(This is section 52 of the World Beyond War white paper A Global Security System: An Alternative to War. Continue to preceding | following section.)
The following is based on the argument that reforms to existing international institutions are important, but not necessarily enough. It is an argument that the existing institutions for dealing with international conflict and the larger problems of humankind are wholly inadequate and that world needs to start over with a new global organization: the “Earth Federation,” governed by a democratically elected World Parliament and with a World Bill of Rights. The United Nations’ failures are due to its very nature as a body of sovereign states; it is unable to solve the several problems and planetary crises which humankind is now facing. Instead of requiring disarmament, the UN requires the nation states to maintain military force that they can loan to the UN on demand. The UN’s last resort is to use war to stop war, an oxymoronic idea. Furthermore, the UN has no legislative powers—it cannot enact binding laws. It can only bind nations to go to war to stop a war. It is totally unequipped to solve global environmental problems (the United Nations Environment Programme has not stopped deforestation, toxification, climate change, fossil fuel use, global soil erosion, pollution of the oceans, etc.). The UN has failed to solve the problem of development; global poverty remains acute. Existing development organizations, especially the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “World Bank”) and the various international “free” trade agreements, have simply allowed the rich to fleece the poor. The World Court is impotent, it has no power to bring disputes before it; they can only be brought voluntarily by the parties themselves, and there is no way to enforce its decisions. The General Assembly is impotent; it can only study and recommend. It has no power to change anything. Adding a parliamentary body to it would just be creating a body which would recommend to the recommending body. The world’s problems are now at a crisis and are not amenable to being solved by an anarchy of competitive, armed sovereign nation states each interested only in pursuing its national interest and unable to act for the common good.
Therefore, reforms of the United Nations must move toward or be followed by the creation of an unarmed, non-military Earth Federation, made up of a democratically elected World Parliament with power to pass binding legislation, a World Judiciary, and a World Executive as the administrative body. A large movement of citizens has met several times as the Provisional World Parliament and they have drafted a draft World Constitution designed to protect liberty, human rights, and the global environment, and to provide for prosperity for all.
(Continue to preceding | following section.)
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Related posts
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5 Responses
As a former member of The Planetary Society , I proposed
in 1984 to set up a World Space Organization which would
have for goals to protect Earth’s environment and biosphere,
to prevent the placement and use of weapons in space and to
use space resources for peaceful and energy purposes.
So far , my proposal has not met a lot of success but I still believe that the world is long overdue for a new
organization that will lead to worldwide global cooperation. I hope your worthy endeavor will succeed.
Richard Bernier , retired teacher
Thanks Richard. Are you active with the “Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space” and “Keep Space for Peace” http://www.space4peace.org/ ? Thanks for your work!
World Beyond War has brought America and the world an inspiring vision that is both practical and idealistic, at a time when the old guard seems far too eager for chaos, anarchy, and war. By contrast, an Earth Federation principle is that “we, the people” are a global family. The old guard’s negative ideology must be replaced by caring, respect, and love.
Thanks Roger! We’re exciting to find a growing group of supporters who are willing to stand up for the “idealistic” proposition that we can say no to war, and yes to the global family.
Bunları Türkiye’den yazıyorum ben okula gittemedim hiçbir eğitim allamadım sadece gökyüzüne baktım sonrada insanlara bu savaşların açlığın kibirin bir türlü mantıklı bir açıklamasını bulamadım uzaya bakınca trilyonlarca insana yetecek kaynak varken neden birbirimizi yok ediyoruz gerçekten. Bukadar aptal ve ilkel miyiz? Ben yeni dünya düzeni için herşeyi yapmaya hazırım