Nations has become a political disaster that simply seems unfair, the primary reason for this being its political and corporate structure. The UN moves like an oversized company instead of a peacekeeping organization. 5 There are innate problems, which seem to be swept under the rug. In order to recreate the United Nations, we must look at its initial purpose. That purpose without a shadow of a doubt is keeping a harmonious global environment. If we strip down the United Nations right down to the bone, peace is what we’ll find. From here, we can rebuild one of the most important organizations in the world. Keeping the peace is obviously not as simple as it sounds. Somehow the world has become wrapped up with the ideas of acquiring money and wealth. These things drive humans to the point of war and the abuse and disrespect of life. Further more, humans forget that we are in fact hanging out on a spinning globe in the middle of the universe. When we put it in that perspective, our bank accounts seem to make less of an impact in our lives.
Keeping the peace across the board should be its primary mandate. Looking at this concept in a more detailed level, establishing and maintaining peaceful interactions within all of the relationships on the planet is much more complex. We live in a world of relationships. We have relationships with everything around us, including other people, animals, plants, buildings, cars and so on. We communicate with these things on a daily basis whether we are aware of it or not. Relationships are tricky because they are based on understanding and communication. If either one of these elements is ignored, conflict arises. The same can be conceived within the relationships between countries. Proper communication and understanding of another country’s position is prerequisite before interactions take place. It is hard to imagine keeping a steady relationship between countries if we can’t even keep a steady relationship at home. 3
Smaller circles represent bigger circles.
In part, education, or re-education is in order. In order to recreate the United Nations, the foundation must return to the ethics it first sprouted from. The citizens of Earth would require a re-education to reprogram the value and proper communication of relationships. Let’s look at the old cliché, ‘do unto others,’ and what it truly represents. First off let us strip this cliché of any religious connection. Let’s simply look at the words and what they imply at face value. Treating other people in the same fashion that you would want to be treated seems simple enough. It is in fact riddled with its own fundamental tragedies. Under this ethical guideline, we will automatically determine that however an individual acts towards others is how he/she would want to be treated. On an individual level, this ethical guideline would work from person to person. Who wants to be treated poorly unless they were reflecting that emotion already? We can apply this ethical concept on a global level. How would countries want to be treated by other countries? I’m sure a smaller country would not want to be invaded and bombed simply because a bigger country has the power to do so. The answer would takes us to a ‘no.’ This universal ethical guideline would serve as the primary moral fundamental towards a ‘new’ UN structure. The rest, if followed by this ethic, would fall right into place. The world in a descriptive utopia would see a change in interactions between the nations of the world. The United Nations would now see a rejuvenated internal ethical structure. The trick from here is to keep it going.
The aforementioned concept of Perpetual Peace, as explored by Immanuel Kant plays with the idea of establishing a state where all nations form under one empirical banner. 2 Since no one empire has ever endured forever, perhaps many nations working together can. What would keep nations from truly working together is the concept of financial gain from activities that integrate to the caring of Earth and all its inhabitants.
The corporate structure that the UN carries now simply holds it back from taking its center role on the world stage. A mishap in bureaucratic decision making that ultimately leads nowhere. If the UN is the umbrella organization that houses all the countries of the world, then it should share resources and level out the playing field. Of course, the very sound of this proposition is laughable when viewed through the perception of economic dominance.
He who has more numbers in their bank account wins.
Ultimately they are simply numbers.
When compared to restoring our Earth and applying a proper universal ethical structure numbers simply do not outweigh it. So the new UN, much like the rest of the world should run on resource sharing as a form of payment, rather than financial trade. Economic dominance is why the United Nations lacks mobility, it has too many attachments and regulations to deal with. Money speeds things up or slows things down. It is the reason why the UN walks on that narrow political tightrope. To do away with this part will allow the UN to take its proper seat in the center of the room.
So far, we’ve reasoned a new ethical application and payment method to the restructuring of the United Nations. Now we will restructure who runs the United Nations. As mentioned before, the General Assembly includes the one country, one vote rule, which applies to all member states. This assembly however is simply viewed as suggestions given to the Security Council. 4 This is where we can see the holes within the UN’s structure. The five permanent members to the Security Council make room in their private club for ten additional temporary seats. However, as mentioned before the five permanent chairs hold absolute veto power over all decisions and circumstances. So even if the General Assembly agreed on something, the Security Council can go the other way with the decision. The General Assembly should be regarded as the final word, and not five distinct nations. It is impossible to conceive that five nations would lead the rest of the world without special interests clashing and dominating their views. However, if these five nations were to be reset and funneled back into the General Assembly’s new ethical position of ‘do unto others’, then the decision making process slightly changes as well. 1
What is being proposed here is the complete reinvention of the United Nations, starting at its very core by installing a new ethical fundamental (do unto others), how people are paid (resource sharing) for their time and how the operating platform of the UN is structured. From here, the United Nations does not have to walk so neatly in terms of being afraid of a contributor not paying because they are lobbying special interest. The UN can be left to do what it was formed to do, upholding and keeping the peace as a global initiative as opposed to a viral condition.
Endnotes
1 “The United Nations Today.” United Nations Publications. 2008.
2 Blackwell Reference Online. “http://www.blackwellreference.com.” 2010.
3 Newman, Dr. Justin. Escandon, Robert J. “Banyan Medical Archives.” 2007 - 2010.
4 United Nations. “http://www.un.org.” 2010.
5 Dr. Willi Scholl. “United Nations.” (lecture, Miami, Florida, 2010).
