Review of Collective Security within Reach by Sovaida Ma’ani Ewing

Abstract

Collective Security within Reach. By Sovaida Ma'ani. George Ronald, 2007. xii + 260 pp, including index.This work by Sovaida Ma'ani Ewing is an impressive achievement. It draws attention to one of key pillars of Bahai peace program- global collective security-on basis of a compelling critique of existing actions (and inactions) in global security policy. The threats to global security that have emerged since book's publication have strengthened its arguments, rather than dated them.Minor victories outlawing landmines and small arms aside, chemical weapons and cluster munitions have now been used against civilians in Syria; acts of genocide have been committed on at least three continents; reach of nonconventional warfare now includes cyber attacks; post-World War II security arrangements are no longer respected (particularly P5 veto power in Security Council of United Nations, and lack of effective use of either chapter 6 or chapter 7 of UN Charter); lack of progress under Non-Proliferation Treaty; and fate of civilian populations, with so many becoming refugees in care of United Nations humanitarian efforts, all demonstrate inadequacy of existing global security architecture during what Bobbitt has termed the long war that was twentieth century (2003).After setting out principles on which Bahai approach to collective security are premised (the oneness of humanity; principles of justice, equity and fairness; need to recognize limits to national sovereignty; principle of international cooperation; and need to adjust laws and institutions), Ma'ani Ewing reviews steps international community has taken in direction of collective security. These are focused on such United Nations initiatives as high level panels on United Nations Peace Operations; on threats, challenges and change; and on such other significant assessments as former Secretary-General Annan's critique, In Larger Freedom.Ma'ani also reviews a number of principles that have emerged in an effort to secure peaceful relations between states: resolution of boundary disputes, principles of just war, and of to protect. Ma'ani follows an account of these principles with a review of mechanisms for arms control and reduction, for collective security as attempted by UN Security Council, for establishment of a standing international force, and for enforcement of judgements of International Court of Justice.This review of What Have We Built So Far? is followed by a third and final section, What We Should Build Next, which sets out in a coherent manner institutional reforms and innovations inherent in a pragmatic plan for global collective security. This final third of book constitutes an agenda for global governance reform from a Bahai perspective: (a) a decision by world leaders to agree to establish a genuine global security pact (Ma'ani Ewing suggests a core group to get process started, rather than anticipating a gathering comprising each and every national leader); based on (b) agreed principles concerning equality of nations and peoples, justice, equity, reward and punishment, and how best to curtail national sovereignty and implement collective action; leading to (c) necessary institutional and legal reform (security council, arms treaties, an international boundaries authority, World Court, and establishment of an international executive).Current thought on collective security and on global governance has embraced some, but not all, of these principles and reform proposals. There has been, for example, growing support for notion of a responsibility to protect, which would allow a nation's sovereign authority to be overridden when international community discerns it is unable to secure its own citizens-although R2P (Responsibility to Protect) has not gained status of international law. …