Are Kevin Bales' suggestions for reforming the United Nations so as to bring the end of slavery too idealistic? / Aus der Reihe: e-fellows.net stipendiaten-wissen Bd.Band 775 (PDF)

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, grade: 1,0, University of Richmond, language: English, abstract: Today slavery is not only officially illegal in all nations but furthermore every human
being has, in reversion, a non-derogable right not to be enslaved thus giving the
crime of slavery a jus cogens status. Nonetheless, together with other jus cogens
norms such as the prohibition of torture or genocide, slavery still prevails in the world
with unprecedented numbers of modern slaves. Kevin Bales claims, however, that
the UN together with other transnational organizations can potentially contribute to
ending slavery rather sooner than later - if they are reformed. This paper will focus
on his arguments for reforming the UN and its associated organizations so as to
achieve this goal. It will argue that while Bales makes a very good case for reforming
the UN his propositions seem sometimes only to have aspirational character and it
appears questionable whether they can ever be implemented. However, this is not to
say that his suggestions are not of tremendous importance, but rather, this essay
wants to argue that the importance of the UN should not be overstated. Generally
this essay will focus first on whether the reforms suggested by Bales are feasible and
second if they are to be implemented how effective they can be in eradicating
slavery. Regarding the first point this essay will outline different arguments regarding
the implementation of the reforms according to Slaughter's and Mearsheimer's line
of argumentation. In regard to the latter point this essay will focus first on the lack of
enforceability while acknowledging the informational power of the UN and second on
the underlying problems of slavery that stand to some extend in contrast to the UN's
mission. Finally this paper will conclude that while it is not impossible to implement
the proposed changes in the UN there are considerable challenges to be overcome
and furthermore the effect these changes might have on the process of abolishing
slavery might be rather small. [...]