Just Power for a Reformed UN

In an interconnected world, the media revolution bolsters demands for more justice – from local politics to global governance. Previous notions of “hard”, “soft” and “smart” power do not address this fundamental demand from the international system and globalization. Author Nayef Al-Rodhan of the University of Oxford argues that just power is the most effective “brand” of power by integrating considerations of justice, fairness and respect for individual and collective worth. He recommends that this concept guide the United Nations because international organizations act on behalf of people, whether directly or through state intermediaries, and the integrity of the procedures that empower them to do so are critical. “Power that manifests itself in dominating ways and fails to respect the dignity of individuals is inherently unstable,” Al-Rodhan writes. “Regimes that repeatedly assault the dignity of their constituents or perpetuate forms of injustice are bound to crumble, irrespective of the strength and reach of their military and security apparatuses.” He concludes that championing just power is a decisive factor for the survivability and legitimacy of the United Nations in an interconnected world. – YaleGlobal