| Review of: | Council UN Unbound: The Growth of UN Decisions Making on Conflict and Postconflict Issues After the Cold War edited by Michael E. Matheson |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Ramses Amer |
| Reviewed in: | Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management |
| Date accepted online: | 10/04/2008 |
| Published in print: | Volume 15, Issue 04, Pages 232-238 |
Book Reviews
The book by Mathew J. Matheson deals with a very relevant topic, namely the enhanced role of the Security Council of the United Nations in international relations in the post-Cold War Era. The stated ambition with the book is both laudable and comprehensive. In this review the focus will be to assess the extent to which the book fulfils the stated ambitions as expressed by the author.
The book is structured in the following way. First, an Introduction that sets the stage for the book as a whole (pp. 3-9). In Chapter 1 the framework of action by the Security Council is outlined (pp. 11-40). Chapter 2 is devoted to jurisdictional issues and mandate (pp. 41-64). Chapter 3 focuses on sanctions (pp. 65-97). Chapter 4 is devoted to United Nations' peacekeeping and governance (pp. 99-129). Chapter 5 analyses issues relating to the use of force (pp. 131-166). Chapter 6 is devoted the Technical Commission of the United Nations (pp. 167-197). Chapter 7 addresses issues relating to the prosecution of crimes (pp. 199-232). Then, there is a conclusion summarizing the main findings of the book (pp. 233-242). There are five Appendixes (pp. 243-328). Finally, there is selected bibliography (pp. 381-395).
The broad approach is the main strength of the book since it deals with all main relevant aspects of the activities of the Security Council of the United Nations in the post-Cold War Era. A considerable research effort has been carried out. Given the growing role of the Security Council in world politics during the period studied, the book addresses a very pertinent development. Having said this, there are unfortunately weaknesses that have to be highlighted.
One of the weaknesses is the failure to address the fundamental international legal debate relating to the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations regulating the use of force. This relates primarily to Article 2(4) of the Charter. Although the author states on page 16 that this debate will be outlined and discussed in Chapter 5 this is not the case (p. 16). This results in a book in which the prohibition of the threat and use or force is not explicitly outlined, thus leaving the reader with the impression that Article 2(4) is not of fundamental importance in the context of regulating the use of force in inter-state relations. More puzzling is why the author has stated that he will do one thing on page 16 and then he does not do it.
Another weakness is that the policies and actions of the United States of America (USA) are not analysed or assessed. They are merely mentioned and outlined with reference to the official argumentation provided by the USA. This is most obvious in relation to the US led military intervention in Iraq in 2003 and in relation to the policies of the USA towards the International Criminal Court (ICC). In both cases there has been a lot of debate and criticism of the actions and policies of the USA in the scholarly literature, but none of this is reflected in this book. It is not a question of looking for US bashing, but rather to expect that a military action that was opposed by the majority of the Security Council and severely criticized by a number of international legal experts would warrant at least some attention and not just a presentation of the USA line of argumentation. In the case of the ICC the policies of the USA have even been openly criticized by some of its allies, and given the criticism of the US position and policies, this should have been acknowledged in this book. A critical analysis and assessment of the actions and policies of the USA is essential given the important role that the USA plays within the Security Council and in world politics. In this book this is not done and it considerably weakens the relevance of the book.
Although the book makes use of a wealth of both primary and secondary sources there are some notable omissions. First, recent books on the United Nations and on the Security Council have not been consulted, not even for the background information relating to the more active Security Council in the post-Cold War Era as compared with the situation during the Cold War Era (see in particular Wallensteen & Johansson, 2004). Second, there is an over reliance on the
The oddest feature in the book is 'Appendix 5. Excerpts from Significant Decisions of the Security Council in the Post-Cold War Period' (pp. 275-328). No explanation is given relating to the criteria used for selecting the decisions to be included in the Appendix. Furthermore, the criteria used for selecting the content of the decisions included in the Appendix are not outlined. Thus, the reader is left with an impression of precision while at the same time wondering about the textual content of the parts of the decisions that have not been reproduced. The official numbers of the resolutions are presented but not the issues and cases they relate to. Overall this is highly unsatisfactory. In fact this Appendix should not have been included in its present form. Either the whole resolutions should have been reproduced or they should have been left out of the book. The system utilized in the book with 'excerpts' is not a good strategy and should be avoided.
To summarize, the book had a lot of potential but the weaknesses outlined above indicate that there are some serious shortcomings. Therefore, the book is not recommended reading. Experts on the United Nations can consult it since they would be aware of the weaknesses and could still benefit from the strength of the book. For a broader readership the book should only be used if other books on the United Nations and the Security Council are also consulted.