The internal politics of the United Nations

Abstract

Abstract by author:

The finding was that the uneven distribution of voting power among the Security members has weakened the UN's effectiveness in decision-making. It was concluded that as long as the structure remained unchanged it would be difficult, though not impossible, to conceive how the Security Council could take an effective decision leading to South Africa's withdrawal from Namibia

It was suggested that African states should organize themselves and confront South Africa on the Namibian issue; that such confrontation could lead to a crisis situation, which could induce all the permanent members of the Council to support the call for South Africa's immediate withdrawal from Namibia; that the problem could be thus solved without a change in the organization's structure

The methodological approaches to the study were descriptive, historical, and analytical. The primary source materials used were United Nations and League of Nations publications. Other publications (books, journals, periodicals, and newspapers), constituted the secondary source materials. The Security Council's powers and functions and the distribution of voting power among its members, as prescribed by the Charter, were described. The reported flow of information from the other organs to the Security Council was reviewed. The recorded statements of the Council members during the debates on the Namibian issue were noted. The effects of permanent members' statements and votes on the debates and resolutions were noted. The effects of the uneven distribution of voting power, as explained by Council members, were noted. Apart from content analysis, situational analysis was also used. Certain factors which could probably influenced the voting behavior of the Council members were examined. The responses of South Africa's Government to the resolutions of the Council were noted. And, a Council's resolution was considered ineffective it neither led to South Africaís withdrawal from Namibia nor induced her to abandon her policy of apartheid in that territory