User:Surinduche

United Nations is the global association of governments which is facilitating co-operation in international law, international peace and security, economic development and social equity. The United Nations were established on 1945, after the “Second World War” to avoid another world war. It replaces the League of Nations organization which was established before “Second World War” and after “First World War”. The Major reason for establish the United Nations is failure of the League of Nations. Every body blame on League of Nations For its penalty put against Germany after First World War with treaty of Versailles. It makes a path to Germany to start another war against European countries. Also League of Nations was not powerful enough to act against powerful countries and some big powers not joined with it. (United States).

After all United Nations established to prevent another world war with more power than League of Nations and with more successive mechanism. With acceptances of 51 countries in 24th October, 1945 United Nations were established.

The neediness of UN reforms was there since the start of United Nations. There are some arguments about veto power gain by permanent five countries, arguments about organization structure, arguments about activate international law and some other. But all countries agreed that world need an organization to avoid the world war and UN is much better than League of Nations. So every body trusts on it and join to organization. But even when they are with the organization they saw, that UN needs reforms to become more successive. Today after establish the U.N. 61 years gone and it needs reforms more than past days. Because

1. To reflect present Global realities.

1. Changes of world political order. 2. Rice of new military and political powers. 3. Emergence of new actors. 4. Opportunities of new issues. 5. Growing demand for UN involvement.

2. To ensure Democracy, Honesty and Reasonable. 3. To ensure greater effectiveness. 4. To ensure sustainability. 5. To strengthen peoples confidence.

The one of major reforms needed to UN is Security Council reforms. For many years, some member-states have been advocating expansion of the Security Council, arguing that adding new members will remedy the democratic and representative deficit from which the Council suffers. Disagreement on whether new members should be permanent or have veto power has become a major obstacle to Security Council reform. Brazil, India, Japan and Germany want a permanent seat in the Council, and have threatened to reduce their financial or military troop contributions to the UN if they are not rewarded with permanent member status. African countries have also expressed the need for permanent African representation in the Council to bring an end to the hegemony of northern industrialized nations in the powerful UN organ. The Security Council reflects the global power structure of 1945, when most of today's nations were still under colonial rule. In 1965, under pressure from a growing membership, the UN added four new elected members to the Council, bringing its total membership to 15. But the five principal World War II allies clung to their privileged status. They remain "permanent" and have the power to veto any Council decision. This arrangement makes the Council both undemocratic and ineffective. The veto-wielding permanent members prevent many issues from reaching the Council's agenda and they often selfishly bar widely-agreed and much-needed initiatives. Despite the ten elected members, the Security Council remains geographically unbalanced and seriously unrepresentative. For more than a decade, the UN General Assembly has debated Security Council reform but has been unable to reach agreement. At the heart of this stalemate lies a conflict over claims to new permanent Council seats. Germany, Japan, Brazil, India, South Africa, Nigeria and others have demanded this special status and they have won some support for their bid. But the permanent five countries prefer to keep their own monopoly. And many other states firmly oppose the creation of new permanent seats, insisting that the Council should only be enlarged with new elected members. Other critics (including Global Policy Forum) are concerned that enlargement would make the Council unwieldy and ineffective. They propose regional based seats as a future-oriented and more democratic reform. We can identify four areas that UN need reforms. Those are:

1. Organization structure. 2. Management. (Bureaucracy, Secretariat, ) 3. Financial. 4. Political.

Financial Reforms on UN.

It is no secret that the United Nations today is a much different organization than the one established in 1945. The UN’s agenda expanded tremendously in recent years and its focus is no longer strictly political or economic. Member States have mandated the United Nations to deal with a multitude of issues and find solutions to problems ranging from preservation of international peace and security to promoting sustainable economic development to poverty and disease eradication as well as peace building and the promotion of human rights. One would only need to consider the exponential expansion in the UN’s financing requirements to realize the extent of the vast responsibilities that Member States entrusted the UN with.

The United Nations regular budget increased from $2.6 billion in the biennial 1996-1997 to $3.6 billion in the biennial 2004-2005. Peace keeping operations budgets expanded at a faster pace from $2.2 billion to over $9.4 billion for the same period as the number of mission increased. All in all, the total resources available to the organization including extra budgetary funds doubled between the biennia 1996-1997 and 2004-2005 to reach $18.5 billion.

The scale of assessments for the contributions to the UN for each Member State is calculated by a set methodology that uses the share of each country's GNI as a base. But most of the countries (Japan, German) believe that because of this method they have to pay large amount of money than they get benefit from UN. Also country like America running as it wants because of these large amount they bearing from the UN budget. So most of countries believe that should change this method and every country must take same amount of UN budget. But then it becomes a problem to country like Sri Lanka it will be a huge amount. So still countries make discussion that how should it be changed. Mostly in next General Assembly Japan and Norway will provide a reform (solution) for this.

Management Reforms on UN.

