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Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy

Year 2014, Volume: 19 Issue: 2, 33 - 58, 01.07.2014

Abstract

The general tendency in academic writing about the UN is to highlight its contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as its role in boosting economic, social and other forms of cooperation among states. One aspect that has been left rather in the shadow is the UN’s role in democracy promotion. This article explores the UN’s engagement in promoting democracy around the world through theoretical, legal, historical and conceptual lenses. The major question it addresses is whether the UN is engaged in promoting democracy, and, if yes, how this role has manifested itself on normative and institutional grounds. This article identifies fundamental ways in which the UN contributes to the globalisation of the norm of democracy. The major argument underlined by the article is that the UN has a long history of involvement in democracy promotion, although it has done so more spontaneously than in pursuit of a clear objective and strategy

References

  • Edward Newman and Roland Riche, “Introduction: Approaching democratization policy”, in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality. 2004. New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, pp.3-9.
  • Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Article 8, World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna 25 June 1993 at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/vienna.pdf [last visited 20 May 2012].
  • Guidance Note on Democracy, 2009. United Nations Secretary-General, at http://www.un.org/democracyfund/Docs/UNSG%20Guidance%20Note%20on%20 Democracy.pdf. [last visited 21 May 2012].
  • Immanuel Kant, Ted Humphrey, Perpetual Peace and Other Essays, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 1983, p.84.
  • Michael F. Doyle, Liberal Internationalism: Peace, War and Democracy at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/doyle [last visited 3 December 2014].
  • Bruce Russet, Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1993, p.2.
  • Woodrow Wilson, “Request for Declaration of War”, The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library (2April 1917).
  • UN General Assembly, Declaration on the Right to Development, 4 December 1986, Resolution A/RES/41/128.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, New York, United Nations, 1996, p. 26.
  • Antonios Tzanakopoulos, The UN/French Use of Force in Abidjan: Uncertainties Regarding the Scope of UN Authorizations, at http://www.ejiltalk.org/the-un-use-of-force-in-abidjan. [last visited 3 May 2014].
  • Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, p.27.
  • Tom Farer, “The Promotion of Democracy: International Law and Norms”, in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.34.
  • Peter Schraeder, “Promoting an International Community of Democracies”, in Peter J. Schraeder (ed.), Exporting Democracy: Rhetoric vs. Reality, Boulder, Lynne Rienner, 2002, p.8.
  • General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), 1960, article 2. The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was a milestone in the process of decolonization. Also known as the United Nations Resolution 1514, it was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 14 December, 1960.
  • Farer, “The Promotion of Democracy”, p.32.
  • This enthusiasm for liberal democracy was expressed most strongly by Francis Fukuyama, in his book, “The End of History and the Last Man”, published in 1993.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Peace, New York, United Nations, 1992, p.2. 18 Ibid, p.4.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An agenda for Development, New York, United Nations, 1994, p.3.
  • Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, p.1.
  • United Nations Millennium Declaration, Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly , 18 September 2000, A/RES/55/2, at, http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f4ea3.html [last visited 28 September 2014].
  • UN General Assembly :In larger freedom : towards development, security and human rights for all : report of the Secretary-General, 21 March 2005, A/59/2005.
  • See, http://www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/pastobs.shtml [last visited 17 April 2014]
  • Boutros-Ghali, An agenda for Development, p.4.
  • Jan Wouters, Bart De Meester and Cedric Ryngaert, Democracy and International Law. Working Paper No.5.Leuven Interdisciplinary Research Group on International Agreements and Development, Leuven, 2004, p.10.
  • These statistics are presented by the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs. They can be obtained at http://un.org.Depts/dpa/ead/overview.html [last visited 1 September 2010].
  • Robin Ludwig, “The UN´s electoral assistance: challenges, accomplishments, prospects” in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.). The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.170.
