The UN Millennium Summit: Lots of Talk, Little Action

 
Some of the most serious problems facing the world today were discussed at the annual United Nations assembly in New York in September, dubbed the "Millennium Summit." Poverty, hunger, disease, human rights abuses and peacekeeping efforts were just some of the issues raised. As usual, many voices were heard, but few concrete proposals for action.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan sounded less than optimistic himself when he commented that he would not be satisfied with the summit if it failed to produce real changes. He urged the delegates to "go home and do something about it."

The UN is frequently criticized for the slowness of its actions and its immense bureaucracy. The majority of countries represented at the Millennium Summit agreed on the need for internal reforms to strengthen the capabilities of the organization. In particular, Annan told the Security Council that the UN is experiencing a "crisis of credibility" with regard to its peacekeeping missions, which have been the subject of much controversy. President Clinton added that "we must equip the UN so that it can do what we ask it to do."

According to a report presented by Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN's credibility has suffered from the inability of its peacekeepers to differentiate between victims and aggressors in conflict situations, making its forces incapable of reacting in time to the atrocities they witness. Brahimi proposed creating distinctions between operations designed to establish, maintain and consolidate peaceful conditions. Consolidating peace requires not only re-establishing it, he noted, but also building the institutions necessary to maintain it in the long term. Once peace is achieved, the rule of law must be imposed via policing efforts and the judicial system. Human rights must be ensured during the process of building democratic structures and seeking reconciliation among former warring parties.

The report went on to remind the organization that the UN "does not engage in war." It recommended relying more heavily on preventative diplomacy, including sending missions to evaluate conditions in problem areas. When intervention is necessary, the report continued, the action should be entrusted to coalitions of states willing to involve themselves, with the authorization of the Security Council.

At the end of the summit, the members of the Security Council committed themselves to review the UN's response capability at all stages of conflict and to strengthen peacekeeping operations with clear instructions and well-trained and equipped personnel.

Ultimately, the Millennium Summit was no different from other meetings like it. The goals were simple as well as admirable: reducing by half the number of people living on less than a dollar a day by 2015; protecting the environment; assuring greater respect for human rights; and searching for peaceful solutions to the world's conflicts. Yet, doubts remain about the UN's validity and effectiveness. In the words of the former Argentine Ambassador to the UN, Emilio J. Cárdenas, the organization "can be nothing more than what its members want it to be."