Chapter 4 — International Organisations

International organisations help nations resolve conflicts without going to war, since most disputes can be settled through discussion rather than combat. They also facilitate cooperation on challenges no individual country can tackle alone — such as eradicating diseases that require global vaccination campaigns, or halting climate change by getting major industrial powers to agree on reducing greenhouse gases. An international organisation provides rules, mechanisms, and a bureaucracy that give members confidence that costs and benefits will be shared fairly.

The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945, which is why 24 October is celebrated as UN Day. The UN Charter was signed by 50 nations on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco; Poland signed on 15 October 1945, bringing the total to 51 original founding members. India joined the UN on 30 October 1945. By 2011 the UN had expanded to 193 member states, covering almost all independent nations.

The five permanent members (P5) are the United States, Russia (successor to the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France, and China. They were selected because they were the most powerful countries immediately after the Second World War and constituted the victors in that war. Their permanent status, along with the veto power, was intended to bring about stability in the post-war world.

The veto power is the ability of any one of the five permanent Security Council members to block a resolution with a single negative vote. When the Security Council votes on a decision, all members have one vote, but if even one permanent member votes against, that negative vote — the veto — can stall the decision, even if all other permanent and non-permanent members support it. Non-permanent members do not possess the veto power.

In 1992 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution stating that the Security Council no longer represents contemporary political realities, that its decisions reflect only Western values, and that it lacks equitable representation. Reform proposals include increasing the number of permanent and non-permanent members, especially from Asia, Africa, and South America, and abolishing or modifying the veto. Criteria suggested for new permanent members include being a major economic or military power, a substantial UN budget contributor, a large population, and respect for democracy and human rights.

After the Cold War ended, the Soviet Union collapsed and the US emerged as the strongest, effectively sole, superpower. Many new countries joined the UN as former Soviet republics and Eastern European communist states became independent. A whole new set of challenges also confronted the world — genocide, civil war, ethnic conflict, nuclear proliferation, climate change, and epidemics — that the UN's original 1945 structure was not designed to handle. This drove demands for structural reform and a rethinking of the UN's jurisdiction.

India strongly supports restructuring the UN on the grounds that a strengthened and revitalised UN is desirable in a changing world. It argues that development should be central to the UN's agenda as a precondition for international peace and security. India supports an increase in both permanent and non-permanent Security Council members so that the majority of UN members — who are developing countries — also have a say in decisions that affect them. India also believes a broader-based Security Council will enjoy greater legitimacy and support worldwide.

India is the most populous country in the world, comprising almost one-fifth of the world population, and is the world's largest democracy. India has participated in virtually all UN initiatives and has a long and substantial record in UN peacekeeping efforts. It has also made regular financial contributions to the UN and never faltered on its payments. India argues that permanent membership would reflect its growing economic emergence on the world stage and would provide symbolic importance, signifying a country's growing importance in world affairs and making it more influential in foreign policy.

Several countries oppose India's candidature. Neighbouring Pakistan, with which India has troubled relations, is reluctant to see India become a permanent veto member. Some countries are concerned about India's nuclear weapons capabilities, while others think India's difficulties with Pakistan will make it ineffective as a permanent member. There are also those who argue that Africa and South America — the only continents without any permanent representation — must be included in any expansion, and that accommodating India would require also accommodating other emerging powers such as Brazil, Germany, Japan, and perhaps South Africa.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organisation that oversees financial institutions and regulations operating at the international level. It has 190 member countries (as of 19 February 2024), but members do not enjoy an equal say. The G-7 countries — the US (16.52%), Japan (6.15%), Germany (5.32%), France (4.03%), UK (4.03%), Italy (3.02%), and Canada (2.22%) — together hold 41.29% of the votes. Other major members include China (6.09%), India (2.64%), Russia (2.59%), Brazil (2.22%), and Saudi Arabia (2.02%).

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established in 1957. It came into being to implement US President Dwight Eisenhower's 'Atoms for Peace' proposal. The IAEA seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes. IAEA teams regularly inspect nuclear facilities all over the world to ensure that civilian reactors are not being used for military purposes.

The chapter argues that the UN is not a great balance to the US. With the disappearance of the Soviet Union, the US stands as the only superpower whose military and economic strength allows it to ignore the UN. Within the organisation, the US is the single largest financial contributor, holds veto power, and exercises influence over the choice of Secretary-General. Nevertheless, the UN does provide a space in which other nations can voice arguments against specific US policies, and compromises and concessions can be shaped, even if the rest of the world cannot truly 'balance' US power.

When heads of state met in September 2005 to mark the UN's 60th anniversary, they agreed on several steps: the creation of a Peacebuilding Commission; acceptance of international community responsibility to protect citizens when national governments fail to do so; establishment of a Human Rights Council (operational from 19 June 2006); agreements to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); condemnation of terrorism in all its forms; creation of a Democracy Fund; and an agreement to wind up the Trusteeship Council.

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