  • UN General Assembly: Enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections 1991. Resolution A/RES/46/137. 29 Ibid.
  • Ludwig, “The UN´s Electoral Assistance”, pp.171-173.
  • Fast Facts: Democratic Governance and UNDP, United Nations Development Program 2009, at http://www.undp.org/publications/fast-facts/FF-governance.pdf. [last visited 22 June 2014].
  • Richard Ponzio,“UNDP’s Experience in Long-term Democracy Assistance”, in Edward Newman, and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.209. 34 Ibid.
  • Fast Facts: Democratic Governance and UNDP, United Nations Development Program 2009, at http://www.undp.org/publications/fast-facts/FF-governance.pdf. 18.09.2010. [last visited 22 June 2014].
  • Amitai Etzioni, “A Self-restrained Approach to Nation-building by Foreign Powers”, International Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 1 (2004), p.4.
  • Michael Pugh, “Peace Building as Developmentalism: Concepts from Disaster Research”, Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 16, No. 3, (1995) p. 340.
  • Roland Paris, Broadening the Study of Peace Operations, Oxford, Blackwell Publishers, 2001, p.36.
  • Alex Bellamy , Paul Williams and Stuart Griffin, Understanding Peacekeeping, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2004, p.44.
  • Michèle Griffin and Bruce Jones, “Building Peace Through Transitional Authority: New Directions, New Challenges”, International Peacekeeping, Vol.7, No.4 (2000), pp.75-90.
  • David Malone and Karin Wermester, “Boom or Bust? The Changing Nature of UN Peacekeeping”, International Peacekeeping, Vol. 7 No. 4 (2000), p.41.
  • Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World, UNDP Human Development Report 2002, at http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2002 [last visited 5 January 2014].
  • James Hyland, Democratic Theory: the Philosophical Foundations, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1995, p.36.
  • See, Arab Human Development Reports (AHDR) at http://www.arab-hdr.org/resources/ publications.aspx?tid=979, [last visited 17 April 2013].
  • On March 1, 2011, the General Assembly, acting upon the recommendation of the Human Rights Council, voted unanimously to suspend Libya’s membership on the UN’s human rights body. This unprecedented action has been justified on the ground that Libya had committed gross and systematic violations of human rights.” “UN suspends Libya from human rights council over violence against protesters”, Guardian, 1 March 2011, at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/02/un-suspends-libya-human-rights-council [last visited 5 January 2014].
  • Valerio Bosco, “The UN Response to the Arab Spring: Challenges and Opportunities, Between 2011 and 2012”, International Organizations, Vol. 9, No. 3 (2011), pp.81-90.
  • See, United Nations Support Mission in Libya at http://unsmil.unmissions.org [last visited 29 September 2014].
  • Adrian Croft, UPDATE 2-UN’s Ban urges reform not repression in Egypt, Reuters, at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/egypt-un-idAFLDE71120F20110202 [last visited 13 March 2012].
  • See, Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations, at http://www.un.org/wcm/ content/site/undpa/main [last visited 14 February 2013].
  • Pillay and, occasionally, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued statements condemning the use of violence in the protests and calling the interim authorities and security forces of Egypt “to respect the right to free speech and assembly and urging protesters to demonstrate peacefully.”
  • See, Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations, at http://www.un.org/wcm/ content/site/undpa/main [last visited 14 February 2013].
  • Rick Gladstone and Nick Cumming-Bruce, “U.N. Leader Admits Failure to Halt Syrian Atrocities”, New York Times, 11 September 2013.
  • In July 2012, Russia and China even vetoed a resolution that would have extended the mandate of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and which would have threatened sanctions, but not military force, on Syrian regime if it failed to meet the demands to end the escalating violence. Security Council 6810th Meeting (AM), “Security Council Fails to Adopt Draft resolution on Syria that Would Have Threatened Sanctions, Due to Negative Votes of China, Russian Federation”, Security Council SC/10714, 19 July 2013.
  • UN Security Council, The situation in the Middle East, 6598th Meeting, 3 August 2011.
  • Christian Science Monitor, “Deadlock on Syria: Likely Crimes Against Humanity, But No Plan of Action”, at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2012/0213/Deadlock- on-Syria-Likely-crimes-against-humanity-but-no-plan-of-action [last visited 29 September 2014].
  • UN News Centre, Citing Syria and Mali, deputy UN chief highlights impact of Security Council unity, at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43380#.VClkFWd_uSo [last visited 29 September 2014].
Year 2014, Volume: 19 Issue: 2, 33 - 58, 01.07.2014