There is a serious and urgent need for the UN management reform in order to enable the UN to function more effectively and efficiently. States will pursue to reflect the achievements of the reforms to the maximum extent possible in the UN budget for the biennium 2006-2007, which was approved with limited expenditure authority of the Secretary-General equivalent to six months requirements, at the end of last year. All states will be actively engaged in the consultation of the UN management reform, particularly the review of the mandates, in accordance with the agenda and timeframe as already agreed in the World Summit Outcome Document of the September 2005.

Also UN had another accusation that UN Agencies becoming more and more formal and running after paper works, reports etc. Implementation aspects of plans, programs and findings & recommendations evaluation reports are very poor. But this is not the time of cutting the activities of UN around the world but should be more practical and economic. Also it is necessary to reform the depolarization of decision making power. Also the EU should play a role independently from the US. There is a lot of duplication of work in various agencies. Agencies of similar nature should be unified. For example, WHO can do all health related works, WFP all food and hunger related works, UNICEF and education and cultural related works. Adding new agencies will help to create new employment but does not solve the world problems. There are so many things to be done to make UN more effective.

Political Reforms on UN.

The major reason to ask more reforms on this field are most of countries is in believe that UN is a muppet on the hand of power ful countries. Also they believe some countries trying to take more functions and facilities from UN because of the political power they gain. Also they trying to under mind small countries. So they ask to some seats on Security Council with veto power as permanent members. Also African countries directly ask two seats from their region and India also trying to win a seat. Also they are looking for establishing the ethic offices too.

Organization reforms on UN.

Mostly UN needs reform on this area because UN is not in a position to work independently. Also it can’t control the members by it self. This was proven by the America with attacking to Iraq even with UN oppose. The financial situation of countries, political situation of world and some week rules and regulation included when establishing the UN is major facts for these. Mostly UN can’t work independently because it depends on member countries money. America, Japan, Britain pay more money to UN budget.

So most members agreed to establishing an independent audit advisory committee and strengthening the authority and operational independence of the Office of Internal Oversight Services. But U.S. is still wait and quite about this because if these happen the power U.S. got in inside UN will reduce.

History of UN reforms

As mention earlier neediness of UN reform there since beginning. But officially UN reforms started at 1997 by former UN secretary general Koffi Annan. He is the first secretary who believes in UN reforms needed and gain little success. On March 21, Kofi Annan released a report outlining his recommendations for reforming the United Nations. Included in his report were a series of recommendations to reform the U.N.’s political and management structures. Conservative Members of Congress would find some of the reforms acceptable. Internal auditing and oversight functions were accepted. But they stand against to strengthening the ICC (International Criminal Court) and United Nations be the sole authority in determining when military force can be used. Also Koffi Annan recommended to the expansion of Security Council.

In 31 January 2006 Koffi Annan made a historic speech on central hall Westminster. It’s the 60th anniversary of UN and he outlines his vision for a comprehensive and extensive reform of the UN. On March 7, 2006, he presented to the General Assembly his proposals for a fundamental overhaul of the United Nations Secretariat. The reform report is entitled: "Investing in the United Nations, For a Stronger Organization Worldwide". On March 30, 2006, he presented to the General Assembly his analysis and recommendations for updating the entire work program of the United Nations Secretariat over the last 60 years.

During his serve time he made some reforms.

1. Renewing the UN charter and start a program for UN reforms. (1997) 2. Reforms on Peace keeping. (Brahimi Report 2000) 3. Koffi Annan introduced an agenda to further changes. (2002) 4. Over haul of the staff security System. (2004) 5. Reforms on human rights “In larger Freedom”. (2005) 6. Investing in UN for stronger organization in world wild. (2006)

After the Koffi Annan the new UN secretary general Ban ki moon also in a position that UN need reforms. He still new to position and right now (When I writing this) its all ready to next UN general assembly. We had large hope that he will bring the UN reforms and as Asian countries thinking those are mostly values for under developing country.

Future of the UN

Most of the people looking at this in positively. Every body accepts that UN is needed. Because the main target of establishing UN is avoid the another world war. So every body in the position which are saying world war must prevent.

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” - Albert Einstein

Every body keeps this in mind working to secure from it. But the most powerful countries (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, North Korea, Pakistan, India, Israel producing Nuclear weapons and Turkey, Greece, Canada and Belgium Sharing and maintain the Nuclear weapons. Iran and Syria consider as nuclear weapon producing but not proven.) are producing, sharing and maintaining the nuclear weapons to show their power. When we see the map more than half of the geographical map had or maintaining the nuclear weapons. So it makes the primary issue to remain the UN as organization and become to more powerful.

But as I mention earlier UN need reforms. Then it become more powerful and can stop and prevent the wars and conflicts with enforcing if needed. Also it needs

1. Ability to reform. 2. Increasing efficiency of existing institutions. 3. Restoring credibility. 4. Ability to meet evolving challenges. 5. Strengthening the role of Secretary General. 6. Collaboration with regional organization. 7. Financial Independence.

These are really challenges and if UN can success in those UN can archive its targets without too hard.