Global Health Watch 1 in one file
Global Health Watch 1 in one file Global Health Watch 1 in one file
The wider health context | D5 Box D5.2 Military spending and the UN: whose priorities? One year’s world military expenditure of US$ 880 billion would fund the entire UN system for more than 70 years. The entire UN system (excluding the World Bank and IMF) spends US$12 billion a year. The annual budget for its core functions is US$ 1.25 billion. This is equivalent to only 4% of New York City’s annual budget – and nearly US$1 billion less than the yearly cost of Tokyo’s fire department. groups and by nation states must be prevented by strengthening international institutions, rejecting unilateral pre-emptive war as a means of resolving international conflict, and increasing support for the UN and other cooperative security programmes. Specifically, the US must change priorities to reflect real security needs, by eliminating military spending for wasteful Pentagon programmes and investing those resources in urgent domestic needs for health care, education, and jobs; by providing new investments in renewable energy alternatives to reduce dependence on foreign oil; and by providing adequate peacekeeping funding to secure peace and stability. Promoting multilateralism Since its foundation in 1946 the UN has attempted to live up to the goal in its charter, ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’. Its mandate also includes protecting human rights, promoting international justice, and helping people achieve a sustainable standard of living. Its programmes and agencies have made an enormous difference to people’s lives. Yet the resources allocated by its member states are grossly inadequate (see Box D5.2). The UN has no army and no police, but relies on the contribution of troops and other personnel to halt conflicts. The US and other members of the Security Council, and not the secretary-general, decide when and where to deploy peacekeeping troops. Long-term conflicts fester, such as those in the Sudan and Kashmir and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while conflicting national priorities deadlock the UN’s ability to act. In fact if stymied by the veto, the organization has little power beyond the bully pulpit. The US and the UK severely weakened the UN by their illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003. The US has also failed to support the International War Crimes Tribunal through signature and ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. 262
Box D5.3 An agenda for peace The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century (Hague Appeal for Peace 1998) has been distributed widely around the world. It includes a 10–point action agenda: 1. Educate for peace, human rights, and democracy. 2. Counter the adverse effects of globalization. 3. Advance the sustainable and equitable use of environmental resources. 4. Eradicate colonialism and neocolonialism. 5. Eliminate racial, ethnic, religious, and gender intolerance. 6. Promote gender justice. 7. Protect and respect children and youth. 8. Promote international democracy and just global governance. 9. Proclaim active non-violence. 10. Eliminate communal violence at local level. Ending poverty and social injustice Poverty and other manifestations of social injustice contribute to conditions that lead to armed conflict. Growing socioeconomic and other disparities between the rich and the poor within countries, and between rich and poor nations, also contribute to the likelihood of armed conflict. Rich countries can help to address these underlying conditions through policies and programmes that redistribute wealth within and among nations, and by providing financial and technical assistance to less developed nations. Creating a culture of peace The Hague Appeal for Peace Civil Society Conference was held on the centenary of the 1899 Hague Peace Conference, which explored ways of making war more humane. The 1999 conference, attended by 1000 individuals and representatives of civil society organizations, was devoted to finding methods to prevent war and to establish a culture of peace (see Box D5.3). People in the health sector can do much to promote a culture of peace in which nonviolent means are used to settle conflicts. A culture of peace is based on the values, attitudes, and behaviours that form the deep roots of peace. They are in some ways the opposite of the values, attitudes, and behaviours that reflect and inspire war and violence, but should not be equated with just the absence of war. A culture of peace can exist at the level of the relationship, War 263
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Box D5.3 An agenda for peace<br />
The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century (Hague Appeal<br />
for Peace 1998) has been distributed widely around the world. It <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
a 10–po<strong>in</strong>t action agenda:<br />
1. Educate for peace, human rights, and democracy.<br />
2. Counter the adverse effects of globalization.<br />
3. Advance the susta<strong>in</strong>able and equitable use of environmental resources.<br />
4. Eradicate colonialism and neocolonialism.<br />
5. Elim<strong>in</strong>ate racial, ethnic, religious, and gender <strong>in</strong>tolerance.<br />
6. Promote gender justice.<br />
7. Protect and respect children and youth.<br />
8. Promote <strong>in</strong>ternational democracy and just global governance.<br />
9. Proclaim active non-violence.<br />
10. Elim<strong>in</strong>ate communal violence at local level.<br />
End<strong>in</strong>g poverty and social <strong>in</strong>justice Poverty and other manifestations of social<br />
<strong>in</strong>justice contribute to conditions that lead to armed conflict. Grow<strong>in</strong>g socioeconomic<br />
and other disparities between the rich and the poor with<strong>in</strong> countries,<br />
and between rich and poor nations, also contribute to the likelihood of<br />
armed conflict. Rich countries can help to address these underly<strong>in</strong>g conditions<br />
through policies and programmes that redistribute wealth with<strong>in</strong> and among<br />
nations, and by provid<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>ancial and technical assistance to less developed<br />
nations.<br />
Creat<strong>in</strong>g a culture of peace The Hague Appeal for Peace Civil Society Conference<br />
was held on the centenary of the 1899 Hague Peace Conference, which<br />
explored ways of mak<strong>in</strong>g war more humane. The 1999 conference, attended<br />
by 1000 <strong>in</strong>dividuals and representatives of civil society organizations, was devoted<br />
to f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g methods to prevent war and to establish a culture of peace<br />
(see Box D5.3).<br />
People <strong>in</strong> the health sector can do much to promote a culture of peace <strong>in</strong><br />
which nonviolent means are used to settle conflicts. A culture of peace is based<br />
on the values, attitudes, and behaviours that form the deep roots of peace.<br />
They are <strong>in</strong> some ways the opposite of the values, attitudes, and behaviours<br />
that reflect and <strong>in</strong>spire war and violence, but should not be equated with just<br />
the absence of war. A culture of peace can exist at the level of the relationship,<br />
War<br />
263
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