Opinion | Editorials
US passes the buck to the UN
The UN Security Council's unanimous approval of a US-British resolution that calls for a greater involvement of the UN in Iraq is yet another indication of how desperate the situation in the country has become.
- Gulf News
- Published: 23:04 August 11, 2007
The UN Security Council's unanimous approval of a US-British resolution that calls for a greater involvement of the UN in Iraq is yet another indication of how desperate the situation in the country has become.
The passed resolution approves the extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (Unami) for a year. It also lends the UN a more powerful, albeit advisory, role. "The United Nations looks forward to working in close partnership with the leaders and people of Iraq to explore how we can further our assistance under the terms of this resolution," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The implications of passing this resolution are numerous. For one thing, it is a sign of the failure of the US and Britain to bring about change to the current state of affairs in Iraq. This means that regardless of the introduction of various action plans by the Americans, not much has changed in Iraq as the cycle of violence and instability continues. According to the resolution, the UN is expected to become involved in political, economic, electoral, and constitutional matters as well as assist in settling disputes over internal boundaries. In addition, the UN would be responsible for ensuring that human rights and judicial and legal reforms are promoted.
But it is not just questionable as to how far the UN would be able to bring about peace, as much as whether it will be able to accomplish what the US has so far failed to achieve. The issue at hand is not of what exactly the UN would do as much as how would it be able to carry it out. Would passing over the responsibilities to the international body bring about real solutions? That is yet to be tested and seen.
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