Description
Abstract
The recent war between Ukraine and Russia has brought to the fore the role, purpose and effectiveness of the UN in preventing conflict and promoting peace at the global stage. This has been further compounded by the global trend and direction of travel that was witnessed during Donald Trump’s term as President of the US (2017-2021) where there was a general disregard of the UN and many supra-national international organisations with respect to their counsel and opinion in preventing conflicts.
The assumption of Joe Biden as President of the US in 2021 was going to see a diversion from the previous status quo ante and a move towards a global international polity where the US would focus more on the principle of human rights and justice and re-emergence of the role and importance of global supra-national organisations like the UN in providing effective power, diplomatic tact and leverage in promoting peace and preventing conflict.
Despite the good will intent of the Biden administration since coming to power, there are multiple hot spots around the world such as Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Kashmir, Palestine-Israel that remain unresolved and where the term “never ending wars and conflicts” has been coined by some political observers and analysts.
This paper will explore whether the time has come to reform the UN along with discussing what type of reforms are necessary to make the UN an effective supra-national body on the international stage that is respected by the comity of nations in promoting peace and preventing conflict.
