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Is the UN failing on Syria
As the shells fall on their own towns and cities, the rest of the world stand by unable and seemingly unwilling to respond to save lives that have reportedly (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16932556) already been lost in the al-Assad Syrian conflict. As videos of civilians running from the mortar fire dropping around them dominates the news coverage of the crisis, the UN is bound and unable to move thanks to the intervention of both Russia and China leaving SOS calls unanswered.
With a veto in place and a vote necessary to take action to save people in danger, it seems evident that the current institutions set up to protect people around the world, including the UN, are not equipped to safeguard lives. Surely it’s simple. Whether it’s internal conflict or international warfare, a unilateral organisation is needed with the sole mandate to protect innocent civilians from conflict and war.
There would be no capabilities for returning fire, or engaging in warfare itself, but it would simply act to protect lives. Shields would replace bullets, and armoured occupation of civilian locations under fire would replace retaliatory action. Where warring factions focus their resources on inflicting damage, the new organisation would look at technological advancements to block, absorb and incapacitate the implements of war to save innocent civilians.
Obviously such an organisation would need a lot of stipulations to ensure that it continues to have a positive impact - for example it should not protect warring factions, only innocent civilians; it should utilise equipment that guarantees the highest level of safety for its peace missions and personnel, it could even hold public confidence votes following each intervention to ensure that it continued to be universally respected - however, what's clear is that there continues to be a gap between the needs of the vulnerable and the solutions of the international community.
The UN process of seeking approval from the Security Council to send peacekeepers to areas where armed conflict has recently ended or under ceasefire conditions to enforce the terms of peace agreements and to discourage further hostilities does little to save innocent men, women and children while the conflict fires around their lives.
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