niianews Newsletter of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Volume 1 No. 3 July - September, 2005 UNITED NATIONS REFORMS In this issue: A Colloquium at NIIA Security, Poverty, Infectious Diseases, - The UN Reforms: A Colloquium (HIV/AIDS), Environmental at NIIA Degradation, Conflict between and within states; Nuclear, Radiological, - Presentations at the Chemical and Biological Weapons, Terrorism, Transnational Organized Colloquium Crime, Use of Force, Peace - Reform of the Security Council Enforcement, Peace-Keeping, Post- Conflict Peace-Building and Protection - Why Nigeria deserves a of Civilians. Permanent Seat in the UN In addition, the Report has a section on how to have a more effective UN for Security Council the twenty-first century. This aspect - Exhibition covers reform proposals on all the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, organs of the UN and its charter. All - Founders' Day President and Commander-in-Chief, members were invited to debate the Federal Republic of Nigeria submission thoroughly so that informed - On-going Book Projects decisions could be made about the Reforms. The UN Reforms Challenges Before the UN he United Nations (UN) has been Colloquium on the United Nations Tand still remains the most important or decades now, there have been AReforms was organized by the platform for nation-states to pursue Fcalls for the reorganization and Institute from the 23rd – 25th June, their foreign policy interests and reform of the UN to make it more 2005. The event, which was meant to objectives. The UN, being a vast global relevant to the needs of its members, sensitize the Nigerian public, organization with functional more effective in facing the many particularly members of the involvement in virtually every challenges confronting it and more open intelligentsia, was sponsored by the important sphere of human endeavour and democratic. Committee on National Awareness on provides enormous benefits and UN Reforms. The well attended event, advantages to its members states now The challenges include the problem of which was chaired by Ambassador numbering 191. The UN has no doubt development and poverty. The UN has Arthur Mbanefo, a former Permanent served as a very effective global stage adopted the Millennium Development Representative to the UN, attracted because it commands the attention of Goals (MDGs) as a guide to its shared participants from the academic and the international community. vision of development and eradication diplomatic communities, the armed of poverty. forces, the corporate world and media The world has gone through organizations. fundamental changes since the UN was formed in 1945. These changes have Among the distinguished participants been even more dramatic in the last were Ambassadors Akporode Clark, few decades. Against this background, Gabriel Olusanya, O. Falola, and Alaba the UN Secretary-General following the Ogunsanwo. Others were Fingap UN Millennium Declaration of 2000, set Njinga, Director, UN Information up the High-Level Panel on Centre, Professors Alele Williams, Threats, Challenges and Change to Charles Alade, Paulina M. Adebusoye, offer informed opinion on the Reform A. Uchegbu, Remi Anifowoshe, and Agenda of the organization. Yomi Akinyeye, Drs. O.B.C. Nwolise, Paul Adogamhe, Franca Attoh, and The Panel submitted its Report titled Rev. Fr. G. Ehusani to mention a few. “A More Secure World: Our Shared Teachers and students of King’s Responsibility” to the UN Secretary- College, Queen’s College, St. General in December, 2004. The Gregory’s College, Holy Child College Report covered a whole range of issues Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, Chairman, which pose challenges for the world all of Lagos, were also in attendance. Committee on National Awareness on body. These include Collective UN Reforms at a Dinner organised by BSG at Eko Le Meridian, Lagos 1 Secretary-General's Vision n the basis of this, the UN OSecretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, prepared a statement under the title, “In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All”. This L-R., Mr. Fingap Njinga, Director UN Information Centre and Prof. U. Joy Ogwu, DG NIIA. General Ike Nwachukwu, Prof. U. Joy provided greater clarity on the way Ogwu, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and a guest. forward for the UN and it was against together all the members of United this background that President Nations. The MDG has set targets in critical Olusegun Obasanjo set up the A third aspect of the Freedoms which the areas including global trade and Committee on National Awareness on UN Reform is being designed to address financial system within the context UN Reforms under the chairmanship of is the “Freedom to live in Dignity”. of liberalization. African countries former Head of State, General This is a declaration of commitment to welcome this and have also Abdulsalam Abubakar. It was this human rights and fundamental freedoms. requested Multilateral Institutions to Committee which sponsored the adapt their policies to be in Colloquium. A total of twenty-two This