Background:

Dr. Buṭrus Buṭrus Ghālī (14.11.1922 – 16.2.2016) was the 6^th General-Secretary of the United Nations (from January 1992 to December 1996), and dealt with crises such as the Rwandan Genocide and the divide of Yugoslavia. Dr. Ghālī visited Strasbourg, France at a conference to discuss the European role in the United Nations.

Side A:

Dr. Buṭrus Buṭrus Ghālī wants greater support from the European Union and European institutions and for them to play a larger role in the United Nations. The UN is passing by very difficult financial times, and according to Dr. Ghālī owes several member states of the UN billions of dollars after interventions including the spending of 50 million dollars in former Yugoslavia.

The moral implications of these financial crises, according to Dr. Ghālī are as follows: the UN is unable to pay back member states that are contributing in the peacekeeping enforcement, whereby money is borrowed without interest. Countries like France, U.K., and the Scandinavian countries whose economies can afford to offer support in the peacekeeping are not contributing as much as countries like Uruguay, Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia who in fact cannot afford to at all. Dr. Ghālī argues that the borrowing of money from the nations that cannot afford it as much as the European nations will be stopped in the future. Furthermore, he stresses the fact that because so much focus is put one issue (former Yugoslavia), other peace-keeping operations are neglected (Liberian war). There seems to be a double-standard claims Dr. Ghālī, whereby the African and former Soviet Union nations faces issues, and the international community is not ready to give them positive responses. The UN faces difficulty to acquire money for all crises.

Dr. Ghālī further stresses the issue of media coverage. The media pays attention to one or two crises out of the 17 happening. Additionally, the conflicts represented, only display 20% of the UN activity, other activities that are not related to peace-keeping are neglected, including technical assistance, human rights, environmental issues and so on.

Dr. Ghālī declares that the UN is in favour of peace-keeping enforcement but not peace-endorsing enforcement as one cannot impose an idea on another. The member states involved in the peace-keeping operations can pull out at any time, and it is not possible to force them to stay.

Side B:

Continuation of side A:

Dr. Ghālī believes that there are three generations of peace-keeping enforcement: (1) the presence of the UN to help maintain peace-keeping; (2) return of refugees, disarmament of enemy armies, presiding elections, reconstructing roads; and (3) being asked to fight against aggressors. Dr. Ghālī argues that second and third generations of peace-keeping are far more complex than the first, but that the UN can only be involved in the first two generations. The UN cannot and will not be involved in fighting aggressors, the right equipment is not available and there are not enough soldiers to protect the sufferers. 

Islamic states have continuously criticised the way Dr. Ghālī has dealt with the Bosnian issue, whereby he calls the nations ignorant. Dr. Ghālī argues that the UN is asked to respect a ceasefire by the system, but if it is not respected by the two parties, then there is nothing the UN can do. People are asking the UN to take a stance in the battle, but Dr. Ghālī advocates neutrality. The role of the UN is to help maintain the ceasefire, not to impose it on them.