How well do international institutions respond and react to the multitude of conflicts happening at the same time in the world?

Lois reflects on international institutions and whether they're still any use in a modern world.

Lois Armugam
4th December 2023
wikimediacommons
International institutions function on foundations of hypocrisy and imperialism and often fail to respond effectively to multiple conflicts at once. The Amnesty International Report of 2022 highlights double standards throughout the world on human rights and how the international community fails to unite around consistently applied human rights and universal values.  The Secretary General Agnès Callamard said “states cannot criticise human rights violations one minute and, in the next, condone similar abuses in other countries just because their interests are at stake. It’s unconscionable and undermines the entire fabric of universal human rights.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern that the war in Palestine will divert attention and resources away from Ukraine. He also drew parallels between Vladimir Putin and Hamas, calling them “terrorists” that “seek to hold free and democratic nations as hostages.” NATO has insisted that they can support Israel and Ukraine at the same time. 

Member states of the European Union opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees, but this was not an option for those escaping conflict in the Middle-East

The forceful western response to the Russian-Ukrainian war is in stark contrast to their inability to condemn human rights abuses committed by allies such as Israel. Member states of the European Union opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees, but this was not an option for those escaping conflict in the Middle-East, despite EU states proving that they are more than capable of providing this. Economic sanctions were imposed on the Russian Federation, military assistance was sent to Kyiv, the International Criminal Court began investigating war crimes in Ukraine, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russian involvement in Ukraine as an act of aggression. International institutions have made efforts to hold Russia accountable, and western member states provide support to Ukraine in the form of arms supplies.  

The genocide of Palestinians has not received the same response, and the success of international organisations in providing aid to Gaza can only be considered a disaster. The Israeli government has continued to restrict fuel supplies, resulting in communications blackouts of Palestinian telecommunications companies. Aid agencies have stressed that the delivery of humanitarian aid is dependent on fuel supplies. The Israeli blockade of Gaza has cut off water supplies and electricity to the city, and international institutions have limited capacity to mediate this. 

The UN Security Council has the mandate to uphold peace and security, however with Russia as a permanent member and thus holding veto power, the security council is often paralysed.

The UN is limited in the support it is able to provide in conflicts, due to international law, maintaining state sovereignty, and the mechanisms of the institution as a whole. For example, Article 51 of the UN charter defends the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a UN member state. States have been able to bend their interpretations of this for their own political agenda.  The UN Security Council has the mandate to uphold peace and security, however with Russia as a permanent member and thus holding veto power, the security council is often paralysed. The UN General Assembly could act instead, but does not hold the same power as the Security Council and cannot mandate peacekeepers or the use of force. 

In an international system of increasing bipolarity and western hegemony, current institutions have become highly politicised. As a result, international institutions overlook conflicts and reframe narratives to fit common political interests between western states. With conflicts becoming more intractable and political coalitions overshadowing the status of international institutions, they lack the power or means to resolve them effectively.

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