Reforming the United Nations : a study of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change

United Nations--Reform;United Nations. High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change;United Nations. Security Council;United Nations. Human Rights Council;Security, International;Economic development

Fraser, Trudy ; Imber, Mark ; Imber, Mark

University:University of St Andrews

Department:International Relations (School of)

关键词: United Nations--Reform;    United Nations. High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change;    United Nations. Security Council;    United Nations. Human Rights Council;    Security, International;    Economic development;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/3124/Thefulltextofthisdocumentisnotavailable.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

This thesis examines the UN’s existential crisis of efficacy following its ineffectiveness inRwanda (1994), Srebrenica (1995), Kosovo (1999) and Iraq (2003). Specifically, this thesisexamines the reform agenda initiated by Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s High-level panel onThreats, Challenges and Change (HLP).The work seeks to diagnose the HLP-initiated reform of the UN and apply that analysis toprescribe the optimal shape of future UN reform. The current work analyses three main areas ofreform initiated by the HLP—Security Council, Human Rights Council and developmentactivities. One of the key subplots of the reform agenda concerned the expansion of the definitionof security to encompass non-traditional issues such human rights and the coherent system-widedelivery of development functions. I put forth two intertwined theses:1. The effectiveness of reform increased directly with distance from the Security Counciland the veto powers contained therein;2. The effectiveness of reforms in development placated developing countries and reducedthe impetus for meaningful Security Council reform.The changes brought about by these reforms fell into two categories—structural and normative.Structural change is Charter-based legalistic reform, while normative change alters the ideals towhich the UN aspires. Ineffective normative change took place at the Security Council, whileineffective structural change took place at the Human Rights Council. Only at the developmentlevel was there structural and normative change where intent was matched with action. It shouldbe no surprise that the HLP-initiated reform agenda brought about effective, pragmatic changesonly in development.Having completed this analysis of the effectiveness of the HLP-reform agenda, I will conclude byprescribing ways in which the UN can optimally reform itself based on a theory of tragedy thatsuggests political action to be best pursued in a piecemeal, small-scale results oriented fashion.The methodology of this work will be based on textual analysis of primary UN and Member Statedocuments, expert interviews with UN personnel, and observation of the UN reform process. Theempirical findings from thus will be correlated against a theoretical review of the purpose andeffectiveness of the UN, and the UN reform agenda. It is anticipated that the combined empiricaland theoretical sections will work together to elucidate new ways forward concerning the currentlimitations, and potential way forward, for the UN reform process.