The United Nations Security Council. (c2004)

Abstract

More than a half -century since its establishment, there now appears to be a widespread consensus that the United Nations, the world's premier international organization, is in desperate need of reform. Although the calls for reform have touched on nearly every UN organ and most of its subsidiary agencies (including financial resources and mechanism), nowhere does the need of reform seem more urgent than in the Security Council. The Security Council is the heart of the system of collective security envisioned by the Great Powers in the aftermath of the Second World War. Empowered through Chapters V, VI, and VII of the UN Charter, the Security Council is charged with the main responsibility for carrying out the UN's primary objective of maintaining international peace and security. During the post-Cold War World of the 21 st century, the need to maintain international peace and security is just as pressing as it was in the middle of the 20th century. If the Security Council does not meeting this challenge - many experts have argued that it is not - can it be reformed in such a way that the UN's mandate of maintaining international peace and security will be fulfilled over the next decades? The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of the United Nation Security Council and to explore various proposals for its reforms. Within this context present study has been organized as follows: Chapter One provides a brief historical overview of the United Nations, its purpose, and its organizational structure. Chapter two provides a detailed history and overview of the organization, purpose, membership and working processes of the Security Council, including a discussion of voting procedures and vetoes. Chapter Three reviews and analyzes the perfonnance of the Security Council from 1946-2003. This chapter also examines the major accomplishments and failures of the Security Council with reference to specific actions during both the. Cold War and post-Cold War eras. Keeping in the view the infonnation presented in the previous chapters, Chapter Four attempts to explain why the Security Council has not been more successful in meeting its objectives. Proposals for refonn (in tenns of both structure and mission) of the Security Council has been reviewed and evaluated. Chapter Five summarizes the infonnation presented in the preceding chapters and draws conclusions about the historical perfonnance and likely future of the UN Security Council.