FERAREN, JOHN REY, A.

BLOCK 3
SPECIAL ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL LAW ATTY. DEVERATURDA

Even though many believed that the United Nations has not live up with all its expectations
towards its goal of being in the forefront as a key player in influencing international major affairs
and serves as a beacon of peace and cooperation between state actors across the globe,
nevertheless we could still see significant achievement that could be attributed to the works of the
U.N. as a collective organization during this past few decades, for without its existence none of
it would be possible, among them are addressing the conflicts in Africa and long term conflicts in
the Middle East which has been a direct act of the U.N. Security Council, which is one of the major
bodies of the U.N. that is task with maintaining peace and stability across the globe. Ironically, in
spite of numerous disagreements among the permanent members on their views or stand on
foreign policy they could still have time to find to live in harmony with each and find common
ground regarding key issues in the international arena that need to be resolve.
One of the root causes of an internal fragmentation between the member states in the UN, is that
these state actors primarily focuses on their own domestic problem happening in their backyard,
problems that may arise like border security, economic stability or law and order. This perspective
can be seen as for them exercising their right on self-preservation for fear of their very own
survival and putting their own self-interest and beliefs first over the customary policies that are
laid down before the United Nations. This is why coordination between them is so hard to come
by given the fact that each member states has overlapping mandates of their own, however their
dialogue and deliberations with each other has sometimes yielded to positive results among these
are the prevention of a large scale war and an affirmative action in dealing with humanitarian
assistance to individuals in times of calamities.
The pressing controversy that hounds the United Nations reputation as symbol of equality and
justice for all states around the globe is the veto power of the five permanent members in the UN
Security Council, because this power when activated keeps the Security Council from engaging
in major global affairs, this is mostly invoked by the other permanent members when the current
policies of the Security Council as a whole crosses path with the foreign interest of the other
permanent members. Even though the Security Council is the military arm of the U.N., their
agenda are mostly at a deadlock because of the different interest, ideology, and point of views of
each of the member states, this division of beliefs keeps the council from acting as a one cohesive
unit from the international arena.
Another act that sparks controversy and criticisms against the organization is the military
intervention by some of the super powers of the U.N. against the internal problems of other states
around the globe. This intervention is in direct contrast on how member states should behave
which is provided in the U.N. charter which tells that “member states should refrain from the use
of force against the territorial integrity of any state”, this aspiration however failed to materialized
since some major powers still meddle with the affairs of other sovereign nation to protect their
own self-interest and promote their own ideology and viewpoint on how states should act as they
see it fit. One illustration of this is the United States acting as the world’s policeman and the
Russians flexing its muscles to its former satellite state and border.