Page 273 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

Well-being on the other hand, entails sustained economic development,
growth and prosperity, but also health, education and the satisfaction of basic
human needs such as food and shelter. The interdependence of these elements
requires and integrated approach to peace promotion and increasingly, the
United Nations is bound to operate as a system.

As a result of this holistic and long-term approach to peace promotion,
peace-keeping operations, the flagship of United Nations activities, have
become multi-functional and practically all-encompassing.

Preventive diplomacy has been revitalized and carried one step further
with an instance of successful "preventive deployment" in Macedonia. Post-
conflict peace-building activities aimed at eradicating causes for resurgence of
conflict and at getting civil reconstruction under way are becoming routine for
"second generation" Peace-keeping operations. It is non-longer uncommon to
see the United Nations involved in the monitoring of democratic elections or
the training of local police forces.

The end of the Cold War has modified the geostrategic environment of the
United Nations, and allowed the organization to operate on a genuinely
multilateral basis, but arguably the most important engine of change in the
international arena has been the advent of an age of globalization. The term
"globalization" was originally coined in the economic context, referring to trade
liberalization and the growing interdependence of national markets. It has
opened windows of opportunity for many Member States, but it also entails
serious destabilizing risks for those which are not in a position to reap the full
benefits of this phenomenon in terms of economic growth and development.
Under such circumstances, the United Nations has a "safety-net" role to play.
One of its most immediate and important task is to promote a propitious
environment so that change can occur in a evolutionary, non-violent and
democratic way.

As a result of globalization, Member States are now confronted with a
whole range of issues which are clearly beyond the reach of their exclusive
national jurisdiction, and they feel the need to intensify cooperation at the
regional and international level. This reinforces the role of the United Nations
which is the only forum with the universal dimension required to tackle
effectively problems of world-wide scope, such as international terrorism,
transboundary environmental threats, drug trafficking and money laundering,
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, etc.

251