What You Need to Know About Playing the UN
From AICbackground
--The UN as such does not have a policy: it is meant to be a forum where its many members can come together and discuss world affairs, hopefully resolving their problems peacefully. You do not represent the UN in its entirety—you represent the staff of the Secretary-General, whose office is charged with making sure that this world functions continues to fulfill its mission of helping the world solve its problems via diplomacy, not war.
--The UN might not have citizens and electorates to be accountable to, but it does employ many thousands of people working in the Middle East on a number of military and humanitarian projects: as such, the UN as an administrative body has to weigh the risk to its own employees whenever violence erupts in the Middle East, much like sovereign governments have to be responsible for seeing to the safety of their own tourists and workers in the region. One of the largest UN contingents is the multinational force policing the southern Lebanese border, which lives in constant danger of a flare-up in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Many soldiers with the famous blue UN helmet have died trying to protect this peace.
--The UN has a new Secretary General in the person of Ban Ki-Moon, whose personal stance on the Middle East is currently unknown, as he came to the world body to work primarily on Asian issues. The staff of the UN, and their new approach to the Middle East, will probably be unfocused for some time to come, so be prepared to stumble in the dark before a clear policy emerges from Secretary Ban’s office.
--The UN is the primary world body currently responsible for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue. While there are certainly other important issues occupying the UN at this time, in regional terms this might present the best chance to resolve a crucial international issue peacefully, and regain some of the credibility the UN lost as a result of their confused role in the Iraq war. As of December 2006 a moderate sanctions regime has been imposed on Iran to prevent its acquisition of further nuclear technology, but the door for peaceful negotiations is still open, despite American and Israelis claims that Iran can only be stopped by force.
--The UN has long been accused of being anti-Israeli, and more seriously, anti-Semitic in general. Much of this depends on one's point of view, but the power of the USA in influencing the UN Security Council, combined with America's strong support of Israel, means that the UN is very self-conscious about this charge, and strives above all things to present itself as an honest regional broker as a result.
