Janet E. Heininger
Abstract:
With the end of the Cold War, many believed that the United Nations could finally become the organization it was originally designed to be. However, the complexities and challenges presented by new ethnic and intra-state conflicts have shown the limitations of the UN to actually take action under the UN Charter’s Chapter VII, which relates to keeping and building peace. This paper focuses on the peace-building aspect of the UN and how it can be made more effective. The lack of experience the UN has had with peace-building has resulted in its limitation in resources. Because peace-building is not cheap, the UN should undertake it selectively, in order ensure it has ample resources and personnel. It must focus on appointing the right leaders, planning thought-out missions, and having ample coordination. Finally, as the example of Cambodia has shown that in many cases combatants will not be willing to reach peace until their conflict has fully exhausted them. While it is a sad truth, this is when UN peace-building mission are going to be most effective.
Keywords: United Nation, Cambodia, UN Charter Chapter VII, Somalia, UN Capabilities
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