17/04/2020 - International Relations

KEY POINTS

·         While the UN is in its 75th year, this seems to be a good moment to ask whether its sprawling architecture is what is required for a post-crisis world seeking a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive future.

·         Geneva is the ideal place to reflect on that, given its multiple agencies that are covering a range of challenges exposed by this crisis.

·         Varying influence

·         The World Health Organization, established in 1948, it was the first UN agency with universal membership, mandated to control the spread of contagious diseases, backstop public health programmes, formualte standards on nutrition and hygiene and establish a centre for comparative health data.

·         From its earliest days, the WHO was under pressure from the US government to adopt a technical assistance approach to disease eradication, in line with advanced pharmaceutical interests, rather than an global advocate of public health policy.

·         With an ever-expanding portfolio of technical projects, largely determined by the main donor countries and run by bureaucrats from Geneva, the institution has lost much of its original multilateral purpose and intent.

·         While there is some truth to this, the institution had sacrificed its independence to moneyed influence (donors, corporates, and philanthropists) well before his arrival.

·         The World Trade Organization is the most recent arrival to the multilateral family based in Geneva. Emerging from the GATT as the custodian of the Uruguay Round’s expanded trade agenda and a standard bearer for open and efficient global markets, it is uniquely blessed with a dispute mechanism that can discipline reprobate governments that break its rules.

·         The UNCTAD, an organisation established over 50 years ago by developing countries to support their efforts to redress the biases and asymmetries in the trading system.

·         If the UNCTAD has been largely missing in action, the UNECE has been lying face down in the neoliberal mud for years. The first of the UN’s regional commissions with an early cast of strong leaders.

World Health Organisation is facing criticism from various countries because of its delayed actions for containing Covid-19.

Not only WHO but also the other international organizations like WTO,UNESCO,IMF,ILO etc are facing the criticism from various countries citing various reasons.There were multiple instances in the past where world organizations failed to bring consensus among member countries.

Measures to be taken for strengthening World Organizations :

Funding :

These organizations are majorly driven by the funds/grants received from the developed nations.As a consequence,developed countries are dominating the organization resulting in bias.So,there is a need for a mechanism to check this bias.Decisions and project sanctions need to be  independent of funds received.

General Assemblies :

Though General Assemblies are held regularly,the members are just showcasing their efforts instead of discussing solutions.This need to be changed.Members should send knowledgeable and ethical persons to represent on their behalf for effective decision making at General Assemblies.

Policy Framing :

Policies are framed in the interest of developed countries whose objective mainly is to spread neo-liberalism and their business propaganda.As international organizations are meant for fostering coordination among members and sustainable development across the globe,policy framing should consider multiple dimensions.

Proper Leadership :

The chairmen of these organizations are almost sitting on the chair for name sake and are mostly involved in pleasing the major donors.They need to focus on the issues and on how to foster coordination among member nations.Establishing dispute resolution mechanisms,organizing timely summits,shifting focus from developed countries to all the member countries may be the possible solutions.

UN Regulations :

UN regulations on these bodies are minor in nature.UN has to regulate these bodies strictly by forming proper committees and getting regular feedback in return.

Also,it is the duty of the member nation to have empathy on remaining members,keeping their self interest aside during these uncertain times.

"A bird cannot fly high without proper wings" - Similarly UN cannot become significant until n unless all its wings function properly.