ABSTRACT
In a world growing more interconnected and in which conflict has transcended national borders, with origins in complex social, political, and economic linkages, the role of the United Nations (UN) has appeared again at the forefront of efforts to prevent conflict. This article examines critically, the changing roles, mechanisms and constraints on the UN in conflict prevention in the era of globalization. Based on qualitative research and case studies, the study examines how the UN adjusts its diplomatic, peacekeeping, and early warning interventions to rise to new threats like cyber conflict, transnational terrorism, and resource-based violence. The work sheds a light on the UN‘s successes and failures, including the popular successes of peacekeeping interventions in Kosovo and Cambodia and the devastating failure to act in Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda, and Syria. Tracing state sovereignty, international cooperation, and institutional inertia through the prism of multilateralism, the paper suggests that the global peacekeeping moves of the UN remain pivotal but power oppression amongst the largest political players and the lack of enforcement capability has kept the UN from effectively preventing conflict. The results call for institutional reforms, intensified cooperation at regional level, and creative diplomacy in developing the UN conflict-prevention tools required for a globalising world order. In the end, this study is a necessary addition to the global governance debate, providing needed reflections and concrete proposals toward a more agile and effective UN.
