Paper tiger? : a study of the effectiveness of the United Nations Security Council

Abstract

The Chinese idiom 'paper tiger' refers to something that is outwardly powerful, yet in reality ineffective. Many observers view the United Nations Security Council as the quintessential paper tiger - possessing limitless power - yet limited in the exercise of its power. Despite the application of these labels, no study has sought to establish a measure by which the Council's effectiveness might be evaluated. This study seeks to bridge this gap in the current literature. The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, to build a measure by which the United Nations Security Council's effectiveness can be evaluated. Secondly, to build a model, which can be used to explain the effectiveness/or ineffectiveness of the Council, in any given context. A range of empirical phenomena will be used to test these measures and theories. The empirical phenomena incorporated into this study, include the detailed cases of El Salvador and Sierra Leone, as well as the case study sketches of Iraq-Kuwait, Haiti, Mozambique, Somalia, Rwanda, Croatia, Timor-Leste, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur and DPRK (North Korea). The findings of this study indicate that the Council's effectiveness is bound to the six elements of Council agency introduced in this study - those being legitimacy, Permanent Five (P-5) alignment, political will, resources, leadership and the Council-based solution (articulated through its resolutions). The findings derived from this research would be helpful in policy-making aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Council, as custodian of international peace and security.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	English