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Reserve R6 — Crisis of the UN and Multilateralism

Reserve question: "The 2026 Iran war and the Gaza crisis exposed the paralysis of the UN Security Council, while middle powers did the real peacemaking." Critically evaluate this statement and suggest reforms to make multilateralism effective. (20)

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Why it is likely: multilateralism and world order were asked in 2020, 2021 (COVID) and 2022, and UN efforts in 2024. In 2026 the UNSC was deadlocked while Pakistan, Qatar, Oman and China mediated. It suits the statement-based style. Probability: medium.

What the examiner wants

  • Evaluate both halves: UNSC paralysis, and middle-power peacemaking
  • Reforms
  • Marks split: UNSC paralysis ~6 · middle-power role ~5 · counter-view ~3 · reforms ~5 · conclusion ~1

Outline

  • I. Introduction: largely agree, with qualifications
  • II. UNSC paralysis: evidence
  • III. Middle-power mediation
  • IV. Counter-view: the UN still matters
  • V. Reforms
  • VI. Conclusion

Model Answer

I. Introduction

  • The UN Security Council has "primary responsibility" for peace (Article 24 of the UN Charter). In 2026 it watched as the two biggest crises unfolded.
  • Thesis: the statement is largely true: vetoes and great-power rivalry froze the Council, and middle powers filled the gap. But the UN still provides legitimacy and humanitarian capacity, and even middle-power deals needed UN endorsement. The solution is reform, not replacement.

II. UNSC paralysis

  • Gaza (2023–25): repeated US vetoes of ceasefire resolutions; Resolution 2728 (March 2024) was ignored in practice.
  • The Iran war (2026):
    • The Council couldn't act on strikes that the UN Secretary-General condemned.
    • The killing of a head of state and attacks on nuclear sites went without a Council response.
    • A proposed Iran sanctions panel became a battleground (September 2026 vote).
  • Ukraine: Russia's veto has blocked action since 2022.
  • The pattern: each of the P5 shields itself or its allies, so the Council works only where great powers agree.

III. Middle-power mediation

  • Pakistan:
    • Brokered the 8 April 2026 US–Iran ceasefire.
    • Hosted the Islamabad Talks.
    • Co-sponsored a peace plan with China.
    • Helped produce the 17 June MoU.
  • Qatar and Egypt: Gaza ceasefires and hostage deals. Oman: Hormuz talks. Türkiye and Qatar: the Afghanistan–Pakistan ceasefire (2025).
  • China: the Saudi–Iran deal (2023) and the Beijing Declaration (2024).
  • Why they succeeded: trusted by both sides, flexible, and with no veto politics.

IV. Counter-view: the UN still matters

  • UNSC Resolution 2803 (November 2025) gave the Gaza plan its legal basis: even a US-led deal needed the Council's stamp.
  • UN agencies (WFP, UNHCR, UNRWA, IAEA) remain the only large-scale humanitarian and verification bodies.
  • The General Assembly, the ICJ and the ICC advanced accountability (advisory opinions, arrest warrants).
  • Middle-power deals are often fragile without wider backing: the June MoU collapsed within weeks.

V. Reforms

  1. Veto restraint: support the French–Mexican initiative to suspend the veto in mass-atrocity cases, and the General Assembly's "veto initiative" (2022), which requires debate after every veto.
  2. Council expansion: more representation for Africa, Asia and Latin America. Pakistan backs Uniting for Consensus: more non-permanent seats, not new permanent ones.
  3. Institutionalise mediation: a UN mediation support partnership with middle powers (Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Türkiye).
  4. Funding reform under UN80, as US cuts strain the budget.
  5. Strengthen the General Assembly through "Uniting for Peace" when the Council is blocked.
  6. Regional organisations (OIC, AU, ASEAN) working with the UN.

VI. Conclusion

  • 2026 showed a UN Security Council frozen by great-power vetoes, and middle powers like Pakistan proving that diplomacy still works.
  • The future of multilateralism lies in combining the two: a reformed UN that gives legitimacy, and capable middle powers that deliver deals.

Key facts

  • UN Charter: Article 24 (UNSC responsibility); Article 27 (veto).
  • Resolution 2803: 17 November 2025. Resolution 2728: March 2024.
  • Pakistan: UNSC non-permanent member 2025–26; part of Uniting for Consensus.