The United Nations Organization and Global Power Politics: The Antagonism between Power and Law and the Future of World Order

The dilemma faced by the United Nations Organization at thebeginning of the 21st century lies in its inability to reconcilethe structural realities of power politics in a unipolar worldwith the requirements of the international rule of law. Thepaper analyses the normative contradictions in the UN Charterthat result from the antagonism between power and law and reviewsthe prospects for a fundamental reform of the United NationsOrganization that would guarantee its survival under the radicallydifferent circumstances of the post-Cold War environment. Inthat regard, the paper emphasizes the need for a new paradigmof international organization that will do away with the ideaof special privileges accorded to the great powers of 1945,and emphasizes the need for a better regional balance in thedecision-making processes at the United Nations.