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Kendala-kendala Dewan Keamanan PBB

The Constraints of UN Security Council

Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General called for the reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC), that was in September 2003. This is to make it more effective and representative of 21st century “geopolitical realities”. The issue of the demands of transparency that have been articulated by a number of the UN member states, that is what actually the concern over effectiveness and equal representation. The debates have become particularly vigorous after the end of the Cold War that, as Ofuaku and Ukaga point out, “ushered in a renewed interest in democratic governance all over the world”[1].

Initially, the first formal proposal for the reform in the UN Security Council was made in 1956 by 18 Latin American countries. Then, because of many countries became independent the pressure for reform increased and finally, the current composition of the Security Council was ratified by two thirds of UN member states in 1965[2]. The situation changed after the end of the Cold War. The UN Security Council fully assumed its functions of maintaining global peace and security.

The matters of the UN were not only the issue of the UN Security Council reform, but also the issue on the financial which is associated with the problem of the UN Security Council reform. The beginning of financial problems occurs during the Congo crisis of the 1960s. Although it has been done several ways, including by reducing programs and conducting budget emphasis, apparently the UN’s financial problem was growing along with many developed countries such as the United States (US) and Russia which are in arrears to make payments that has been agreed all this time[3].

The expansion of the UN member states should incorporate the financial, military and diplomatic be able to make a major contribution to the United Nations. Many countries that have good potential financial, diplomatic and the military are a permanent member of the UN, such as Japan and Germany. Ironically, the various efforts made by Germany and Japan opposition from Italy and Pakistan, even one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely China. China rejected Japan’s involvement in the future in the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council concerning that China feels they have a personal problem unresolved with Japan.

At the end, we can imagine how big the power is. The power of the Big Five may decide the decision. Only one vote of them can influence the others. According to data collected by Global Policy Forum, some 257 vetoes have been cast in the period between 1946 and 2004. As a result, a little over 200 draft resolutions have been rejected. The dubious honor of having cast the most vetoes goes to Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), which invoked the privilege 122 times. With 80 vetoes, the United States is entitled to the silver medal. Next in line are Britain and France with 32 and 18 vetoes, respectively. China used the veto merely 5 times, which is less than once every decade[4]. Ineffectiveness or abuse of veto power in every performance of the UN Security Council requires doing a series of reform process in the Council.

Now, what is the special burden of the permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council have to carry? Here, the founders of the United Nations expected them to play a major role in all fields of activity of the organization as they appear in the Charter. The council has many means of performing the task that has been set. Then, after the ravages of the Second World War one task was considered paramount, that is the maintenance of international peace and security. The Charter opens with the words, “We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”, and one of the four purposes of the United Nations’ listed in Article 1 of the Charter, namely to maintain international peace and security is the very first[5].

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[1] Maria Mikhailtchenko, Reform of the Security Council and Its Implications for Global Peace and Security, Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, Queen’s University, 2004, Vol. 7, Issue 1, p. 1.

[2] Ibid., p. 2.

[3] Wulan Purnamawati, Kendala Reformasi Dewan Keamanan PBB, Jurnal Masyarakat Kebudayaan dan Politik, Universitas Airlangga, 2010, Vol. 22.

[4] Jan Wouters and Tom Ruys, Security Council Reform: A New Veto for a New Century?, Institute for International Law, K.U. Leuven, 2001, p. 8.

[5] Bardo Fassbender, UN Security Council Reform and the Right of Veto: A Constitutional Perspective, Kluwer Law International, Hague, 1998, p. 292.

Korea Selatan here I come!!!

Bloggers.... hallo, saya Falah Al Ghozali, mahasiswa Fakultas Hukum, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). Saya memperkenalkan diri dulu yaa.. karena ada pepatah bilang "tak kenal maka tak sayang".

Aniway, saya adalah pemuda dari Banjarnegara yang mencari ilmu di Yogyakarta.. Iyaahh, saya masuk Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta pada tahun 2013. Ceritanya nih, kan sebagai mahasiswa, saya ingin mencicipi pengalaman berada di luar negeri. Nah, kebetulan sekali ada program Leadership di Korea Selatan.. TETAPI, untuk mengikuti program tersebut, harus melalui yang namanya SELEKSI (seleksi administrasi dan seleksi wawancara) yang tentunya menggunakan bahasa Inggris.

Awalnya, saya belum berpikiran untuk mengikuti program tersebut, karena saya sedang banyak tugas, maklum KBK coy (Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi).. Jadi, mau tidak mau, saya harus mengerjakan tugas saya.. DAN akhirnya pendaftaran pun telah ditutup, waduuuh.. sayaa belum mengumpulkan persyaratan apapun. Saya disitu perpikir, "ya sudahlah, mungkin ini memang jalan takdirku tidak bisa mengikuti acara tersebut".

TERNYATA, ternyata dan ternyata.. pendaftarannya diperpanjang 2 hari.. nah, mungkin Allah memberi saya kesempatan ke-2. Alhamdulillah, saya pun mendaftar. Jreng jreng jreng... setelah beberapa hari, ternyata hasil seleksi sudah keluar dan saya lolos tahap administrasi. Selanjutnya adalah tahap wawancara. Huh, kalau kata Wakwaw sih "pusing pala Wakwaw, Jonggol".

Pada tahap wawancara, harinya bertepatan dengan ulangan tengah semester, ini mah ngenes banget, ahihihi, sudah ulangan dua mata kuliah, wawancara pula.. untung abang sabar, dek.

Jadi, saya datang untuk wawancara pukul 15.45 WIB (padahal jam 16.00 WIB itu sudah tutup, jadi saya menjadi orang terakhir yang datang.. hhehe). Tapi Alhamdulillah, ketika wawancara berlangsung, hati saya tidak merasa dag dig dug, tidak merasa gundah.. I did not know why.

Selang beberapa hari, ada e-mail masuk dari penyelenggara, daaaaan gubrak, saya yang habis sholat Ashar di Masjid Kampus langsung heboh, haha. Alhamdulillah, saya diterima dan mewakili UMY untuk program Leadership ini bersama dua teman lainnya, Ayu (Ilmu Keperawatan) dan Vivi (Hubungan Internasional). Pokoknya perasaan saya sudah tidak karuan, tapi senang lah yang paling saya rasakan. Siapa sih yang tidak mau pergi ke Korea Selatan?

Nah, harapan saya semoga program ini bisa memberi manfaat bagi diri saya pribadi, bisa bermanfaat bagi komunitas dan rekan-rekan saya, bisa bermanfaat bagi universitas saya, juga bisa bermanfaat bagi negara saya tercinta, Indonesia...

Amin

Jadi seperti itu saja yang bisa sampaikan, apabila ada perkataan saya yang menyinggung dan kurang sopan, saya mohon maaf yaaa...

Terima kasih, bloggers!