THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY |
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| Authors: | DR NJUNGA-MICHAEL MULIKITA |
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| Institution: | Department of Political and Administrative Studies , University of Zambia , He was a staff member of the UN Office for Project Services assigned to the UNDP Capacity Building Project housed in the Conflict Management Centre, OAU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 1999—July 2001. |
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| Abstract: | The UN relies on regional organisations to carry out peacekeeping activities and has very good reasons for doing so: resource constraints and relevant political influence. In Africa, however, the UN Security Council seems unwilling to take decisive action when faced with complex emergencies and leaves the burden to the OAU which has its own problems. The UN charter does allow regional organisations to take enforcement action even without prior armed attack. The OAU charter converges with that of the UN in ways that should make cooperation easier than it has been. Despite the rhetoric, the UN Security Council has undertaken very little visible action in Africa when it is most needed. A lack of significant African representation in the Council is perhaps a cause. The Council will improve its global authority if it undertakes reforms that reduce the power of the US and the UK over its decisions. |
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