LINKS

Links to Sites Discovered by Debate-Central

March to Irrelevance — The United Nations’ criticisms of U.S. military action in Iraq risk marginalizing the U.N.’s role in world affairs.

A Miasma of Corruption: The United Nations at 50 — The United Nations has scores of administrative agencies whose portfolios often duplicate each other. Insufficient auditing makes corruption a real problem.

A U.N. Army: Unwise, Unsafe and Unnecessary — A past analysis of a recurring issue. U.S. troops in a U.N. army would risk American lives and money on objectives that often fail to advance U.S. interests.

Dare We Surrender America's Future to the U.N.? — The United Nations is not a good place to invest our hopes for international peace, as the situation in Iraq demonstrates.

Annan Justifies U.N.'s "Pre-emptive Strike" Against Sierra Leone Militia — The U.N. secretary-general explains why the United Nations’ use of pre-emptive force in Sierra Leone was legitimate.

What Happened to Humanitarian Intervention? — Preventing another humanitarian disaster, such as the 1994 slaughter in Rwanda, is the best rationale for an increase in U.N. peacekeeping power.

Preventing Conflicts, Protecting Civilians — This report explores the tension between U.N. peacekeeping power and national sovereignty.

A Charter to Intervene — Strengthening international law can help ensure that humanitarianism does not become a disguise for imperialism.

A Limited Role for the United Nations in Post-War Iraq — The United Nations will be more effective as a mediator, trainer and democracy advocate than it will be as a provider of armed forces in post-war Iraq.

Revisiting Humanitarian Intervention: Post-September 11 — Human rights organizations often play an important role in determining when the United Nations should intervene for humanitarian purposes; they could play a valuable role in guiding the use of U.N. peacekeeping powers, as well.

Is The U.N. Even Necessary? — A brief argument for either a major reduction of the U.N. bureaucracy or an end to U.S. participation in the United Nations.

Expanded U.N. Peacekeeping: Costly and Risky With Few Rewards — Increased U.N. peacekeeping responsibilities are not justified by the United Nations’ track record. Regional coalitions of nations guided by rational self-interest are likely to produce better results.

U.S. War on Iraq is Morally Legitimate — The United Nations allows dictatorships to obstruct necessary military actions against dangerous regimes.

A Plan to Strengthen U.N. Peacekeeping — Reviewing the past 50 years, a U.N. undersecretary-general provides four principles to guide U.N. peacekeeping.

Help Not Wanted — A functioning, democratic Iraqi government does not need U.N. recognition in order to be seen as legitimate.

Blueprint for Freedom: Limiting the Role of the U.N. in Post-War Iraq — International law shows that the primary responsibility for a functioning Iraqi government belongs to the United States and its coalition – not the United Nations.

Timeline of U.N. peacekeeping missions — A 60-year timeline of U.N. peacekeeping provided by an online encyclopedia.

Map of Current Peacekeeping Operations — A U.N. map shows ongoing United Nations peacekeeping efforts.

U.N. News — The United Nations News Centre, with stories about recent U.N. activities.

United Nations Peacekeeping — The United Nations Web site lists its current peacekeeping activities.

U.N. in Financial Crisis — A module of articles, tables, charts and U.N. finance-reform analysis.

United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Problems and Prospects — A former United Nations peacekeeping commander discusses the successes, failures and challenges of U.N. peacekeeping since the end of the Cold War.

Additional Links

U.N. Reform: Is a World Parliamentary Assembly Needed? — The U.N.’s legitimacy is questionable, since it represents national governments, rather than a global community of mutually recognized interests.

Recommendations to the Bush Administration on U.N. Reform — A series of proposals to reform the United Nations: crack down on spending, reform the charter, be strict with dictatorships and limit the bureaucracy.

Senator Jesse Helms Before the U.N. Security Council — A transcript of Sen. Jesse Helms’ controversial address to the United Nations in 2000.

U.N.'s War on the Liberal International Economic Order — Mackinac Center Debate Workshop speaker Douglas Bandow argues that many U.N. programs are ineffectual or too removed from the world’s immediate problems to be meaningful.

Pruning the United Nations — The United Nations is an association of the world's governments, not the world’s people, undercutting its ability to be the "last best hope for peace."

Lessons from America's Making — The U.S. Constitution is based on principles that are fundamentally different from those of international orders like the United Nations and European Union.

The End of U.N. Peacekeeping – U.N. Secretary-General Annan called for a rethinking of U.N. peacekeeping efforts in wake of the Sierra Leone operation; workshop speaker Douglas Bandow argues that the United Nations should end U.N. peacekeeping efforts like those in Sierra Leone.