Every violation of international law invites the next. From Afghanistan to Iran, and across Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela, the line between what is permitted and what is prohibited has been steadily blurred by the complicit inaction of the UN security council. Wielding the veto as both a shield and a weapon, its permanent members too often act without grounding in the UN charter. They play with the fate of millions, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
Until recent years, there was at least an attempt to give interventions a veneer of legitimacy through UN endorsement. Today, the open exercise of power no longer even tries to keep up appearances. The guardrails of multilateral institutions are becoming too narrow to contain hegemonic rivalries. Without multilateralism, we risk replacing an imperfect system of collective security with the brutal reality of widespread insecurity. When all constraints on the use of force are removed, chaos prevails.
The world is witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since the second world war. It is no coincidence that this is happening at a moment when democracy stands at a crossroads. Extremism is both the starting point and the end point of a vicious cycle. When governments allow themselves to be drawn into war by intolerance or the arrogance of power, they plant the seeds of resentment that yield more hatred and violence.
Technological advances with both civilian and military applications confront us with ethical questions. The selection of military targets is already being carried out by artificial intelligence, without legal or moral parameters in place. The principles of international humanitarian law – in particular the distinction between civilians and combatants – are under serious threat. Women and children are the primary victims of this collective tragedy.
We are living through an arms race that is pushing countries to devote ever larger shares of their budgets to armaments. Military spending globally, now about $2.7tn, absorbs valuable resources that could instead be used to fight hunger and poverty, confront the climate crisis, ensure universal access to education and promote digital inclusion. Even more egregious is the recurring use of hunger as a weapon of war, and the impunity with which forced displacement is carried out.
No bombs, drones or missiles can shield economies from the impact of armed conflict. Fluctuations in oil prices mean more expensive – or even inaccessible – energy and transport for businesses and consumers. Blockades constrain trade. Fertiliser shortages push up food prices and fuel inflation. Central banks raise interest rates, increasing public and private debt. Investment opportunities and jobs are lost.
Unilateral actions, arbitrary measures, violations of sovereignty and summary executions are becoming the rule. A study published in the Lancet shows that sanctions imposed without UN backing – particularly economic ones – affect mortality rates in targeted countries, and have, on average, been responsible for about half a million deaths each year since the 1970s.
Excessive power and instability go hand in hand. A world without rules is an insecure world, where anyone can be the next victim. Violence cannot replace dialogue, nor can force prevail over diplomacy. The prerogatives of the permanent members of the security council are already unjustifiable in an international order grounded in the sovereign equality of nations. When exercised irresponsibly, they become intolerable. It is time to respond with resolve by restoring the capacity of a reformed United Nations to act, so that it no longer remains a mere spectator to events that affect us all.