UN reform still a far cry

The reform package was perhaps ambitious and, it was like biting more than the existing order could chew and process into any coherent outcome. But it was always better to conjure up as many alternatives and as many reform issues that would equip an international institution like the UN, to meet the demands of the current millennium. The country positions have demonstrated deep divisions in perception and priority that vary from region to region, country to country and continent to continent. That it failed to see the whole agenda through is not the fault of the UN; all the 191 members must share the responsibility of the failure, some perhaps more than others.

The priorities were as different as the parochial slant was evident. The West led by the US and UK put their priority on terrorism and there was a general consensus although an agreed definition will perhaps elude us for many more years. However, while about half of the final document focused on development issues under the MDG including poverty reduction, improving access to education and reducing diseases around the world by 2015, much of these goals will perhaps not be met without a definitive commitment from the richest country in the world. The US has not agreed to the 0.70 percent GNP target.

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While the redeeming feature has been a coalescence of views on humanitarian intervention in a third country to prevent genocide, something that the powerful countries had always been seeking so long, disappointing has been their unwillingness to vest the Security Council with the power and balanced authority to decide and approve such interventions.

Disappointing has been the lack of unanimity on the question of expansion of the Security Council, the most undemocratic element and non-representative body of the UN that reflects the need of the time when it was set up rather than what the UN should be like in the 21st century.

It is hard to differ with those that say that we have lost a rare opportunity to reinvigorate the UN system to make it responsive to the contemporary challenges which, in tone, temper and texture are fundamentally different and demanding than anything we have known before.