ABSTRACT

Ghana has joined several international organizations in order to enhance international cooperation with other states in addressing global security and development crises. However, this particular study focuses predominantly on Ghana’s membership to the United Nations (UN). Ghana has been a member of the UN since August 8, 1957 and as such has contributed significantly to addressing international security and development crises through the systems and structures of the UN. Towards this end, this study utilized the theories of Neo-institutionalism and Cooperation to examine the privileges and obligations of Ghana as a member of the UN. The study also accessed challenged faced by Ghana in fulfilling her obligations to the UN. The study was purely qualitative and relied primarily on secondary sources of data. Data collected was analyzed using content analysis grounded on the theories of International Cooperation and Neo-institutionalism. The main findings of the study were that Ghana as a member of the UN enjoys some privileges including sovereignty, development assistance and supports, capacity building, global recognition and good image and peaceful resolution of international disputes. The study showed that to continue enjoying these privileges as a member of the UN, there are some key obligations which behooves on Ghana to perform including political representation, troop contribution to peacekeeping operations, contribution to international development, abiding and ratification of the UN’s Conventions, Statutes, Treaties and International law, and also paying of annual dues to the accomplishment of the mandates of the organization. Also, the study showed that there are some challenges which bedevils Ghana in full fulfilment of her obligations to the UN. Paramount among these challenges include conflicting national interests, institutional proliferation of many integration groups, external influence of powerful states, economic difficulties and non-representation as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that Ghana’s membership of the United Nations has been beneficial to her development and the promotion of international peace and security. Towards this end, the study recommends the Ghana should take effective and proactive measures to manage the challenges she faces in fulfilling her obligations to the international organizations such as the United Nations, to take full advantage of the privileges which comes with being a member of such organizations as indicated in this study.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

    Background to the Study

The United Nations came into being following the devastation of the Second World War. The name ‘United Nations’ was coined by then United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first used in the Declaration by the United Nations on 1 January 1942 during the Second World War when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.¹ In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations conference on international organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944.² The charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland signed later and became one of the original 51 Member states.³

The membership of the United Nations, under Article-3 of the Charter are of two types: Original members which include those who participated in the San Francisco conference and signed the Charter at that time.⁴ New members, according to Article-4 of the Charter, can also join the United Nations if the nation is committed to peace and is eligible to fulfill the obligations included in the Charter.⁵

The failure of the League of Nations to prevent the occurrence of another World War necessitated the formation of the United Nations whose primary aim has always been to “maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and

in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace”.⁶

The UN does not exist because it has power to force its will on the world’s states; it exists because states have created it to serve their needs.⁷ The implication of this is that for the UN to function very well, member states which have created it have to leave up to the responsibilities or obligations bestowed on them by the organization, in turn of which the former also enjoys some privileges from the organization. The membership of the United Nations now numbers up to 193 countries and Ghana which is also a member became an official member two days after the country’s independence on 8^th March 1957.⁸

According to Article 24 of the UN Charter, Member States bestow the principal responsibility of the maintenance of international peace and security on the Security Council and agree that the Council, in order to carry on this duty, acts on their behalf. Member States also agree to accept and carry out the decisions taken by the Security Council under Article

25 of the Charter.⁹ Though other organs of the United Nations can only make recommendations to governments, the UNSC is the only organ mandated and capable to issue resolutions that are legally binding on all Member States under international law.¹⁰ It is in this vein that this study would examine the obligations and privileges that bestow on Ghana as being a member of the United Nations.

    Statement of the Research Problem

Ghana has for the past six decades been an active member of the United Nations. On three occasions, Ghana has served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. The first was in 1962-1963 when she joined the Security Council. The second was 1986- 1987 with Congo and Zambia and more recently from 2006-2007.¹¹

Undoubtedly, Ghana’s membership in the United Nations has over the years come with tremendous benefits. There have been numerous supports in the area of health, education, security, human rights, fighting poverty, aid and grant, and more recently, helping to settle the marine border dispute between Ivory Coast, to mention a few. However, one cannot shy away from the fact that membership has also come with some obligations. As a member of the UN, the Charter obliges all states to live up to the responsibilities that come with membership in an organization. In this case, issues of promoting international peace and security and collectively fighting aggression are but a few. Notwithstanding the above, there has been a dearth of scholarly exploration on the obligations that Ghana has discharged as a member of the UN as well as the privileges that Ghana has benefitted from over the years. This problem or research gap necessitated this study to examine the obligations that Ghana has discharged as a member of the UN as well as the privileges that Ghana has benefitted as being a member of the UN.

    Research Questions

The research questions which serve as the guidelines or inform the study include the following:

1. What is the mandate of the UN as an international organization?

• What are the privileges and obligations of Ghana as a member state of the UN?

• What challenges does Ghana encounter in the performance of its obligations as a member state of the UN?

    Research Objectives

The research generally examines the privileges and obligations of member states of the United Nations with Ghana as the focal point of the study. However, the specific objectives are:

1. To examine the mandate of the United Nations;

• To examine the privileges and obligations of Ghana as a member of the United Nations;
  • To ascertain the challenges Ghana encounters in the performance of its obligations in the UN.

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