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Anthony J.

Yarnall - POL S 328 1//26/2017


Written Assignment #1 (Response Memo) ~ Liberalism's Final Respite
MEMORANDUM REGARDING RESTRUCTURING OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL

Liberalism's Final Respite

Executive Summary//

The rise of demagoguery the world over requires a sea-change in international

diplomacy. Nations can no longer rely on the post-cold war geopolitical certainties anchored by

an arguably temperate United States, a harmonious greater Europe, or a cautious China. The

mandate of maintaining relative peace between states is under threat. It is high time for the

United Nations to stand as the champion and guarantor of liberty. The following document will

serve to implore the Special Panel to take control of the Security Council with a two tiered

reform aimed at forging a rational regulatory structure free of post-cold war power dynamics and

the vestiges of colonial thought, whose decisions are to be informed by a commission of experts

spanning all relevant fields of subject matter. The reformed Security Council (herein referred to

as the Concert) will not at all resemble the structure it replaces. Instead, the new commission will

serve as an edifice from which to pursue and maintain world peace. In the words of author

Cordwainer Smith, the Concert shall adopt the slogan: 'Watch, but do not govern; stop war, but

do not wage it; protect, but do not control.

Organizational Overview//

The UNSC P5, in its current state, totally dominates and runs the council. This is why

the composition of the members matters so much: if they do not reflect the great powers of

today, the Council will increasingly make flawed decisions, as it has begun to do (Mahbubani,

2016 pg. 158). In an effort to remain relevant the face of a globalized economic order, the
Concert must reflect the emergence of advanced economies and regional powerbrokers outside

of the northern hemisphere. Opening membership of the P5 to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,

China, South Africa) nations is a logical step as China and Russia already maintain seats on the

council and the remainder are consummate examples of the qualities outlined above, with one

exception. South Africas dubious past as an imperialist apartheid state disqualifies it from such

a prestigious diplomatic role; most advantageous would be a coalition of representatives sourced

from the secretariat of the African Union. The African Union delegation would serve as the

surrogate voice of an African nation state as currently no countries on the continent maintain the

territorial integrity, human rights record, or sufficiently sized economy to bear the responsibility.

Additionally, Turkey would receive a seat due to its position as the preeminent power in

the near and middle east. (Saudi Arabia is not fit for the position due to human rights abuses and

the tactics utilized during the Yemen civil war.) France and the United Kingdom would lose their

positions, to be replaced by a single seat embodying the European Union (likely to Britains

chagrin), much like the arrangement regarding the African Union. The irrelevance of the UK and

France on the current P5 is evidenced by their diminished economic prowess and military

capabilities- culminating in their implicit acknowledgement that they have no legitimacy to use

the veto (Mahbubani, 2016 pg. 159).

The Concert must have a wider membership than the P5 not only to reflect the real world

balance of power but to safeguard against roadblocks. When there is P5 consensus, action can

be taken when the Council is divided, the result is stasis (Karns, et al., 2015 pg. 129). Such

stasis is evidenced by the carnage of the Syrian Civil War and the injustice of Russias

annexation of Crimea. The vetos and abstentions that essentially allowed these atrocities and
baseless aggressions to go unchecked is not only indicative of the current Councils impotency

but a violation of the UN Charter. The principle that all member states shall refrain from the

threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or independence of any state (Karns, et al.,

2015 pg. 110) has been repeatedly ignored by members of the security council to protect their

own interests or simply the status quo. Since merely adding more nations to the Concert will

simply widen representation and not fix the veto issue, an important feature of the new system

will be the abolition of veto power and the adoption of a consensus approach to resolutions. A

shift towards majority voting precludes reflect[ing] the interests of all the powerful actors

involved but rather the interests of a majority of these actors (Rittberger, 2006 pg. 89),

preventing important resolutions from being hindered by misguided elements of the Concert.

Further, the 10 non-permanent members of the former Security Council shall be

superseded by a body of subject matter experts drawn from all nations comprising the UN and

voted on by the General Assembly. Representatives from the disciplines of medicine, finance,

human rights, sociology, military strategy, environmental science, and many more (as needed)

shall form an auxiliary secretariat to inform the Concert of situational facts and best courses of

action when crises occur. The purpose of this Informative Assembly shall be to provide

transparent and factual assessments in an effort to coerce the constituent nations of the Concert

to vote in accordance with the most rational choice. In organizations whose decisions are

governed by rational choice, decisions do not merely reflect the interests of the most powerful

actors within the [whole], but the interests of the organization itself (Rittberger, 2006 pg. 88).

Such an arrangement shall ensure the effectiveness of the Concert and reaffirm its commitment

to the UN Charter.
Difficulties in Implementation//

According to Karns, et al. (2015, pg. 156), the United States supplies 22 percent of the

UNs budget and will likely threaten to withdraw funding if the Concert were to be instituted.

Such a loss of financing would be certain to paralyze the UN. However, it is important to note

that Japan and Germany contribute the second and third highest amount in dues, at 12.2 and 7.1

respectively (Karns, et al. 2015, pg. 156). The two countries are not members of the current P5

and would likely continue contributing the same amount even if the U.S. threatens to withdraw

support. It is worth noting that President Trump is already entertaining a funding cut as a mere

consequence of his entering office (Borger, 2017). In light of these threats, the UN ought to

proceed with making the changes necessary to serve as a check to unbridled aggression on an

international scale. With better integration and cooperation among Concert representatives, the

ratification of economic sanctions in response to rogue, unilateral actions like those proposed by

the Trump administration would have a potent effect.

Conclusion//

Security Council reform becomes more necessary as right-wing demagogues become

elected, as the UN is increasingly becoming a last resort for diplomacy. The creation of the

Concert system shall ensure increased efficacy of issued resolutions due to its inclusive nature

and the Informative Assembly.


Work Cited

1. Borger, Julian. "UN Funding: Alarm at Reports Trump Will Order Sweeping Cuts." The

Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 Jan. 2017. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

2. Karns, Margaret P., Karen A. Mingst, and Kendall W. Stiles. "Chapter 4: The UN - The

Centerpiece of Global Governance." International Organizations: 3rd Revised Edition:

The Politics and Processes of Global Governance. Boulder CO: LYNNE RIENNER,

2015. Print.

3. Karns, Margaret P., Karen A. Mingst, and Kendall W. Stiles. "Chapter 5: UN Financing."

International Organizations:3rd Revised Edition: The Politics and Processes of Global

Governance. Boulder CO: LYNNE RIENNER, 2015. Print.

4. Mahbubani, Kishore. "Council Reform and Emerging Powers." The UN Security Council

in the Twenty-first Century. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2016. Print.

5. Rittberger, Volker, and Bernhard Zangl. International Organization: Polity, Politics and

Policies. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. Print.

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