Putting The House In Order

The simple fact of the matter is the United Nations is irrelevant. The world body has degenerated into an unaccountable, scandal-plagued, and weak organization that isn't equipped to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. A good house-cleaning is in order, and though there are many areas that need to be addressed, there are a couple major aspects that should be our focus.

First the lack of accountability within the organization must be resolved. The prevalence of scandal within the U.N., whether it be Oil For Food or the numerous cases of sexual assault by peacekeepers, and the lack of any significant actions to address these scandals have shown in graphic detail that the U.N. is not capable of keeping itself accountable. To address this I believe two avenues can be taken. Either an oversight commission comprised of the United Nation's top financiers can be formed or that purpose can be delegated to those country's legislative bodies. The oversight commission or the legislatures would have access to all the U.N.'s internal records and dealings. This would make sure that funds given to the U.N. are being utilized properly and that operation of the U.N.'s bureaucracy is fully transparent.

Secondly, the U.N. needs to obtain some moral clarity. Any organization that has had Cuba and Libya chairing it's Human Rights Commission is clearly devoid of moral clarity, and this compromises it's ability to push for real human rights in countries where they don't exist. If Cuba, Libya, or any other nation that doesn't respect it's citizen's human rights wants a seat at the table than fine, just make it conditional that that country enacts reforms that will respect free expression and the protection of personal property. The United Nations needs to step away from the current air of moral relativism that exists, for an organization that condemns Israel's defensive actions while giving Palestinian terrorism a pass serves no useful purpose.

And finally, if the U.N. really wants to make itself relevant in the twenty-first century than it should make the promotion and preservation of democracy it's main focus. The only way to win the War on Terror and secure a lasting global peace will be to spread freedom to every corner of the globe, for the world will never be at harmony with itself until every man and woman therein lives in freedom. The U.N. and it's members must realize this and rededicate themselves to pushing for democracy around the globe.

This doesn't necessarily mean military intervention however, but also aiding fledgling democracies such as Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting the efforts of those seeking freedom in their homelands, and putting pressure on totalitarian regimes to reform. Speaking in one voice and remaining steadfast while dealing with totalitarian regimes severely decrease the likelihood that that regime will be able to wiggle out from meeting the world's demands and decrease the likelihood that military action will need to be taken against them.

For example, the unified pressure from the globe on Syria has forced them to continue to go through with their pullout from Lebanon. President Assad has tried every avenue possible to slip out of his promises to withdraw, yet the continued pressure from the United States, France, and the rest of the world has prevented him from doing so. If such unity had existed when confronting Saddam a couple of years ago there is a very real possibility that we could have removed him without war.

Similarly, the U.N. should follow up on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's proposal to allow for a multi-candidate presidential election this fall. If the world demands in a unified manner international monitoring and full transparency than President Mubarak will be hard pressed to resist. If we don't present a unified front, than Mubarak will easily be able to craft some excuse not to go through with his promises, just as Saddam did for so many years.

Though it's true that the United Nations is basically useless in it's current state, enacting the above reforms can completely change that. The U.N. can be, if the right actions are taken, an invaluable tool in winning the War on Terror, spreading democracy throughout the world, and securing a lasting global peace for centuries to come. All that's needed is for the world to put the U.N.'s house in order.