1. THREAD: Our new paper analyzing the impact of #counterterrorism and #PVE on the @UN system is live.
Real friends will read all 25,000 words today - cheers! 😎
The rest of you - jeers! - but here is a quick thread to tell you what you need to know:
saferworld.org.uk/resources/publ…
Real friends will read all 25,000 words today - cheers! 😎
The rest of you - jeers! - but here is a quick thread to tell you what you need to know:
saferworld.org.uk/resources/publ…
2. When @atomicsentences and I started this research in September 2019 – in a very different world - we set out to analyse whether the war on terror posed an existential threat to the UNs ability to uphold its Charter.
Was the UNs DNA was being recoded by counterterrorism?
Was the UNs DNA was being recoded by counterterrorism?
3. So we tried to assess the current impacts and future threats for the UN System - and then we tried to come up with some answers of what can and should be done about it!
We read and read, and spoke to a lot of people.
What did we find?
We read and read, and spoke to a lot of people.
What did we find?
4. Our research revealed how the UN’s growing political and financial investment in counter-terrorism has rebalanced the institution – effectively creating a new Fourth Pillar – while putting its core business – peace, rights and development – in jeopardy.
5. We mapped how counterterrorism was negatively impacting the UN in many ways, leading to:
- ‘PVE-isation’ of peace, human rights, development and humanitarianism
- ‘Blue-washing’ member states’ abusive approaches
- An embrace the contested concept of radicalization
- ‘PVE-isation’ of peace, human rights, development and humanitarianism
- ‘Blue-washing’ member states’ abusive approaches
- An embrace the contested concept of radicalization
6. We also saw how it was:
- Fuelling threat inflation
- Co-opting critical voices
- Creating incoherence and failing to manage risk; and
- Stymieing improvement: creating a failure to learn
- Fuelling threat inflation
- Co-opting critical voices
- Creating incoherence and failing to manage risk; and
- Stymieing improvement: creating a failure to learn
7. But more worrying are the potential future threats for the UN:
- Impairing peacebuilding & conflict mediation
- Jeopardising peacekeeping principles
- Cracking down on civic space & instrumentalising CSOs
- Putting development & humanitarian functions in the firing line
- Impairing peacebuilding & conflict mediation
- Jeopardising peacekeeping principles
- Cracking down on civic space & instrumentalising CSOs
- Putting development & humanitarian functions in the firing line
8. Ultimately, a focus on counter-terrorism is already damaging the UN in several ways & further risks loom on the horizon.
The new fourth pillar threatens the UN’s scope to build peace, prevent human rights abuses, support development initiatives and deliver humanitarian aid.
The new fourth pillar threatens the UN’s scope to build peace, prevent human rights abuses, support development initiatives and deliver humanitarian aid.
9. It is important to note that many UN staff share misgivings about the UN direction, it is not just us pesky civil society saying this.
Some worry that their work is being securitized, that the UN is on a slippery slope, and that something needs to be done to push back.
Some worry that their work is being securitized, that the UN is on a slippery slope, and that something needs to be done to push back.
10. But what does this all mean?
Can UN leadership do anything?
Or are they just beholden to the whims of powerful Member States?
Well, UN leadership DOES have options – and so do those Member States that believe in, and want to protect, multilateralism.
Can UN leadership do anything?
Or are they just beholden to the whims of powerful Member States?
Well, UN leadership DOES have options – and so do those Member States that believe in, and want to protect, multilateralism.
11. So, we have suggested 11 steps forward for the UN – based on three overarching aims:
- protect the UN’s credibility and impact
- refocus UN strategy on peace, rights and development
- turn evidence and experience into improvement.
- protect the UN’s credibility and impact
- refocus UN strategy on peace, rights and development
- turn evidence and experience into improvement.
12. All of these steps are achievable.
Member States that stand up for human rights rhetorically, must now walk the walk and support UN leadership to push for these changes, to protect the institution from growing securitization and the export of the counter-terror agenda.
Member States that stand up for human rights rhetorically, must now walk the walk and support UN leadership to push for these changes, to protect the institution from growing securitization and the export of the counter-terror agenda.
13. The #COVID19 pandemic has exposed how overinvestment in militarism has made the world profoundly vulnerable to more systemic threats from abuse of power, inequalities, health shocks.
This should provide added incentive for UN leadership to try recenter the institution.
This should provide added incentive for UN leadership to try recenter the institution.
14. Because as many have said – multilateralism is needed right now.
But if multilateralism is being threatened by negative counter-terror approaches, we should not just accept it.
As Dag Hammarskjold said, no result should compromise the principles or ideals of the UN:
But if multilateralism is being threatened by negative counter-terror approaches, we should not just accept it.
As Dag Hammarskjold said, no result should compromise the principles or ideals of the UN:
15. And so, in the words of current UN Secretary-General Guterres: ‘when we recover, we must be better than we were before.’
Achieving this requires defending the UN’s contribution to peace, rights and development by rethinking the UN’s new and risky fourth pillar.
Achieving this requires defending the UN’s contribution to peace, rights and development by rethinking the UN’s new and risky fourth pillar.
16. So now you’ve got through this thread, grab a coffee or a @YorkshireTea and have a proper read of what @atomicsentences and I have been doing for a LONG time.
If you don’t, we won’t be angry, we’ll just be very disappointed. You don’t want that, do you?
If you don’t, we won’t be angry, we’ll just be very disappointed. You don’t want that, do you?
