Introduction
In March 2003 an US-led coalition declared war against the Iraq and invaded Iraq. As soon as in April the resistance of the Iraqi military ended and the ‘coalition of the willings’ came out as the winner. But until today the situation in Iraq is far away from being peaceful. Instead there are terror attacks with hundred, sometimes even thousand, of dead civilians and soldiers every month.
But there is another point that led the war appears in bad light, namely that the United Nations (UN) and especially the Security Council of the UN never clearly backed this war. Furthermore the US-led coalition started the invasion disregarding the international community that was majoritarian against an attack on Iraq. But the fact that the US started the war by-passing the UN generates the question which role plays the UN nowadays in international politics? Is the UN still the only authority that has the legitimacy to decide and act in matters of international peace and security or are states paying less attention to the rules and regulations of the UN and strong states like the US act without regards to the UN and its the decisions in the future? Thus, can the UN and the Security Council restore and maintain their authority in matters of international dimension – despite the fact, that they were undermined in the Iraq war by the US (and the states that supported the US-led coalition)? Or did the unilateral Iraq War marked the ‘end of international security system’ (Glennon 2003, p.17)?
The starting point of this essay is this thesis of Thierry Tardy:
‘The ill-founded war in Iraq no doubt undermined the authority of the UN Security Council, apparently unable to match US security interests. But it also holds true that the UN still matters for the overwhelming majority of actors in the “international community” and is likely to remain an inescapable pivot of security management long after the Iraq crisis is out of the headlines’
(Tardy 2004, p.591)
To discuss these points this essay starts with a short introduction about the UN system and the Security Council of the UN. Afterwards I will look at the war on Iraq, how the UN and its member countries, especially the US, acted during to and after the war...
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The UN and the UN Security Council
- Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the UN
- The Security Council of the UN
- The Cold War
- The NATO attacks in Kosovo
- The Second Gulf War and the UN
- The future of the UN
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the impact of the Iraq War on the authority of the UN Security Council. It analyzes the events leading up to the war, the UN's role during and after the conflict, and the potential future of the UN in international governance. The essay aims to determine if the war significantly undermined the UN's authority or if it remains a crucial player in international security.
- The UN's role in maintaining international peace and security
- The authority of the UN Security Council in the face of US unilateralism
- The impact of the Iraq War on the international community
- The future of the UN in global governance
- The legitimacy of military intervention in international relations
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction sets the stage for the essay, outlining the context of the Iraq War and the key questions it raises regarding the role of the UN. The chapter then provides a brief overview of the UN system, focusing on the Security Council and its mandate for maintaining international peace and security. It delves into the complexities of Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter, which bans the use of force in international relations, and the exceptions outlined in Article 51 regarding self-defence and Chapter VII regarding implementation sanctions.
The chapter further examines the Security Council's composition and its power to make decisions that are binding on member states. It highlights the impact of the Cold War on the Security Council's effectiveness and the subsequent hopes for a more effective UN after the war against Iraq. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the Kosovo War, which marked a turning point in the relationship between the UN and NATO.
The second chapter focuses on the Second Gulf War, exploring the events that led to the US-led invasion of Iraq, including the rhetoric surrounding the ‘axis of evil’ and the role of the UN in the lead-up to the war. The chapter examines the motivations behind the Bush administration's decision to seek UN support for its actions and the subsequent diplomatic efforts towards a multilateral solution. It analyzes the passing of Resolution 1441 by the Security Council and the factors that led to the withdrawal of a new resolution draft by the US, UK, and Spain.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes of the essay include international organizations, global governance, the United Nations, the Security Council, the Iraq War, unilateralism, international security, international law, and the use of force. The essay explores the role of the UN in international relations, the impact of the Iraq War on its authority, and the future of the UN in the face of evolving global challenges.
- Quote paper
- Reinhard Schumacher (Author), 2006, The UN Security Council as a pivot for security management? A discussion on the Iraq Crisis, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/77217