is a redefinition of the traditional conformity with the objectives of the papers were presented on several human rights protection pursuits of the MDGs. The management and aspects of the UN Reforms. The United Nations. In promoting this resolution of the debt burden of participants generally welcomed the Freedom to live in Dignity, action is many developing countries was UN reform programme. They required in the area of the Rule of Law, another challenge before the UN. expressed the hope that the reforms broad promotion of human rights and would lead to greater involvement and fundamental freedoms and the Human Security in view of the many participation of African states in the promotion of democracy. threats to peace around the world is work of the organization with greater another challenge before the UN. benefits for the cause of African Another critical dimension of the UN Related to this is the growing threat development. Reform Agenda is the reorganization of to human rights. Of particular the UN generally. This is, however, concern to Africans are the problems overshadowed by the attention given to The issue of development has been the expansion of the UN Security Council of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, abject presented in the Reform Agenda as poverty, international organized by all members. Here the enthusiasm of “Freedom from Want”. This is part the participants to contribute to the debate crimes, women and child trafficking of the new shared vision of among others; economic, cultural was understandable because Nigeria is development and a powerful way of in consideration for one of the two and social rights and the threats of evoking the desire and efforts aimed nuclear, biological and chemical permanent seats on offer for Africa at eliminating want and poverty. according to one of the two Security weapons as well as that of small Participants also examined the issue arms and light weapons. Council Reform models. This is closely of development in relation to related to the possible future role of financing, production and trade, while There was also the need to promote Nigeria in a reformed United Nations and the factor of environmental the national aspiration of being one of the gender equality and pay more sustainability and the special needs of attention to the role of women in two permanent members expected to Africa were also looked at. Importantly, represent Africa in an expanded United development and their Nigeria’s national strategy on this whole representation in the UN. The reform Nations Security Council. issue of development was critically Observations of the of the UN and its organs and examined. It was concluded that there agencies including the General is a lot of work for Nigeria to do Participants at the Colloquium Assembly, the Economic and Social particularly in meeting the general Council, the Human Rights Council, developmental challenge, achieving ome of the observations made by the Security Council constitute key freedom from want and meeting the Sparticipants at the Colloquium are as issues and fundamental Millennium Development Goals (MDG). follows: development concerns to all UN members. Another aspect of the challenges of the * The decision to reform the UN is era which attracted the attention of the necessary in view of its many participants, was the issue of security inadequacies in relation to the needs of Publications Committee now presented as “Freedom from the current era; Alli, W.O. - Chairman Fear”. This is actually a new vision of the whole concept of Collective * These reforms, it is hoped, will improve Onoh, C. - Secretary Security. Here, new elements and the democratic content of the sources of insecurity were identified organization; Oni, J. A. Oche, O. and analyzed. Among such were the problems of use of force to resolve * Development and eradication of Nwume, A. Agbu, O. disputes, the threats of Nuclear, poverty and the achievement of the Biological and Chemical Weapons; the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Inyang, R. Agwu, F. A. menace of terrorism, international are major challenges before the world George, F.O. Egom, P. A. organized crime and women and child body; trafficking, and the spread of Small Emmanuel, B.S. Wiltshire, L. Arms and Light Weapons. * Growing wave of intra-state conflicts in developing states jeopardize sustainable Design & Layout It was understood that as the character development; of threats to peace and security in the Emmanuel, B.S. world is changing so also should be the * Social, economic and political injustices George, F.O. responses to them. Accordingly, the act as triggers for conflicts; key issue in confronting these threats niianews is published by: is Collective Security: that, more than * Continued accumulation of nuclear, ever should have a truly collective biological and chemical weapons NIIA Publications Committee content and framework, which bring threatens world peace; 2 niianews - Newsletter of the NIIA * Unilateralism in the UN is a veritable Exhibition threat to collective security and global of other groups outside her borders.