United Nations and Its Organisations — Practice

Question 1

Describe the structure and powers of the UN Security Council.

Accepted Answer

UN SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC): The most POWERFUL organ of the United Nations, with PRIMARY responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the UN Charter. COMPOSITION: 15 members: (1) 5 PERMANENT MEMBERS (P5): United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. These five countries are the victors of World War II and have had permanent seats since the UN's founding in 1945. (2) 10 NON-PERMANENT MEMBERS: Elected by the UNGA for 2-year terms on a regional basis. Five are replaced every year. India has been elected as a non-permanent member several times (most recently 2021–2022). VETO POWER: Each of the 5 permanent members has the power of VETO — the ability to block any substantive decision of the Council with a single 'no' vote. Any resolution can be vetoed even if 14 of 15 members support it. The veto has been used hundreds of times (Russia and China veto resolutions on Syria; USA veto on Israel-Palestine resolutions). POWERS: The UNSC can: (1) Call for ceasefires. (2) Impose economic sanctions. (3) Authorise military action (Chapter VII of the UN Charter). (4) Establish peacekeeping missions. UNSC resolutions (unlike UNGA resolutions) are LEGALLY BINDING on all UN members. The UNSC is the only body in international law that can legitimately authorise the use of force (except self-defence under Article 51).

Question 2

Why is reform of the UN Security Council needed? Discuss India's claim for a permanent seat.

Accepted Answer

WHY UNSC REFORM IS NEEDED: (1) REPRESENTS 1945, NOT 2026: The P5 are the five victors of World War II — chosen in 1945 when the UN had 51 members. The UN now has 193 members. The world has transformed beyond recognition — but the Security Council's permanent membership has not changed in 80 years. (2) UNREPRESENTATIVE: NO PERMANENT MEMBER from: AFRICA (54 countries, 1.4 billion people), LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN (33 countries), SOUTH ASIA or SOUTHEAST ASIA as a region. The entire Global South has no permanent voice in the council that makes legally binding decisions on peace and security. (3) THE VETO PROBLEM: The veto has been used to protect allies and block effective action. Russia has used the veto ~120 times; USA ~80 times (mainly to protect Israel). Russia's veto blocks any UNSC action on Ukraine. China and Russia vetoed resolutions on Syria (2011–2017) as hundreds of thousands died. 'The veto allows the powerful to protect their partners from accountability.' INDIA'S CLAIM: (1) WORLD'S LARGEST DEMOCRACY: India is the world's largest democracy, with 1.4 billion people. India is larger than the entire African continent in population. (2) ECONOMIC POWER: India is the world's 5th largest economy and growing rapidly — projected to be 3rd by 2030. (3) UN PEACEKEEPING CONTRIBUTION: India has contributed ~280,000 troops across 50+ UN missions — more than any other country in history. India has lost ~180 personnel in UN service. It has a proven commitment to multilateralism. (4) REGIONAL POWER: India is the dominant power in South Asia — the world's most populous region. G4 GROUP: India, Japan, Germany, and Brazil — each supports the others' permanent membership bids. G4 proposed adding 6 new permanent members (G4 + 2 Africa) and 3–4 new non-permanent. WHY REFORM IS STALLED: (1) Existing P5 prefer the current arrangement. (2) China specifically opposes Japan's claim. (3) 'Uniting for Consensus' countries (Italy, Pakistan, South Korea) oppose permanent seats for G4, preferring rotating elected seats. (4) African Union cannot agree on which two African countries deserve seats. (5) Any reform requires Charter amendment — endorsed by 2/3 of UNGA members AND ratified by all P5.

Question 3

Evaluate the effectiveness of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security. Discuss both its achievements and failures.

Accepted Answer

THE UNITED NATIONS — A CRITICAL EVALUATION: The UN was founded in 1945 after the most devastating war in human history — to 'save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.' 80 years later, how effectively has it fulfilled its mandate? ACHIEVEMENTS: (1) PREVENTING A THIRD WORLD WAR: The most important achievement is negative — no major war between great powers since 1945. The UN, alongside nuclear deterrence and economic interdependence, has contributed to this 'long peace.' Compared to 1914–1945 (two world wars in 30 years), 1945–2026 looks remarkably stable. (2) DECOLONISATION: The UN provided a forum for independence movements and the principle of self-determination. In 1945: ~750 million people lived under colonial rule; today ~0 (the last territories are small islands). (3) HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT WORK: UNICEF vaccinates millions of children; WFP feeds 100+ million in emergencies; UNHCR protects 120+ million refugees; UNDP tracks development progress. These agencies save millions of lives annually without headlines. (4) GLOBAL HEALTH: WHO coordinated the eradication of smallpox (1980) — the greatest public health achievement in history. WHO helped defeat Ebola (2014–16) and coordinated COVID-19 vaccine access (COVAX). (5) INTERNATIONAL LAW: The UN has generated hundreds of international conventions — on human rights, the law of the sea (UNCLOS), chemical weapons, landmines. These create the legal framework for international order even when not enforced. FAILURES: (1) SECURITY COUNCIL PARALYSIS: The veto has repeatedly blocked effective action: Korea (1950 — USSR boycotted, enabling UNSC action — the exception not the rule); Rwanda (1994) — 800,000 killed while the UN debated; Syria (2011–2021) — 500,000 killed while Russia and China vetoed resolutions; Gaza (2023–present) — USA vetoed ceasefire resolutions multiple times. (2) PEACEKEEPING FAILURES: Rwanda (1994) — UNAMIR present but failed to stop genocide. Srebrenica (1995) — UN declared a 'safe area' but Dutch peacekeepers watched as 8,000 were murdered. These failures destroyed the UN's credibility on civilian protection. (3) THE P5 VETO PROBLEM: The UN reflects the interests of its most powerful members. Any major power can protect its allies from accountability. This makes the UN an imperfect instrument for justice. (4) STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS: The UN has no army of its own — it depends on member state cooperation. No mandatory contribution to peacekeeping. States choose whether to comply with resolutions. (5) NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE: Developing countries increasingly see the UN Security Council as a tool of Western interests — the Council authorised the Libya intervention (2011) which led to regime change, then failed to act on Syria and Palestine where Western interests diverged. CONCLUSION: The UN is simultaneously the world's most important international institution and a deeply imperfect one. It is indispensable — there is no substitute for the only universal forum for international governance — but it is also unrepresentative (1945 P5), often paralysed (the veto), and inconsistent (applies principles selectively). 'The UN was not designed to take humanity to heaven — only to save it from hell.' It has largely succeeded in the second task, even if it remains far from the first.

Practice — United Nations and Its Organisations

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