Tehran -- Though it is difficult to envisage a FIFA-colored bulldozer forcing regime change at the UN, some parts of the organization could certainly benefit by adopting FIFA's principles, transparency and common vision, and the Beautiful Game's rules of fair play.
FIFA owes 102 years of success to its emphasis on fair play, which has survived numerous disputes, communism and two world wars. The UN was formed by mostly Christian, industrialized countries after World War II. Like FIFA, it seeks fair play, but in its search for "stability", has grown and sprawled into multiple organisations. Unlike FIFA, it has lost its focus.
UNICEF would be a good candidate to join up with FIFA to evolve its dated methods. Transparency, the rules of fair play, sportsmanship, and a sense of community are all relatively easy lessons to teach on the soccer field. Heroes and role models are promoted there, and sanctions are lodged against hooligans. Moreover, a few donated plastic balls can let poor children in Africa put these lessons to the test or, in rich countries, keep kids away from drugs.
UNESCO can incorporate the sport of the common man into its agenda, sowing the seeds of cultural development with the Beautiful Game. In the era of WTO and Wal-Martism, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) should voice its concerns and raise the yellow and red cards of warning. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) should learn from FIFA and take over the assignment, control and delivery of Internet names, addresses and routing of messages -- even if it has to take over the 9 main root servers now in the hands of a few dominant countries. Modern security concerns are largely about international engagement and communication (courtesy of Microsoft and Windows) and even-handed administration should not be limited to those in military gear and blue helmets in Kosovo, Bosnia, Kashmir or Korea.
The fair play rule and an even-handed IAEA, trusted with unbiased interpretation of the NPT, will surely be welcomed by all developing countries; Mr. Hans Blix will presumably be amongst the cheering crowd. No part of FIFA or its participating players are required to prove the negative and that easy lesson must be adopted by the IAEA and the Security Council.
The FIFA rules are universal so there is little room for political scheming or backroom alliances. The UN must learn from this and make their processes transparent and their proposals open to debate. In the age of the Internet, the UN must refocus its mission and act as an open forum. That may well lead to a rethinking of the Security Council and its interpretation of Chapter Seven; it may also lead to a shift towards addressing festering issues such as refugees from long-forgotten conflicts such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Rwanda, Somalia, Darfur, Afghanistan....
A special "world administration" should push for the fair and equitable control of Jerusalem and a final fix to the Arab-Israeli conflict; it should also address rich countries' overdue UN fees and the debt of poor countries. These issues will be the acid test of UN regime change. The "world administration" should even ask U.S. Ambassador John Bolton to trade in his company bulldozer for a softer ride (perhaps a more comfortable, high-tech limousine).
The silent majority in the world has voted for fair play. Now let's see if leaders and the UN machinery are prepared to learn from the Beautiful Game.
Please e-mail PostGlobal if you'd like to receive an email notification when PostGlobal sends out a new question.
