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Does UN have any power at all? When was the last time they said something that resulted in a change somewhere? Related: Greece: “Troika bailout conditions are

Does UN have any power at all? When was the last time they said something that resulted in a change somewhere? Related: Greece: “Troika bailout conditions are undermining human rights,” warns UN expert on debt and human rights - http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13281&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?Ne...

Brakenshire 13y ago
The UN really has as much power as we give it, in situations like this. It comes down to your contempt or otherwise for global consensus opinion. But, if we're justifying the UN, as seems to be necessary by this thread, the UNHCR and the WHO make huge differences, these are the organizations which have been coordinating help for refugees in Syria, and efforts to completely eradicate Polio, for instance. The Security Council is the major means for forcing Russia, China and the West to come to a shared position on Syria, which has led to the decommissioning of chemical weapons. It's also instrumental to avoiding war in Iran - the non-proliferation treaty provides a framework for negotiations, and the IAEA does the actual inspections - and failure to reach consensus in the Council was a major reason why the war in Iraq went so badly. It's a bit tiring hearing the old John Bolton-esque bullshit about the UN; it's a vital international institution, even if just for diplomacy and discussion.
- xerophtye 13y ago
  It's not that the UN as a whole is a bad thing. Its the perfect place for countries to sit and talk. And they do tons for the world. But the view that it is some sort of superior body that governs all the countries is rather... naive. Even the security council for that matter, has had a terrible record track. And i need not remind the absurdity of the veto rule...
marvin 13y ago
No one has power over the US, because the US doesn't recognize any external authority. As Snowden said - it is all a matter of policy. It is schoolyard justice on an international scale, same as it has always been. To parahprase my history teacher, international relations are surprisingly childish.

Brakenshire 13y ago

The UN really has as much power as we give it, in situations like this. It comes down to your contempt or otherwise for global consensus opinion. But, if we're justifying the UN, as seems to be necessary by this thread, the UNHCR and the WHO make huge differences, these are the organizations which have been coordinating help for refugees in Syria, and efforts to completely eradicate Polio, for instance. The Security Council is the major means for forcing Russia, China and the West to come to a shared position on Syria, which has led to the decommissioning of chemical weapons. It's also instrumental to avoiding war in Iran - the non-proliferation treaty provides a framework for negotiations, and the IAEA does the actual inspections - and failure to reach consensus in the Council was a major reason why the war in Iraq went so badly. It's a bit tiring hearing the old John Bolton-esque bullshit about the UN; it's a vital international institution, even if just for diplomacy and discussion.

xerophtye 13y ago
It's not that the UN as a whole is a bad thing. Its the perfect place for countries to sit and talk. And they do tons for the world. But the view that it is some sort of superior body that governs all the countries is rather... naive. Even the security council for that matter, has had a terrible record track. And i need not remind the absurdity of the veto rule...

marvin 13y ago

No one has power over the US, because the US doesn't recognize any external authority. As Snowden said - it is all a matter of policy. It is schoolyard justice on an international scale, same as it has always been. To parahprase my history teacher, international relations are surprisingly childish.