Political Science · Ch 4 — International Organisations
Jurisdiction of the UN
Jurisdiction of the UN
The UN's jurisdiction is not a fixed territory but a set of powers and responsibilities that have evolved through debate and reform. The question of who gets to be a member is serious, but the more substantial issues are about what the UN should actually do in the world. By its 60th anniversary in 2005, the heads of all member states met in September to review the situation and agreed on a series of steps to make the UN more relevant.
The 2005 summit produced a list of key decisions. A Peacebuilding Commission was to be created to help countries transition from war to peace. The international community accepted a responsibility to protect populations when national governments fail to prevent atrocities. A Human Rights Council was established (operational since 19 June 2006) to replace the older, discredited Commission on Human Rights. There were agreements to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a clear condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, the creation of a Democracy Fund, and an agreement to wind up the Trusteeship Council (whose work was essentially complete).
Each of these decisions, however, opens up deeply contentious questions. What should a Peacebuilding Commission actually do? There are conflicts all over the world — which ones should it intervene in, and is it even desirable for it to intervene in every single one? Similarly, what exactly is the "responsibility of the international community" when dealing with atrocities? Who determines what constitutes a human rights violation, and what course of action should follow? …
The cartoon shows a large, empty chair labelled "International Community" sitting in the middle of a barren, devastated landscape. Around the chair are scattered signs of a humanitarian crisis: skeletal figures, destroyed homes, and a few desperate people reaching out. In the background, a small UN flag flies from a pole, but it is distant and almost unnoticed. The chair is oversized and ornate, clearly meant to represent a seat of power or authority, but it is completely unoccupied. No one is sitting in it, and no one is walking toward it. The contrast between the grand, empty chair and the suffering all around it is the central point.
The cartoon teaches a hard lesson about the gap between stated intentions and actual action. The "International Community" — a phrase used in UN documents and diplomatic statements — is shown as a physical seat that remains empty. This means that despite all the resolutions, meetings, and promises, no one actually shows up to do the difficult work of stopping the violence or delivering aid. The UN flag is present, but it is small and in the background, suggesting that the organisation itself is not powerless, but that its member states choose not to act through it.
This connects directly to the textbook's discussion of the UN's jurisdiction. The UN can intervene in a crisis like Darfur only if its member states agree to authorise such intervention — through the Security Council, for example. But the cartoon implies that the real obstacle is not a lack of legal authority (the UN already has the Charter's Chapter VII for peace and security), but a lack of political will. The empty chair is not a gap in the UN's rules; it is a gap in the commitment of the nations that make up the "International Community." …