Could UN System Works To Free Market Liberalism?

by Arief Wicaksono

That question seems like a silly one. But, it has rarely been raised, since people tend to take for granted UN system effectiveness in enforcing its resolutions towards state-nations' administration, particularly the developed one. People has long been convinced that the UN system works well thus far, in bringing its noble missions towards vision of global peace and prosperity.

First we have to clearly put the issue appropriately that the UN system only "works" to state-nations' administration of its country members to include its legal and policy infrastructures applied within its each jurrisdiction. Secondly, the UN system does not have a direct intervention to any capital with its monetary infrastructures. It means that, the only way for the UN system to intervene the big corporations would be through state-nation administration of origin country of the capitals, that, off course, must be a country member of the UN. This is indeed problematic particularly for the transnational corporations (TNCs).

Please take a brief look on how the UN system works (www.un.org/). Or, please carefully read some critical thoughts about the UN system, to include the General Assembly, Security Council and all the commissions, both those are the permanent and ad-hoc one (http://www.globalpolicy.org/).

I'd like to give a very practical instance on UN Secretariat bargaining position towards its country members, particularly those the developed one. The UN Secretariat had to bend to its knee begging the US government to pay its obligatory fees that had long been overdue. That begging had not been responded accordingly by the US Administration (up to the Clinton administration). But, that overdue obligatory fees were partly paid when the US politicians has strong interest to use the UN system. See the example when George W. Bush attempted to mobilise UN country members to take concerted actions towards Iraq, and also in the war against global terrorism campaign.

Just read carefully the whole activities of the UN system's right hand (the UN system left hand comprises the World Bank, IMF, WTO with all its odious "children"), with all of its fancy and noble covenents and conventions (UN Coveant on Indigenous People, UN Covenant on Human Rights, UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework for Convention of Climate Change, UN Conventon on Forests, Deforestation and Desertation, etc., etc..). What we would see is the biggest joke on stage financed by state budget of the UN country members.

In the case of Kyoto Protocol, it is obvious that this protocol has been "a made in USA". Since the discussion on polutters to pay brought up in 1997, the US had agressively worked on smithing all the international monetary rules and regulations to ease the burdens and barriers facing the big capitals owned by rich people of the US, that are practically are providing political finances for any rulling parties. The arena are WTO, the World Bank (to also include IMF, IFC, AMiGA, etc.), by redirecting discussions on all technical protocols be leading to limitedly on global monetary infrastructure, that is basically rooted at the US made accounting system. And the Kyoto Protocol is, by design, merely a toolbox of tactics on how to reduce burdens and barriers facing the free market liberalism coined by big corporations and capitals from the north in the name of creating a gradual change.

What can we do?

1. Be strategic! See the big picture beyond paticular and specific issue of your works. Study any possible linkages of all social and ecological crisis we work on to political economic perspectives at both local, national, regional and global levels.

2. Line up! Avoid to be entrapped in sector-based works. Don't see, for instance, the environmental degradation only from the technical perspectives. Draw a causal chain analysis to find out any possible linkages of all the tree aspects of: (a) Socio-ecology; (b) Geomorphology; (c) Political-economy.

3. Pick an appropriate arena! Consider the most realistic change you can realise. Study all other arena that already been working with variety of different actors. Assess possible collaboration, or at least communication with them.

4. Blow up! Keep reaching out as farest as you can. Dismantling and demystifying some beliefs that had long been on air wouldn't be an easy job. But if you can consistently work on it, it will find its way...

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