Ok, maybe I'm being a tad sensationalist. But the UN has no moral authority whatsoever. Extending Poe's Law, the UN's real dealings are hard to distinguish from a Catch-22-style parody thereof:
- In 2003, Iraq chaired the UN Conference on Disarmament (despite lack of WMDs Saddam did spend years gassing the Kurds in the marshes of the south).
- The same year, Libya was elected to chair the UN human rights commission.
- In 2007, the UN Human Rights council passed a blasphemy law, ruling against defamation of Islam, urging countries "to take resolute action to prohibit the dissemination of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement and religious hatred".
- The same council has made a ruling that bans discussion/criticism of Sharia law. See these appalling videos where those criticising female genital mutilation are shouted down because that constitutes prohibited criticism of Islamic law.
- The same council has only ever officially condemned Israel whilst only being "troubled" by Darfur.
- The UN has completely failed in Rwanda, Darfur and virtually every major conflict since its inception. Kofi has blood on his hands for much of his reign.
- Meanwhile in 1993 UN troops in Cambodia were sent 800,000 condoms so they can visit local brothels without getting STDs.
Ok, will stop there before the rant goes completely loony (and before cataloging these makes me completely sick). Some more rational arguments about the UN to follow -- with 30% less mouthfrothing!
2 comments ↓
Former foreign minister Downer was asked a question on this topic at a dinner I attended last week. His answer was that the problem is not the UN, but the nations that comprise it. In this approach, its difficulties can’t readily be blamed on Anan or Ki-Moon, and maybe they shouldn’t be.
Yet obviously the structure and mechanisms of the UN provide a stage for such countries, and by giving them equal votes encourages disunity. I.e. smaller countries makes more powerful voting blocks. Therefore power is achieved with small countries rather than federated alliances.
It would be nice to have all the people of the world represented at some such forum. But national governments are maybe an unreliable method of representation. Not that there’s really any other way to do it.
Yes, that’s kind of what I was going to mention in follow up posts (including some potential improvements to the system).
I think Annan was a failure beyond just the idea of bearing responsibility as the figurehead — even just as the figurehead he had a great opportunity to use the media and get a sense of urgency about Rwanda and many other conflicts (eg. Congo) and didn’t.
Ki-Moon hasn’t done anything like that yet but I think is coming close to it, being next to silent on Darfur.
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