Putting Life into the United Nations

Despite the magnificent progress achieved by human civilization over the past few centuries, based on advances in science and technology, the stark reality remains that today humankind is facing existential challenges such as the population explosion, depletion of natural resources, climate change, the spread of WMD’s, drones and cyber-warfare, accelerating wealth inequalities both within and amongst Nations and the recent rise of extremism and fundamentalism leading towards mass migrations. 

Despite the near-universal acknowledgement of such challenges and talk of the need for remedial steps, precious little meaningful action has been achieved in this direction. The Global pundits’ cry for change today has no clear articulation of the direction for such change. It is limited in scope and misses out the fundamental need for a paradigm shift in our attitudes and values required to meet the massive challenges of the future viz. treating humans as one brotherhood, through gradual replacement of Nationalism by Universalism. 

This led the author to think that our goal for the future of Humankind should be, more appropriately even if a little ambitiously, how to “Thrive in the Future rather than mere Survive”

The focus invariably was either on a national security paradigm or obtaining a market advantage and competitive edge by the Corporations concerned, forgetting that “technical fixes” alone are woefully incapable of meeting these existential challenges. Such “Business as usual” and “More of the same Technological Solutions approach” will not be workable in the future. It does not matter if we drive on the right side of the road in the USA and Europe, and on the left of the road in the former British Commonwealth countries but up in the air or on the sea such diversity of laws becomes impractical. It follows that in a globalized world, ultimately, we all will have to abide by one set of values, laws and rules, if we want to avoid inevitable deadly conflicts.

But all hit the glass ceiling when it comes to delineating an overall holistic brass-tacks approach to optimize the human condition on the planet because they are essentially either “technical fixes” or “business as usual-more of the same” or of a “subjective nature” applicable to individuals or limited interests and not the entire mankind. The originality of the proposal is not “Where we are headed’ but rather where ” We should be headed.”

The issue before us then is to identify the new level of consciousness and its contours as far as possible. Such an effort will be grounded in supporting evidence and reason. The unique hallmark of this proposal will be to convert the new paradigm map directly into policies to be formulated by world leaders in the global space positively impacting the collective well-being of the planet.

1. UN to have its own source of funds by transferring ownership of the following resources to the reformed UN; i.e.
   1. The continent of Antarctica,
   2. The deeper part of the world’s Oceans, beyond the existing territorial claims.
   3. Earth Orbits especially the synchronous orbit for Comm. Satellites.
   4. The Moon and the Planets. (Even perhaps fresh water and Air)

2. UN must have ‘Suo Motto’ authority to call for any case regardless of whether the concerned parties want it or not but limited to powers of taking up issues of vital concern to the world.

3. UN to have a judicial rather than simply a recommendatory role, i.e. moving towards world government with the ability to implement decisions. Have its own police and Para-military force to enforce its joint decisions.

4. UN to have its own police and Para-military force to enforce its joint decisions.

5. Move gradually towards the establishment of a World Parliament elected based on adult franchise.

6. Have a well-defined system of accelerating the development of the economically lagging parts of the World without burdening or pulling down the existing developed World but bringing about an early balance must be the goal.

7. The goal of UN Bureaucracy to be “SERVICE TO HUMANITY” (Perhaps a la Peace Corps ideas of the Kennedys / Kibbutz/ Soviets and not be just a cushy retirement.

8. Improvement/Upgradation of the UN Secretariat with a gradually more pro-active agenda and capabilities focused ” Not just on Surviving but Thriving” of the new model of World Governance.

Most importantly the above steps should be accompanied by the formation of a “Sage’s Council” of Universal minded, accomplished individuals of proven track record, to advise a competent, pro-active, effective doer Secretary-General, with a view to balancing and soon replacing and ultimately abolishing the distortions of the present Security Council’s currently discriminatory outdated and unfair veto system.