Crisis in the United Nations, NATO and the European Union

The unilateralist policies of the United States administration have raised the question of how the international system should operate. It is suggested that the administration is dismissive of institutions such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the Kyoto Protocol because they do not permit the US to follow its desire to be the world's unchallenged economic, political and military force. It is proposed that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe should be responsible for European security in place of NATO. The European Union should not attempt to compete militarily with the US, but could act as a counterweight by adopting sustainable economic policies and political reforms. The United Nations must be democratized and international security enhanced by dealing with poverty and inequality. An emerging global public opinion may provide the political will for this to be achieved.