Published Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 10:43
by
Editor
in EU in the world (843 views and 2 comments)
It is hardly controversial to point out that the UN Security Council is a post WWII construction that does not reflect today’s realities. But are we really ready for change? Can we accept one EU seat? That would be consistent with a Common Foreign and Security Policy, but it would also mean UK and France losing their own seats in the long run.
And it is not just a question of who sits on the Council. There is the veto which allows any one permanent member to stop any UN security or peace initiative. More importantly, could the UN play a bigger and more decisive military role in peace keeping – and resolving conflicts before they escalate into violence? The EU recognizes the UN’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security – so why not give it some teeth, some real powers?
Perhaps we should first push the EU to develop a real Foreign and Security policy before being overly ambitious about the UN? On the other hand why not recognize that UK and France, and all other European countries, are no longer world powers, and that the best hope for real European influence would be to press ahead simultaneously with the EU Foreign and Security Policy and a joint role in the UN Security Council?
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Comments
1. Modernizing the "big thing"... by pattheact
on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 11:36
"The big thing" as called by general de Gaulle doesn't reflect the world's realities anymore and the credibility of some of its resolutions are very often to be questioned due to an evident imbalance existing in the forces represented in the Security Council today. Reforming the Security Council and offering a seat to a unique representant of the EU can only occur once the total number of representatives will have been redefined, giving to other countries like for example India, or Brazil as well as to a member of the so called emerging states the possibility to influence decisions that do concern them on the highest level. This is necessary to have a realistic representation of the world's leading forces in the Security Council. Even if this vision of things seems much more in balance with the world's realities, there is still a long way to go for the EU on its way to finding a generally accepted consensus on our common foreign and security policy. I think that the rest of the world is somehow expecting the EU to take a leading role in this sense, in a history that concerns all of us. If a strong political body grows out of the European economic construction, the UN would really have all interest to reform their actual structure, granting itself much more efficient and real power when it comes to imposing a general consensus in world affairs. The political fight that needs to be won in a first step is to bring the European politics closer to its citizens to fight the ever coming back nationalisms which are certainly one of the biggest enemies to a truly internationalist and multi-polar approach of world's affairs. This is why I do think that the consultation process the PES has launched for its political manifesto for the European elections in 2009 will be a very important symbol and a democratic challenge, no trans-national party has ever offered to its members and grassroots supporters. This is the first step of a longer series...to leave no one behind!2. No vetos in the UN Security Council by ginneken
on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 12:24
The "Eurosocialists in Geneva" have just discussed Europe in the world and they have produced a two-page document. We propose to work towards a UN Security Council without vetos, but probably with permanent seats. The problem with vetos (as in the EU) is that the large countries, such as China (Tibet) and the US (Irak) can veto proposals on issues that regard their own policies. We are in favour of one European seat, and for more say by the developing countries in the Security Council.
Wouter van Ginneken, Vice-President, Eurosocialists in Geneva.
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