Global Imperialism by the United Nations Security Council and its Impact on Youth: A case study on the United Nations Missions in Haiti
By Tolga Doğan*
Abstract This article examines the impact of UN involvement in Haiti, in backdrop of UNSC Resolution 2250, which recognises the role of youth (individuals aged 18 – 29) in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as their vulnerability during armed conflict. As a concept created by European states in the colonial era, international law has historically been used to construct the laws of sovereignty to allow domination over colonial territories. This legacy has manifested itself in the ability of Western states to justify military intervention under the guise of R2P. After removing Haiti’s democratically elected President Aristede from office in 2004, the US and France depicted Haiti as a failed state to justify their humanitarian intervention. Subsequently, the UNSC legitimised this intervention with the creation of the MIF, which was replaced by MINUSTAH. MINUSTAH’s narrow focus on security and its use of repressive force, legitimised opposition to the mission. Additionally, its CVR programmes lacked a developmental character, and, thus, were insufficient at preventing the recruitment of youth by armed gangs. Following MINUSTAH, MINUJUSTH, as well as BINUH, were also unable to stabilise Haiti sufficiently, leading to the authorisation of another Chapter VII peacekeeping mission in Haiti, led by Kenya in October 2023. The author argues that youth find themselves at the mercy of imperialist international power structures that act in their own interest by constructing the laws of the use of force, enabled by their place in the UNSC. Non-imperial peacekeeping is vital to safeguard the safety of youth worldwide. To reach this aim, it is necessary to question the current structure of the UNSC.
*
LL.B. Candidate, International and European Law Programme, The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
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