Canada on the Security Council (1999-2000)

Canada & the UN > Canada on the Security Council (1999-2000)

Presentation 1 - Recent Trends of the UN Security Council

James Paul, Executive Director, Global Policy Forum

Mr. Paul reminded the seminar that Canada took its seat on the Council at a very difficult time, when debates were being conducted in an atmosphere of bitterness and Council authority was diminishing. He complimented Canada for its creativity and willingness to tackle the difficult issues. Effective responses to security threats appeared increasingly beyond UN capabilities and peace-keeping operations declined as resources became stretched, partly due to the American reluctance to pay UN dues and the diminishing capacity of member states to undertake comprehensive missions.

The Council also faced international criticism over the sanctions crisis in Iraq and its inability or unwillingness to find solutions to crises such as those occurring in Africa. It was becoming clear, too, that some members were looking to alternative security arrangements, preferring to work unilaterally or with regional organizations such as NATO. For many people, NATO’s overtaking of the Security Council’s role in the Kosovo crisis highlighted the urgent need for a revitalized UN capable of reclaiming leadership in the realm of international security.

Since then, there has been a trend towards re-engagement within the Security Council, as evidenced by the resolutions establishing an international civil presence and interim administration in Kosovo, the authorization of a multinational force in East Timor on 15 September, the expansion of a small observer group in Sierra Leone to a sizable peace-keeping force of 6,000 troops on 22 October, and the resolution authorizing a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This renewed leadership by the Security Council was in part the result of increased American interest in the UN and improved mission mandates as well as a demonstration of leadership by its elected members.

Mr. Paul noted that there had also been a serious debate taking place in the UN on sanctions and their viability. Many members of the Council were unhappy with the way in which sanctions had been applied to Iraq and other countries, and with the sanctions committees. The tide began to turn in the Council with a resolution (SC/1999/1992) and a Presidential Note which outlined methods for reporting violations based on an initiative of the committee chairperson.

Mr. Paul praised Canada’s role in addressing the challenges of UN mandated sanctions. When Canada assumed the presidency of the Angola Sanctions Committee in January 1999, that committee was the least operational and least effective in sanctions enforcement. The Canadian delegation made a concerted effort to institute change and challenged the status quo by putting forth a proposal for special panels to look into sanctions enforcement. It also established a precedent which allowed the committee chair to take an active role in the administration and creation of sanctions policy. The approach of Ambassador Fowler and the Canadian delegation on the Angolan Sanctions Committee are among the most interesting and innovative initiatives in the Security Council in years. The task for the UN now is to determine how these gains can be consolidated, even institutionalized, in the Angolan Sanctions Committee, and expanded upon and carried to other panels and groups.

Since the early 1990s, there has been a continual effort to contribute to the legitimacy of the Security Council by making it more accountable to UN member states and the public. Progress on increasing transparency of the Security Council has been slow, although in relative terms the advances of the past year have actually been quite dramatic. Following pressure by Security Council elected members, including Canada throughout 1999, which culminated in a Presidential Note in December 1999, there has been a marked increase in the number of open, and thematic, meetings in which selected state representatives have been invited to speak in Council. These developments have opened the door to collaboration with NGOs on a wide-ranging number of topics and have promoted inclusiveness and greater interaction between the Security Council and other interested organizations. There is now greater dialogue occurring between Security Council members and NGOs, although there is still much room for improvement.

Mr. Paul noted that the Internet has proved a valuable asset in promoting transparency in Security Council activities. Countries like Slovenia, Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, to name a few, have done an admirable job of posting presidential press statements, summaries of Council business, and other documents and information relating to the workings of the Security Council on their websites which has allowed non-SC members and the general public to read about the activities of the Security Council. According to Mr. Paul more can and should be done in this area.

An initiative aimed at familiarizing non-Permanent members with the work of the Council prior to the beginning of their term was discussed. The initiative would allow newly-elected members to sit in Council for a month prior to the commencement of their terms in order to familiarize themselves with the issues and the internal dynamics of the Council. The Permanent 5 (P5) (or, as he noted someone has dubbed them, the Hereditary 5) are opposed to this idea, but Argentina recently circumvented such objections and paved the way for the Jamaican Ambassador to sit on the Argentinean delegation as an honorary member.

Mr. Paul concluded by stating that, after the difficult beginning of the year, the Security Council is now stronger than it has been for a long time. There are still deep divisions, and financing for the UN remains far from secure, but there is cause for optimism. In terms of specific objectives, he suggests that Canada build on its accomplishments in the areas of sanctions, transparency (including the use of the Web), and the UN’s peace-keeping capacity. With the past year’s experience behind it, the Canadian delegation should now have a clear sense of what it can achieve, and a conviction that they can, in fact, make a difference.