Oxfam asks for change in the UN

 

Vetoing Humanity: 

How a few powerful nations hijacked global peace and why reform is needed at the UN Security Council

The promise of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to maintain international peace and security is broken. Conflict around the globe is rife. 

Dozens of conflicts have raged – some for decades – with no sign of abating, leaving an unprecedented trail of human suffering. 

The 23 protracted crises examined in this report have been included in the UN’s Global Humanitarian Needs Overview for at least five of the last ten years.1 Over the last decade alone, conflict has killed 1.1 million people in those 23 crises. 

Millions have been forced out of their homes, and conflict has been the primary driver of hunger – pushing 135 million conflict-affected people into severe hunger. 

During the same period, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has risen nearly four times, driving funding needs to nearly triple – from US$ 20.3bn to a staggering US$ 56.1bn – to address this escalation in human suffering.

1. Make the UN Security Council more equal and inclusive

Ahead of the Summit of the Future, Oxfam has urged the UN member states to use this ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to take decisive and bold action to rebuild a more equal, inclusive, efficient and responsive system.  

For once, it could "truly captures the UN Charter’s ambitions and puts global peace above politics".

This includes making the following changes:

 • Renouncing the P5 veto and pen-holding monopoly and, instead, expanding membership to represent people and not military power,

 • Permanent member states have a moral responsibility to uphold International Humanitarian Law and the Arms Trade Treaty, and stop arms transfers and military aid that exacerbate violence and suffering, and that are potentially used in committing war crimes,

 • Women and other disadvantaged groups must be at the heart of peace negotiations: this is the only way to find inclusive and sustainable solutions,

 • The international community must make humanitarian funding mandatory to create a humanitarian finance system that leaves no one behind

2. Build a humanitarian funding system that leaves no one behind 

 • Make humanitarian funding mandatory: 

There should be mandatory assessments of the financial capacities of all UN members to fund humanitarian assistance. 

This should be done through a similar mechanism to that used to assess contributions and funds for peacekeeping. Much of these resources should be made available through simplified funding mechanisms to local civil society organisations, especially those led by women. 

In the meantime, the target of asking countries to spend 0.7% of their GNI on ODA should be enforced.

3. Stop profiting from conflicts

 • Ratify and adhere to the Arm Trade Treaty. Those governments that have already ratified should ensure full compliance

 • Do not transfer arms where there is an overriding risk that they will be used in the serious violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

 • Respect, and ensure respect, for IHL and all UNSC resolutions aiming at protecting civilians. Continuous impunity for violations of IHL contributes to a global erosion of trust in UN institutions and the rules-based order.

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>> read more from here: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/vetoing-humanity-how-a-few-powerful-nations-hijacked-global-peace-and-why-refor-621621/