Suchergebnisse

The forms of electoral assistance provided by the United Nations & the challenges of supplying such support to transitional states are examined. Overviews of the United Nations provisions regarding electoral assistance & the importance of needs-assessment missions as part of the evaluation procedure are provided. The different types of electoral assistance offered by the United Nations are subsequently identified, eg, election supervision & verification & technical assistance provision. Attention is then dedicated to exploring other United Nations offices & international organizations that cooperate with the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division. Several economic, political, & social difficulties that have obstructed the United Nations provision of electoral backing are also highlighted, eg, the United Nations does not possess considerable financial resources, is asked to provide assistance in uncompetitive elections, & must educate voters about election processes. It is concluded that the United Nations offer of electoral support is complicated by its frequent concomitant role as peacekeeper. J. W. Parker

The capacity of various actors to promote democracy on an international level is evaluated, & the comparative advantages & shortcomings of the United Nations as a democracy-promoting force are studied. Although the US remains the predominant force for international democratization, it is demonstrated that regional organizations (eg, the Organization of American States), nongovernmental organizations, & international organizations (eg, the United Nations) also firmly promote democratic political systems. Whereas the United Nations international recognition as a legitimate regime & network of governance programs are definite comparative advantages, it is stressed that its democracy-promotion budget is smaller than some national governments, thus impeding its capacity to offer electoral assistance. Several relevant challenges facing the United Nations are then articulated, eg, ascertaining whether international support engenders sustainable democratic processes & whether assistance alters a states cultural, political, or social foundations. J. W. Parker

The United Nations contribution to the formation of a democratic government in Namibia is investigated. An overview of Namibia's decolonization is presented, emphasizing the United Nations intervention in the post-colonial state & the circumstances that prompted the formation of the South-West African Peoples Organization. It is subsequently asserted that the aforementioned political movement & the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group combined to achieve Namibia's independence. However, it is asserted that the United Nations transitional administration was primarily concerned with initiating & expediting a legitimate democratic transition rather than establishing long-lasting democratic institutions in Namibia; the consolidation of political power within the remnants of the South-West African Peoples Organization is cited to bolster this reading of the transitional assistance groups objectives for Namibia. Lessons learned from the United Nations experiences in Namibia for future democracy promotion are also stated. Tables. J. W. Parker

The United Nation's efforts to promote Afghanistan's democratization are studied. An historical overview of the United Nation's long-standing presence in Afghanistan is presented, emphasizing the conditions that initially limited the United Nation's activities to humanitarian support & peacekeeping but ultimately expanded to democracy assistance. Special Representative to the Secretary-General Lakhdar Brahimi's achievement of encouraging Afghanistans four major opposition groups to collaborate in the formation of a power-sharing authority, the subsequent enactment of the Bonn Agreement, & the initial difficulties experienced by the Interim Authority under Hamid Karzai are then discussed. Recognizing several factors that could result in the fragmentation of Afghanistan's fledgling democracy, eg, the explosion of inter-ethnic violence, it is recommended that a federalist system be established in Afghanistan to prevent such determinants from destroying the nation's democratization; suggestions for transforming the current political system into a federalist one are also offered. J. W. Parker

The United Nations intervention in Kosovo & subsequent provision of democracy assistance via the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo are examined to ascertain the sustainability of the nation's democratic transition. An overview of the various circumstances that prompted the United Nation's intervention in Kosovo, eg, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's bombing of key Serbian military installations, is presented. After addressing the outcome of the Kosovo War & the international community's initial attempts to promote democracy in Kosovo, the stipulations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 are reviewed. Attention is then dedicated to analyzing the interim administration's handling of the remaining Serbian population, the demilitarization of the Kosovar guerrilla forces, the recovery of the national economy, & the contestation of local & national elections; difficulties faced by the transitional government in achieving these objectives are highlighted. It is concluded that the Kosovar public will have to overcome the United Nations administrative & operational shortcomings in order to achieve a sustainable democratic political system. J. W. Parker

It is contended that the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia produced a modest positive effect upon Cambodia's democratization. After providing an overview of the political conditions that prompted the United Nations intervention in Cambodia during the late 20th century, an overview of the formation of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia is given. Multiple indicators of the transitional administration's positive effect upon democratization in Cambodia are highlighted, eg, political parties are less reluctant to validate election outcomes; nevertheless, it is deemed premature to declare the Cambodian political system a liberal democracy. Four circumstances that prevented the United Nations transitional government from producing a greater positive influence upon Cambodias democratization are noted, eg, United Nations officials could not persuade Cambodian leaders to liberalize media & eliminate political violence. Moreover, it is stated that the country's modest socio-economic development & the increased power of the Cambodian Peoples Party have also impeded the efficacy of the United Nations democracy assistance. J. W. Parker