The United Nations and genocide

Discusses the United Nation's troubled dealings with genocide. The UN has for the most part failed to prevent genocide & been slow to name the crime as well as intervene in it; one reason for this is that the nations constituting the UN so often work divisively in the name of their own interests & have often made decisions skewed in favor of nation-state sovereignty. The Brahimi Report & a 2004 panel report offer some guidance in terms of reforms that might make the UN more efficient & effective in the areas of peacekeeping & genocide prevention/intervention. Some attention is given to the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia & the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as well as the International Criminal Court, suggesting that at least these developments give the impression that the international community is taking some action. In addition, remarks are offered on the utility of an early warning system, arguing that despite an ostensible concern regarding the perpetration of genocide, many problems exist to confound efforts to prevent it & intervene. While the UN's record comprises many failures, eg, Rwanda & Srebrenica, the 1999 intervention in East Timor is viewed as one example of positive action. However, that, together with the tribunals, is not seen as adding up to a coherent & effective policy, & with genocide having now been identified in Sudan, the sincerity & efficacy of UN efforts remain in question. J. Zendejas