The United Nations in an age of globalization: adapting to a widening spectrum of threats.The year 2005 will mark the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations. This event undoubtedly will promote discussions on the Organization's role in the twenty-first century and in an era of globalization globalization Process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world. Factors that have contributed to globalization include increasingly sophisticated communications and transportation , its role is changing. The widening spectrum of threats to human security, the negative impact of globalization on many nations, and the emergence of new global threats, such as environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. , international terrorism Noun 1. international terrorism - terrorism practiced in a foreign country by terrorists who are not native to that country act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain and transnational organized crime "Transnational Organized Crime" ("Transnational Crime"), is criminal activity, orgainised across national borders. It has been likened to a cancer, spreading across the world. , require the coordinated response of the global community. The UN system is the sole universal instrument for responding to these challenges. The main thrust of United Nations renewal should be the regeneration of its paramount functions: an effective instrument for global coordinated actions in response to new threats and challenges; the promotion and protection of human rights and democratic values; ensuring the sustainable development Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. The linkage between environment and development was globally recognized in 1980, when the International Union and ecological security of the planet; and promoting a dialogue between civilizations and cultures. And this will only be possible on the basis of strengthening the principle of the rule of law as enshrined in the UN Charter. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1 1997 to January 1 2007, serving two five-year terms. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. stresses that the United Nations is currently going through the most difficult time since its creation in 1945. He warns of the proliferation of unilateral use of force, which is undermining the principles of collective security upon which the world has been based during the last 59 years. The United Nations has to adapt to the new political realities in the modern world. The end of the cold war and block confrontation facilitated strengthening the UN role in solving problems. At the same time, regional conflicts in the last decade of the twentieth century and the inability of the United Nations to manage these conflicts led to the necessity of finding new ways to increase UN efficiency in maintaining peace and security, ensuring sustainable development, social justice and ecological security, and protecting human rights and democratic values--priorities of the norms and principles of international law. The most important task, especially in light of well-known events concerning Iraq, is the reform of the Security Council, whose primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security. UN reform should rely upon the unused potential of the UN Charter relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc the interaction between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular in the maintenance of international peace and security. It is vital to establish closer interaction and cooperation between the Security Council and leading regional organizations. Special Council meetings could be held to discuss regional cooperative arrangements in response to the most pressing problems. In the case of conflict situations, relevant regional organizations should be invited to participate in Council meetings at the earliest stages of consideration. Regional arrangements and their mechanisms for maintaining peace and security could work together with the Security Council on the establishment and deployment of peacekeeping operations. Even those with no such machinery could provide political pressure to solve the problems that require international intervention. Two global problems require urgent action that will determine the future of mankind: poverty eradication and ecological security of the planet. Poverty and marginalization mar·gin·al·ize tr.v. mar·gin·al·ized, mar·gin·al·iz·ing, mar·gin·al·iz·es To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing. are the direct sources of inter-State conflicts. To solve these problems, it is necessary to combine the efforts of the United Nations, the Bretton Woods Bretton Woods can refer to:
Today, the problem that most requires urgent, joint and coordinated efforts is environment degradation, which affects all regions and each inhabitant INHABITANT. One who has his domicil in a place is an inhabitant of that place; one who has an actual fixed residence in a place. 2. A mere intention to remove to a place will not make a man an inhabitant of such place, although as a sign of such intention he . It is possible to establish an ecological council, comprising ecologists, scientists and environmental non-governmental organizations, instead of the now defunct Trusteeship Council. Globalization, which affects all States, has an impact on all areas of international relations. These factors, driven by the globalization process, require the strengthening of the political and legal mechanisms of our world order. As Secretary-General Annan emphasizes, the United Nations should be fully engaged in tackling so-called "soft" threats, such as extreme poverty, hunger, unsafe drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. , environmental degradation and new diseases. The "hard" threats, such as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or , require strengthening the joint efforts of the United Nations and its Member States to confront them. In this regard the primary task of the world community in an age of globalization is the strengthening of international law and the development of a new world order of international cooperation. Akmaral Arystanbekova is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary PLENIPOTENTIARY. Possessing full powers; as, a minister plenipotentiary, is one authorized fully to settle the matters connected with his mission, subject however to the ratification of the government by which he is authorized. Vide Minister. and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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