How mighty nations are weakening efficacy of international organisations First Post 28 Mar 2023
How mighty nations are weakening efficacy of international organisations First Post 28 Mar 2023
The west has sanctioned Russia, the UN criticized it and the ICC (International Criminal Court) issued a warrant for the detention of Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Simultaneously representatives from 40 African nations attended the Russia-Africa International parliamentary conference while President Xi Jinping of China visited Moscow displaying solidarity with Putin. 141 nations voted against Moscow in the UN General Assembly all aware that their vote is not binding and would have negligible impact.
There have been multiple votes against Israel in the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) but none have resulted in any change in Tel Aviv’s outlook. The UN has played no role in placing sanctions on Russia or even Iran. The UN can only enforce its decision when all permanent members agree to act in unison, which is rare.
NATO, which fears Russian expansionism and is desperate to contain Moscow continues to fund, arm and support Ukraine, aware that innocent Ukrainians are losing their lives fighting Europe’s proxy war. Simultaneously, they threaten nations which support Russia with sanctions. Despite all their threats, Tehran and Beijing continue to provide military assistance, which Washington finds hard to curtail or turns a blind eye to. NATO appears to have taken over the role of the UN in Europe.
The war could have been avoided or even peace restored but all attempts were blocked by the west which sought to push the Russian economy into doldrums and significantly reduce its military capabilities. Currently, neither China nor the US desire that the war concludes, each for their own reasons. The US desires a degraded Russia while China wants western concentration to remain in Europe reducing pressure on it. Hence, the west funds and arms Ukraine while China backs Moscow.
Peace initiatives have not progressed due to the unwillingness of the states involved as also their backers. Ukraine and the west desire that Russia vacate all captured territory, which Russia refuses to accept. Moscow is willing for talks but without considering withdrawal. The conflict enforces the fact that global bodies, especially the UN, are helpless and ineffective in pursuing the very agenda for which they were created, maintaining world peace.
China which faced criticism in UN over a report released by the UNHRC in Sept last year on its treatment of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic groups released a counter-statement signed by 30 nations supporting its actions. These nations were either close allies of China or indebted to it for loans. In contrast fifty nations signed a declaration condemning Chinese treatment of its Muslim minorities. But nothing changed. Chinese repression continues unabated.
The OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) which regularly criticizes India for Kashmir and Israel for Palestine has never questioned China for its treatment of Muslims. This is mainly because most are financially indebted to China or are major trading partners of it. Pakistan, which claims to represent the global Islamic community has praised China for its handling of ethnic Muslims. With the US displaying scant interest in West Asia, Chinese presence has gained ground enabling it to obtain backing for its handling of Uighurs. National interests dictate actions of nations, ignoring suffering of humanity.
Europe, which welcomed the ICC warrant against President Putin, maintained silence when the US threatened it when it sought to act against US service personnel for their gross human rights violations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US threat of retaliation was such that the ICC did nothing, displaying that it acts against only those it can bully, fearing the power of the mighty.
The world witnessed the US crushing FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) solely because it awarded the 2022 world cup to Qatar instead of the US. To stop further threats, FIFA awarded the 2024 world cup to North America, as desired by the US.
The US, apart from displaying scant regard for the ICC, also pulled out from the UNHRC, as it perceived it to be against its ally, Israel. Its re-joining does not signify a change in approach. Washington’s scant regard for global bodies, except where it suits it, are being replicated by China which ignores comments on its human rights violations, refuses to share factual details on the origin of COVID with the WHO, and disregards ruling of the international tribunal in The Hague which favoured the Philippines in the dispute over islands in the South China Sea (SCS). In retaliation to the ruling China has increased its parleys into the SCS adding to security concerns of its neighbours.
Weaker and smaller nations, mainly from the Global South, which have faced questioning and threats from international organizations, including the ICC and UNHRC, could only watch these global bodies being bullied into submission by powerful nations.
While Pakistan and Sri Lanka struggle for funds from the IMF which places tough conditions, Ukraine obtains a grant of USD 15.6 Billion. In the case of Sri Lanka, the IMF announced that it will, ‘conduct an in-depth governance diagnostic exercise, which will assess corruption and governance vulnerabilities.’ The conditions for Pakistan regularly change as the IMF continues to exert pressure.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, this is the first loan by the IMF to a nation at war. To enable funding to Ukraine, the IMF went so far as changing its rules to allow, ‘loans to countries facing exceptionally high uncertainty.’ This is mainly because Ukraine is backed by the west. Differential treatment is dependent on which nations support whom in global bodies. Will Ukraine find peace and be in a position to repay is a million-dollar question. Will this ruling be applied elsewhere remains to be seen.
Global bodies are either ignored or forced into submission by the powerful. Differences between major powers has rendered the UN, created to ensure world peace and development, ineffective. Nations backed by the powerful benefit from global organizations, including financial, while those from the global south face road blocks and questioning. Organizations like NATO are attempting to play the role of the UN in their region making the UN redundant. This is geopolitical reality in the current era.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army