Collective Security of the United Nations and United States Invasion of Iraq in 2003

Collective Security has been credited with averting likely wars, and contributing to international peace and security. But its application is increasingly paralyzed by the rising resort to unilateral actions by powerful nations who invade weaker ones for economic interest. It is the pursuit of this economic interest that creates artificial “colliding” forces in the Middle East, hence the region is conflict ridden. Much have been said and written about the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 but adequate attention has not been given to the major problems confronting the collective security-such as the persistent problem of double standards, lack of a real sense of oneness of the international community and politics of economic interest among the members of the Security Council. This paper therefore, provides solutions that can unlock the impasse bedeviling the UN collective security application by recommending that the use of force should be viewed as a last resort irrespective of the overwhelming economic interests of different nations. The use of force will only be appropriate when all reasonable diplomatic efforts like negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration are exhausted. As a way forward, the United Nations should restructure its Security Council for mass representation and adequate application of collective security which will enhance tolerance of one another among member nations and keep war away.