A Charter for the new Non-Aligned

The news this summer has been unremittingly bleak. The Syrian civil war has killed many and displaced millions. Libya is rapidly descending into an ungovernable disaster like Somalia, while South Sudan, Mali and parts of Nigeria have similar problems. Tensions are steadily racheting up between China and its neighbours. Israel and Hamas resumed their periodic pointless fighting. We have a true war in Europe once again, in Eastern Ukraine. And a new menace has grown rapidly in the shape of IS, a menace that threatens to spread and quite possibly is planning a “spectacular” somewhere in the US or in Europe. If that were to happen, then who knows where a knee jerk response by the US could lead. Meanwhile a pandemic threatens much of Africa, while the Mediterranean body count continues to grow as the EU looks the other way.

I don’t think there have been such dangerous times since the Cuban crisis over fifty years ago. Some have compared Syria to the Spanish Civil war, which seems both apt and frightening. It is hard to stay positive. One way I succeed is in observing a micro-story playing out in parallel with the horrendous macro-story. The micro-story tells of today’s youth in developed countries enjoying unprecedented levels of physical and mental health. Despite everything, this has to bode well.

In the macro-story, there are some common themes. One theme is the breakdown of effective response, with the US government paralysed, and the UN Security Council reverting to cold war irrelevance. Another theme is the gradual erosion of an established world order, as nations and groups rebel against an ever more tenuous status quo. And a linked theme is distrust of USA the hegemon.

Yesterday, on the same day that a US journalist was killed by IS accompanied by a chilling video condemning US arrogance, the US itself announced that it had killed the leader of Al Shabab in Somalia. I could not help notice a link. Much though it can be defended to send drones to murder leaders who appear to play by barbarian rules, the upshot is sure to be more disgruntled families and communities turning to rebellion.

It is not easy being Obama or Kerry. They are left to suffer the backlash from the appalling acts of their predecessors. Their political room for manoeuvre at home is limited. Supposed allies are hypocritical. Whatever the problem, the USA is expected to find a solution and is blamed whichever way it chooses to turn. If they act, they are arrogant, but if they don’t they are callous. Catch 22 is alive and well in the White House.

However, it is instructive to create a charge sheet against the USA, if only to start to understand where extreme anger can feed and grow. It is quite a sobering list.

The USA treats the UN as a buffet menu, gorging when it suits and disdaining otherwise. Many sound global accords remain ungratified by the US. Meanwhile, it maintains military bases and sea lanes around the world just like any colonist. Diplomacy is backed by an insidious covert operation, one not averse to stealing any information, using hapless US corporate interests as servants. Financial power is abused openly, while key economic bodies are always led from the West. Most aid is given as deadly weapons, notably to an ally maintaining a brutal illegal occupation and expanding via illegal settlements. A crippling embargo is maintained on a near neighbour out of nothing more than pique. Invasions are inflicted on others, while many of its own citizens are incarcerated, via a social and economic model fostering levels of inequality not seen since the days of Downton Abbey, all the while touting freedom and liberty, whatever they mean. Public opinion is bought largely via money, with few checks or balances – one consequence is that Miami is already doomed to sink.

It is a grim list, though of course no worse than any former hegemon’s. Read it, and consider why China may struggle to fully embrace the UN itself and is reluctant to rescind territorial claims. It becomes easier to understand Russia or Iran as well. While IS is totally indefensible and in no way comparable, it does help to understand how it can find willing recruits.

Given the extreme risks we now face, I called some weeks ago for nations to join a new non-aligned movement. This solution might have a small chance of success, more than any other strategy being employed today, as it might slowly force change on the US while reconciling everyone else. A goal for such a movement should be that China, India and Germany should be among the founder members. I gave some thought to what the charter for such a movement might contain. Here is what I came up with.

Our members support all UN agencies and ratify all UN protocols.

We believe in arms reduction. 50% of our defence capability is reserved for the collective security of our members, and we do not provide arms to non-members. We do not seek military alliances outside the group, aiming to eliminate existing alliances over time. All of our security activity is overt and transparent: we have no hidden or secret capabilities. The armed forces of our members have no political role.

We guarantee a growing list of human rights for our citizens. Citizens are free to practice and religion and cultural practices that do not harm the human rights of others, while the state shows no preference for or sponsorship of any religion or ethnic group.

Our members have plural political and judicial institutions and media. Politicians are elected, with term limits restricting tenure, or otherwise have purely titular functions. We have active devolution of power, while also surrendering power to the UN or this member’s body where appropriate. Over time our passports should mean less as a result. We work towards free movement between all member states.

We recognise that global issues require global responses and support relevant expert bodies, even when these dictate allowable domestic policies. Such issues include the environment, cyber security and criminal law. In Economics, they include promoting trade and eliminating subsidies, harmonising corporate and personal taxation for cross-border entities.

We emphasise human development, subscribing to aggressive development goals and investing collectively to achieve them with 2% of GDP reserved for common development in health, education, housing and social support.

Member states may be in periods of transition towards these goals, but they must accept them and accept binding external recommendations towards achieving them. Disputes between members, including of territorial claims, are to be resolved via binding arbitration processes. Historical anomalies from colonial times should be corrected over time, though nations should not be held liable for past excesses.

Representation on our political bodies will reflect population, but on expert bodies will reflect relevant expertise.

As a global citizen, I would love to campaign for such a body, and I believe momentum could be built, as a counter-weight to the insular politics of our times. The charter balances sticks and carrots for developed and developing nations. I suspect most people under thirty in the world would see the attraction of such a development.

I won’t hold my breath for much happening along these lines. But perhaps there is more hope for this type of remedy than any other just at the moment. It is amazing what new technology can achieve.