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I know the article touches on this, but it bears restating that the UN General Assembly is entirely pointless since it has zero enforcement power. I'd go as far

I know the article touches on this, but it bears restating that the UN General Assembly is entirely pointless since it has zero enforcement power. I'd go as far as saying its existence actually hurts society's ability to enact proper policy, since e.g. for many people now some "AI regulation" box has been checked so they can worry about it a little bit less, when in reality there is no checkbox. This resolution carries about the same weight as my family adopting an AI resolution at home, if not less. Wake me up when the UN Security Council votes on anything AI.

ramesh31 3y ago
The purpose of the UN is to provide a forum for discussion, and nothing more. The UN by definition cannot force its members to do anything, because membership is guaranteed by recognition of sovreignty.
- airstrike 3y ago
  That's the purpose of the Assembly General, not of the Security Council
- dragonwriter 3y ago
  > The purpose of the UN is to provide a forum for discussion, and nothing more The UN Charter disagrees: — Article 1 The Purposes of the United Nations are: 1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; 2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; 3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and 4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. — > the UN by definition cannot force its members to do anything, I mean, like any government, in practice it cannot without the cooperation of sufficient of its subjects in enforcing the rules, but in theory, yes, it can issue binding mandates, both through the Security Council, and through the ICJ, and, on a narrow set of administrative matters, through the General Assembly. > because membership is guaranteed by recognition of sovereignty. False, otherwise there would be no such thing as a state which has both applied for membership and only been given the status of a non-member observer state (which recognizes sovereignty but does not give membership.)

ramesh31 3y ago

The purpose of the UN is to provide a forum for discussion, and nothing more. The UN by definition cannot force its members to do anything, because membership is guaranteed by recognition of sovreignty.

airstrike 3y ago
That's the purpose of the Assembly General, not of the Security Council
dragonwriter 3y ago
> The purpose of the UN is to provide a forum for discussion, and nothing more The UN Charter disagrees: — Article 1 The Purposes of the United Nations are: 1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; 2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; 3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and 4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. — > the UN by definition cannot force its members to do anything, I mean, like any government, in practice it cannot without the cooperation of sufficient of its subjects in enforcing the rules, but in theory, yes, it can issue binding mandates, both through the Security Council, and through the ICJ, and, on a narrow set of administrative matters, through the General Assembly. > because membership is guaranteed by recognition of sovereignty. False, otherwise there would be no such thing as a state which has both applied for membership and only been given the status of a non-member observer state (which recognizes sovereignty but does not give membership.)