The Legitimacy of the United Nations' Actions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor of International Relations, Department of International Relations, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 M.A. in International Relations, Department of International Relations, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Since the spread of COVID-19, the United Nations and the World Health Organization have become the focus of global attention. The WHO, in accordance with the International Health Regulations, declared that the disease outbreak aligns with the criteria of public health, identifying COVID-19 as a common global threat. With the widespread dissemination of COVID-19 and the resulting crises, various questions have arisen concerning the legitimacy and performance of the UN system and its capacity to address this global crisis. The present study employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine the legitimacy of the actions and decisions of the UN and the WHO in confronting the COVID-19 crisis from the establishment of the Public Health Emergency to its resolution. This research seeks to answer the question of whether the UN system possessed the necessary legitimacy to manage and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. This study argues that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, despite initial criticisms of the validity of the procedures and actions of the UN and the WHO, there has been widespread support for the necessity and importance of these institutions. This support largely originates from a deep-seated belief in their instrumental legitimacy, emphasizing their essential and irreplaceable purpose. In fact, although the legitimacy of the UN faced challenges in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuation of the crisis and the failure of unilateral approaches on one hand, and the performance of the UN and the WHO on the other hand, have led to the reinforcement of their legitimacy.

Introduction

With the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the global crises it has triggered, various questions have been raised regarding the impact of this pandemic on the relationships between States and the United Nations system, as well as the ability and legitimacy of the United Nations to address this crisis. International organizations require legitimacy to achieve their goals, perform their duties, and solicit cooperation among their members, which is considered a crucial and fundamental component for them. In fact, this legitimacy grants international organizations credibility, authority, support, and executive power. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, crises and extensive issues gripped the United Nations and its affiliated specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization, resulting in various consequences. It appears that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the legitimacy of the United Nations has been seriously questioned and doubted. This issue is highly influential on international peace and security and threatens the existence of the most important international organization. Therefore, the main question of the present research is whether the United Nations had the necessary legitimacy to manage and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. This research examines the functioning of the United Nations in addressing the coronavirus crisis and the legitimacy of its actions and decisions from January 2020 to May 2023, namely from the establishment of the public health emergency to its conclusion.
2.Theoretical Framework
This research analyzes and examines the actions of the United Nations in the COVID-19 crisis through the lens of the concept of legitimacy. It appears that despite criticisms of the United Nations and the World Health Organization's handling of the crisis, there was widespread support for the necessity and importance of these institutions, which to a large extent stemmed from a deep-seated belief in their instrumental legitimacy, namely their indispensable purpose.

Methodology

 In this study, the sequence and causality of events, decisions, and actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been determined through systematic exploration and a descriptive analytical approach. Subsequently, the consequences of these events have been elucidated and analyzed.

Results & Discussion

 The United Nations holds different meanings for different individuals. While for some, it may evoke images of the headquarters in New York or the Secretary-General, for others, the performance of a specific agency or peacekeeping forces serves as the yardstick for evaluation. In the first half of 2020, the United Nations Security Council faced significant disagreements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for international peace and security. It took over three months for the Security Council to adopt its first resolution on COVID-19. This delay undermined the legitimacy of the Security Council in the eyes of United Nations member States and their citizens.
On the other hand, the Secretary-General's call for a global ceasefire to combat COVID-19 in many regions of the world was met with positive reactions. The reception of Antonio Guterres's request contributed significantly to strengthening the position and credibility of the United Nations and could serve as a stamp of approval for its relative legitimacy during the coronavirus crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump voiced the strongest criticisms against the World Health Organization. Trump's criticisms, coupled with the decision of the United States government to halt World Health Organization funding and withdraw from the organization, were viewed as a widespread delegitimization and challenge to the overall authority of the organization.
Some policymakers and experts came forward with different arguments to defend the World Health Organization. They argued that the World Health Organization is irreplaceable and that cutting off World Health Organization membership fees during a pandemic, regardless of concerns about its performance, would only undermine and weaken the global response to COVID-19. These contrasting viewpoints and actions reflect tensions surrounding the issue of legitimacy of both the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Analyzing the actions of the United Nations and its specialized agencies and identifying different perspectives and arguments provide a relative understanding of the issue of United Nations legitimacy. It appears that the legitimacy goal of the United Nations during the COVID-19 pandemic received support from a wide spectrum of actors. Although the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted tensions around the procedural legitimacy of the United Nations system, particularly in more visible intergovernmental mechanisms, its relative success in formulating and implementing response strategies against COVID-19 strengthened the functional legitimacy of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Indeed, while many believed that the United Nations could have provided a better and stronger response to the coronavirus pandemic, they also believed that the United Nations needed support and strengthening rather than being sidelined altogether.

Conclusions & Suggestions

The research concludes that although at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the United Nations lacked the capability to effectively combat this novel crisis, and States pursued nationalistic policies, as the crisis continued, attention turned towards international organizations, as the COVID-19 crisis, being a global crisis, required global solutions. Indeed, the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis has contributed to strengthening the legitimacy of the United Nations. Additionally, it seems that at the beginning of the crisis, the United Nations did not enjoy high legitimacy, and States acted more unilaterally. However, as the crisis persisted, the crucial and significant role of the United Nations became more prominent, which helped enhance its legitimacy.


Keywords

References

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