Last weekend the premier policy forum in the Middle East, Doha Forum 2019, took place in the city of Doha, Qatar. The forum is a platform for dialogue between policymakers, world leaders and other experts from around the world. The topic that brought all them together is globally concerning; efficient governance for our current multipolar world.

Multiple conferences and workshops took place during the weekend in order to discuss inclusive policies and the respect for human rights and the rule of law. The efficiency of the United Nations in facing nowadays challenges was especially questioned in different panel sessions. For instance, the climate crisis cannot be tackled with the current tools provided by the UN.

This is the moment when we should ask ourselves whether the United Nations is outdated. While some panelists underlined how far this organization has gone through, many other personalities noted its lack of effectiveness and democratization due to the limited representation within the UN Security Council. Moreover, the international framework being undermined does not help implement global governance able to establish multilateralism.

In order for the UN to become more effective, a UN Parliament should be introduced, which would make the whole decision-making process more inclusive and representative for “we the people’s”. If we focus on the global climate crisis; the UN Charter should be revised and updated with current needs such as the recognition of a right for the environment and an International Environmental Court that could hold companies, states, and individuals accountable.

All in all, solutions come back to the same point; binding international agreements is necessary for a multilateral world to develop and also a more inclusive international organization (UN) when taking decisions concerning global problems.

Center for UN Constitutional Research (CUNCR)