| Author (Person) | Gowan, Richard |
|---|---|
| Publisher | European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) |
| Series Title | Commentary |
| Series Details | 20.02.16 |
| Publication Date | 20/02/2016 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog, News |
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'Enthusiasm. Disillusion. Realism. This has been the history of the United Nations over the last five years'. That was the late Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s summary of his tenure as secretary-general when he had to quit the UN under American pressure in 1996. It was a diplomatic understatement. During his time in office, he was faced with the Somali debacle, Rwandan genocide and Srebrenica massacre. It is sadly ironic that Boutros-Ghali’s death in February 2016 has coincided with another period of profound disillusion at the UN. The crisis unfolding around Aleppo and in northern Syria could do as much damage to the UN’s credibility as its failures in the 1990s. In contrast to Bosnia and Rwanda, there are no peacekeepers on the ground to take the blame for the crisis, but Russia has abused its status as a permanent member of the Security Council to create political cover for its air campaign, which is helping the Syrian regime encircle Aleppo and decimate rebel groups, by manipulating the UN-led peace process to its military advantage. Whatever its failings, the UN will retain some long-term value as a negotiating venue of the last resort over cases such as Syria. But Russia’s abuse of Resolution 2254 marks a moment at which even the most ardent supporter of the UN must ask what the institution is for – and whether the Security Council is about to suffer a massive crisis of confidence. |
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| Source Link | http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_disillusion_at_the_un_from_srebrenica_to_aleppo6006 |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Russia |
