Introduction

This chapter explores the political philosophy behind the constitutionality of the absence of a permanent member. It intends to compare the significance the Korean case had for the four decades, following the war, with die patterns provided by the case of Kuwait for the 1990s. The chapter analyses both the arms embargo and the use of force authorised by the Security Council resolutions to test the validity of the general argument that no enforcement measures were taken in the Congo conflict. It demonstrates the limitations of the Cold War period on the sanctioning policies of the UN. The chapter attempts to verify the controversy over the mandate of Operation des Nations Unies-Congo (ONUC) and explains how the discussion on this issue has been influenced by two significant elements pertinent to the internal nature of the conflict as a civil war, and the effect of the foreign military intervention by Belgian forces.