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Abstract

In its early days, the United Nations system was polarised between East and West. As de-colonisation proceeded, a second chasm emerged within the organisation —along North-South lines. The North-South divide continues to afflict much of the U.N.’s intergovernmental system, mostly the U.N. General Assembly, its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and a number of its functional commissions and executive boards. This article argues that the North-South fault-line has had a negative impact on the work of the organisation, impeding action on many substantive issues, sometimes putting the relevance of the organisation in question. Recently, however, there is evidence of a relaxation in tensions along the North-South divide, possibly further encouraged by reactions to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

David M. Malone is the Chairman of the International Peace Academy (New York).