Abstract

References

  • Edward Newman and Roland Riche, “Introduction: Approaching democratization policy”, in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality. 2004. New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, pp.3-9.
  • Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Article 8, World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna 25 June 1993 at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/vienna.pdf [last visited 20 May 2012].
  • Guidance Note on Democracy, 2009. United Nations Secretary-General, at http://www.un.org/democracyfund/Docs/UNSG%20Guidance%20Note%20on%20 Democracy.pdf. [last visited 21 May 2012].
  • Immanuel Kant, Ted Humphrey, Perpetual Peace and Other Essays, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 1983, p.84.
  • Michael F. Doyle, Liberal Internationalism: Peace, War and Democracy at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/doyle [last visited 3 December 2014].
  • Bruce Russet, Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1993, p.2.
  • Woodrow Wilson, “Request for Declaration of War”, The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library (2April 1917).
  • UN General Assembly, Declaration on the Right to Development, 4 December 1986, Resolution A/RES/41/128.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, New York, United Nations, 1996, p. 26.
  • Antonios Tzanakopoulos, The UN/French Use of Force in Abidjan: Uncertainties Regarding the Scope of UN Authorizations, at http://www.ejiltalk.org/the-un-use-of-force-in-abidjan. [last visited 3 May 2014].
  • Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, p.27.
  • Tom Farer, “The Promotion of Democracy: International Law and Norms”, in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.34.
  • Peter Schraeder, “Promoting an International Community of Democracies”, in Peter J. Schraeder (ed.), Exporting Democracy: Rhetoric vs. Reality, Boulder, Lynne Rienner, 2002, p.8.
  • General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), 1960, article 2. The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was a milestone in the process of decolonization. Also known as the United Nations Resolution 1514, it was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 14 December, 1960.
  • Farer, “The Promotion of Democracy”, p.32.
  • This enthusiasm for liberal democracy was expressed most strongly by Francis Fukuyama, in his book, “The End of History and the Last Man”, published in 1993.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Peace, New York, United Nations, 1992, p.2. 18 Ibid, p.4.
  • Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An agenda for Development, New York, United Nations, 1994, p.3.
  • Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Democratization, p.1.
  • United Nations Millennium Declaration, Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly , 18 September 2000, A/RES/55/2, at, http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f4ea3.html [last visited 28 September 2014].
  • UN General Assembly :In larger freedom : towards development, security and human rights for all : report of the Secretary-General, 21 March 2005, A/59/2005.
  • See, http://www.un.org/en/events/democracyday/pastobs.shtml [last visited 17 April 2014]
  • Boutros-Ghali, An agenda for Development, p.4.
  • Jan Wouters, Bart De Meester and Cedric Ryngaert, Democracy and International Law. Working Paper No.5.Leuven Interdisciplinary Research Group on International Agreements and Development, Leuven, 2004, p.10.
  • These statistics are presented by the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs. They can be obtained at http://un.org.Depts/dpa/ead/overview.html [last visited 1 September 2010].
  • Robin Ludwig, “The UN´s electoral assistance: challenges, accomplishments, prospects” in Edward Newman and Roland Riche (eds.). The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.170.
  • UN General Assembly: Enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections 1991. Resolution A/RES/46/137. 29 Ibid.
  • Ludwig, “The UN´s Electoral Assistance”, pp.171-173.
  • Fast Facts: Democratic Governance and UNDP, United Nations Development Program 2009, at http://www.undp.org/publications/fast-facts/FF-governance.pdf. [last visited 22 June 2014].
  • Richard Ponzio,“UNDP’s Experience in Long-term Democracy Assistance”, in Edward Newman, and Roland Riche (eds.), The UN Role in Promoting Democracy: Between Ideals and Reality, New York, United Nations University Press, 2004, p.209. 34 Ibid.
  • Fast Facts: Democratic Governance and UNDP, United Nations Development Program 2009, at http://www.undp.org/publications/fast-facts/FF-governance.pdf. 18.09.2010. [last visited 22 June 2014].
  • Amitai Etzioni, “A Self-restrained Approach to Nation-building by Foreign Powers”, International Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 1 (2004), p.4.
  • Michael Pugh, “Peace Building as Developmentalism: Concepts from Disaster Research”, Contemporary Security Policy, Vol. 16, No. 3, (1995) p. 340.
  • Roland Paris, Broadening the Study of Peace Operations, Oxford, Blackwell Publishers, 2001, p.36.
