DISPUTES and crises in the contemporary world threaten international peace. There are civil wars in Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda and Yemen, and there is the nuclear crisis in North Korea.
The United Nations tries to settle these disputes, however it has many major weaknesses which I would like to outline: In the Security Council, a unanimous vote of the five permanent members (the US, Britain, Russia, France and China) is required to settle international problems.
Yet the great powers rarely hold a common view regarding important issues.
Consequently, the frequent use of the veto often causes a deadlock and this prevents the council from enforcing peace.
The UN has no permanent armed forces. The Security Council has to invite members to supply troops whenever a crisis emerges.
It cannot perform the function of mediation once both sides of a dispute reject UN approaches. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOS), the Trusteeship Council and the International Court of Justice, have no power to enforce decisions.
Some members may refuse to help finance the UN's peace-keeping operations if they feel such operations are encroaching on their vested interests. This can lead to the UN suffering from a shortage of funds.
