Topic: UN's Role of Addressing Sectarian and Ethnic Conflict within a Nation
Country: Panama
Delegate Name: Kelly Neckels
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Panama position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
One of the key roles and responsibilities of the United Nations is to promote and preserve peace in the world, both between nations and within individual countries. While the first is not typically disputed, there have been many controversies regarding how much power the United Nations holds in dealing with and involving itself in the affairs of any individual country, especially those undergoing ethnic conflict or another type of turmoil.
Throughout the past few years, ethnic conflicts as well as violence have become prevalent in such countries as Iraq, East Timor, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda. Such conflict has been greatly publicized and the question of should the United Nations become involved in the affairs of these countries, as well as to what extent they should extend their influence, has been both discussed and debated.
Article 2 (7) of the UN charter prohibits the UN from intervening in another state’s jurisdiction unless there is a threat to international peace and security, at which point the Security Council can then decide the best plan of action. As part of the Security Council, Panama believes in the need for preventative action, or the act of working towards preventing future wars or disputes as opposed to military or some other form of action succeeding the actual conflicts. If methods such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration are initiated and can therefore remove such threats, then there will be no need for military involvement which may then infringe upon the sovereignty of a particular country.
It is first and primarily the responsibility of an individual country and its ruling powers to protect its citizens and promote justice and peace. When there are threats to the well-being of the nation, or other nations become involved then it is the job of the United Nations to step in as an arbitrator or mediator, to provide added assistance and maintain the balance of power.
That being said, there is a limit to how much power the UN should extend. It is difficult to pin point exactly how much power the UN can and should use when another country's sovereignty is concerned. There are many past examples of countries stepping in to aid other countries in military conflicts, with little to nothing to show as a benefit of this assistance. Sometimes it is best to let a nation deal with its own problems. It is therefore important to rather try and prevent future problems so that there will not be a need for any military action.