  • Alex Bellamy , Paul Williams and Stuart Griffin, Understanding Peacekeeping, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2004, p.44.
  • Michèle Griffin and Bruce Jones, “Building Peace Through Transitional Authority: New Directions, New Challenges”, International Peacekeeping, Vol.7, No.4 (2000), pp.75-90.
  • David Malone and Karin Wermester, “Boom or Bust? The Changing Nature of UN Peacekeeping”, International Peacekeeping, Vol. 7 No. 4 (2000), p.41.
  • Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World, UNDP Human Development Report 2002, at http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2002 [last visited 5 January 2014].
  • James Hyland, Democratic Theory: the Philosophical Foundations, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1995, p.36.
  • See, Arab Human Development Reports (AHDR) at http://www.arab-hdr.org/resources/ publications.aspx?tid=979, [last visited 17 April 2013].
  • On March 1, 2011, the General Assembly, acting upon the recommendation of the Human Rights Council, voted unanimously to suspend Libya’s membership on the UN’s human rights body. This unprecedented action has been justified on the ground that Libya had committed gross and systematic violations of human rights.” “UN suspends Libya from human rights council over violence against protesters”, Guardian, 1 March 2011, at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/02/un-suspends-libya-human-rights-council [last visited 5 January 2014].
  • Valerio Bosco, “The UN Response to the Arab Spring: Challenges and Opportunities, Between 2011 and 2012”, International Organizations, Vol. 9, No. 3 (2011), pp.81-90.
  • See, United Nations Support Mission in Libya at http://unsmil.unmissions.org [last visited 29 September 2014].
  • Adrian Croft, UPDATE 2-UN’s Ban urges reform not repression in Egypt, Reuters, at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/egypt-un-idAFLDE71120F20110202 [last visited 13 March 2012].
  • See, Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations, at http://www.un.org/wcm/ content/site/undpa/main [last visited 14 February 2013].
  • Pillay and, occasionally, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued statements condemning the use of violence in the protests and calling the interim authorities and security forces of Egypt “to respect the right to free speech and assembly and urging protesters to demonstrate peacefully.”
  • See, Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations, at http://www.un.org/wcm/ content/site/undpa/main [last visited 14 February 2013].
  • Rick Gladstone and Nick Cumming-Bruce, “U.N. Leader Admits Failure to Halt Syrian Atrocities”, New York Times, 11 September 2013.
  • In July 2012, Russia and China even vetoed a resolution that would have extended the mandate of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and which would have threatened sanctions, but not military force, on Syrian regime if it failed to meet the demands to end the escalating violence. Security Council 6810th Meeting (AM), “Security Council Fails to Adopt Draft resolution on Syria that Would Have Threatened Sanctions, Due to Negative Votes of China, Russian Federation”, Security Council SC/10714, 19 July 2013.
  • UN Security Council, The situation in the Middle East, 6598th Meeting, 3 August 2011.
  • Christian Science Monitor, “Deadlock on Syria: Likely Crimes Against Humanity, But No Plan of Action”, at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2012/0213/Deadlock- on-Syria-Likely-crimes-against-humanity-but-no-plan-of-action [last visited 29 September 2014].
  • UN News Centre, Citing Syria and Mali, deputy UN chief highlights impact of Security Council unity, at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43380#.VClkFWd_uSo [last visited 29 September 2014].
There are 52 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Bekim Sejdıu This is me

Murat Önsoy This is me

Publication Date July 1, 2014
Published in Issue Year 2014 Volume: 19 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Sejdıu, B., & Önsoy, M. (2014). Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, 19(2), 33-58.
AMA Sejdıu B, Önsoy M. Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy. PERCEPTIONS. July 2014;19(2):33-58.
Chicago Sejdıu, Bekim, and Murat Önsoy. “Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 19, no. 2 (July 2014): 33-58.
EndNote Sejdıu B, Önsoy M (July 1, 2014) Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 19 2 33–58.
IEEE B. Sejdıu and M. Önsoy, “Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy”, PERCEPTIONS, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 33–58, 2014.
ISNAD Sejdıu, Bekim - Önsoy, Murat. “Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs 19/2 (July 2014), 33-58.
JAMA Sejdıu B, Önsoy M. Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy. PERCEPTIONS. 2014;19:33–58.
MLA Sejdıu, Bekim and Murat Önsoy. “Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy”. PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs, vol. 19, no. 2, 2014, pp. 33-58.
Vancouver Sejdıu B, Önsoy M. Unveiling the Unknown Face: The Role of the United Nations in Promoting Democracy. PERCEPTIONS. 2014;19(2):33-58.