ROME — While moderating a panel at the Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome, Dr. Michael Köhler, a UN Grand Bargain Ambassador, asked his panelists if a young, budding student should even spend their time studying international law, given violations of ICC rulings, failure to uphold Security Council agreements and lack of trust in the United Nations system. Or, is it a “lost cause,” Köhler posed.
Should young people ditch Model UN meetings and cast off grand visions of becoming the next Amal Clooney? Panelists were quick to encourage the hypothetical student to continue in their pursuit, one saying “it’s in the hard times we need the smartest people,” but the question of whether the United Nation is fit to solve crises in the 21st century loomed large in Rome.
“I have a little hope,” David Harland, Executive Director of Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss-based organisation, explaining that “norms, laws, principles, alliances, the fairly fragile and imperfect web that has kept our world together since 1945 is basically falling apart.”
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At the dialogue were two Personal Envoys to the UN Secretary-General, offered two varying visions for the role the New York-based body plays on the global stage —
The UNSG Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, started out with some evocative language, likening the UN to “an elderly gentleman that needs to be refreshed constantly but it is not easy because it is like a polaroid picture from 1945 and there are many missing points.”
Onto the specifics, the Italian diplomat said “The Security Council is paralysed, it’s true and it’s bad news,” but offered a breakthrough vision, saying that while he was a young diplomat during the Cold War, the Security Council was “even more paralysed,” with a lack of discussion and progress.
In an optimistic light, de Mistura said, perhaps with the new US administration, set to come in on January 20th when Donald Trump becomes the 47th US President, “can provide for new atmospherics and a moment for new agreement.”
The envoy didn’t take issue to the UN not playing a role in brokering the US, France-led Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire which went into effect 4am local time Wednesday, saying the international body doesn’t always need to play a leading negotiating role. Instead, the UN “pick up the pieces,”, will have a key part in the deal’s enforcement: UNIFIL will have to “play a larger role” and “refresh and revamp” UN Resolution 1701, a 2006 resolution which called for the retreat of Hezbollah forces from the south of the Litani River.
But, de Mistura is steadfast that the UN can become more efficient, bypassing the UNSC veto powers by attempting to vote through change at the General Assembly. To end, the envoy expressed hope in reform saying, “it’s the only one [system] we have.”
The UNSG Personal Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on the other hand, was more critical of UN reform, saying what we are seeing is sign of “failure of international diplomacy” as the Israel-Gaza war stretches past the 13-month mark and over 40,000 fatalities have resulted from Israel’s attacks in the besieged strip.
The UN Envoy to Syria pointed to “unequal ownership” in the system as a crucial pitfall, saying that while the UN has “traditionally been the arena of ‘the West,’” wider engagements with the Arab nations, particularly the Gulf and also China is needed. “They need to feel the ownership and also the responsibility,” Pedersen remarked.
On peace and security, Pedersen said he belongs to the “pessimists” remarking he does not see reform as possible thanks in part to the UN Security Council veto system, which can promptly send a resolution to the diplomatic graveyard. With roadblocks on state cooperation, Pedersen said his and de Mistura’s jobs “cannot be done.”
While Pedersen said that the United Nations system is failing to execute on humanitarian aid, a key mandate, other parts are working — when speaking about the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister earlier this month, Pedersen said regardless of what one believes, this is a “sign” of the international system working.
On Wednesday, shortly after Pedersen’s remarks, France said that Netanyahu would have immunity from the arrest warrants issued against him on French soil.
Both envoys were flanked by Arab partners, nations both envoys said are crucial to further integrate to relegitimise international bodies like the United Nations.
Sitting to de Mistura’s right, Qatar’s Advisor to the Prime Minister of Qatar and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representative of Doha, a country that has spent months attempting to negotiate a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas conflict, said not to underestimate the UN’s role, saying that the New York-based body has “solved many mini crises” with the collective international community.
