Should Sovereignty Get in the Way of Humanitarian UN Action?

With Sudan's first multi-party elections in 24 years just two months away, it's no wonder that the eyes of the humanitarian community are nervously focused on the country. Fears abound that Khartoum may yet again prevent a legitimate election from taking place, maintaining the genocidal reign of the current regime.

Many concerned are working tirelessly to ensure that elections are free and fair, all the while toiling within the confines of international law. But what if there were an easier way to free the Sudanese people from a government that is unwilling and unable to respond to their needs? What if the world's leading international organization -- the United Nations -- could step in and take action?

We've seen for years how the United Nations has struggled to act as a catch-all for global problems. Where people are struggling to survive, the UN offers aid. In times of crisis, the UN provides emergency assistance. Yet the organization is forced to function within one extraordinary restraint: state sovereignty.

So what if the rules of sovereignty were less stringent? International agreements have already begun to chip away at the confines -- take, for example, the countries that have signed the Kyoto protocol, ratified the International Criminal Court treaty or agreed to accept the World Trade Organization's rulings. In each case, a bit of their self-rule has been relinquished to international law.

It seems we're willing to accept limited sovereignty in certain circumstances. But what about in others?

Imagine if the UN could take over a failed state. If sovereignty didn't get in the way, the UN could step in and run the upcoming elections, providing interim leadership in Sudan until the Sudanese were able to elect a legitimate government. Or perhaps it could lead the campaign for a two-state Sudan, a solution that could prevent future bloody wars between the North and the South. Surely this would be more effective at reaching an end to human suffering in the country than, say, sanctions.

Okay, so this kind of proposal would obviously involve more than just a laxer idea of sovereignty -- a UN police force and a full-on nation-building scheme would be required. But former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was right on when he argued in 1999 that "No government has the right to hide behind national sovereignty in order to violate human rights."

It would take a lot of international cooperation and some fundamental changes to the way the world does business, but a stronger United Nations that could help people without pussyfooting around state sovereignty issues could be an incredible champion for the world's poor. I bet the men and women of Sudan wouldn't mind an impingement on their sovereignty rights if it could help put a stop to the rapes, murders and enslavements they currently face.

Photo Credit: Island Nimbus