Resolution 2341 of the United Nations Security Council - Essay Sample

Introduction

United Nation Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six main organs composing the United Nations (UN). Its main aim is the maintenance of peace and security across the globe and vetting of new members in the UN. The body also makes approvals of the UN's charter changes (De Wet, 2004). It is mandated with the initiation of the peacekeeping operations, development of worldly sanctions, and granting of permission of the military action employing Security Council resolutions. The Security Council is comprised of fifteen members where five are permanent members, and the other ten is non-permanent members subject to elections. The five members consist of the powerful nations which include France, China, the US, Russia and the UK. The other ten members are elected on a regional basis with a life span of a maximum of two-year term service (Sarooshi, 1999). The critical infrastructure is the support system to the current life existence as the societies' main operation is based on the infrastructure system network. As a result, the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) held a meeting, and together they settled on adopting the resolution 2341 on 17th February 2017 on the protection of the critical infrastructure as well as state's enhancement capacities to prevent a future attack in the future against critical infrastructure. The council called upon every member state to inscribe the risk of terrorist attacks against the critical infrastructure. The resolution welcomes member states to make considerations on the possible prevention measure in the national strategies and policies development.

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UNSC's handling of Iran's Nuclear Program

The United Nations Security Council initiated seven resolutions as part of the global effort to deal with the nuclear program in Iran. However, only one has been put into practice so far. After Iran and Security Council signed a comprehensive nuclear deal on July 14, 2015, the council has recommended the deal and has initiated measures to lift UN sanctions that had been directed towards Iran's nuclear program. Security Council Resolution 2231 was among the resolutions adopted by the UNSC On July 20, 2015 (Katzman & Kerr, 2015). The resolution 2231 provided that there was a comprehensive deal reached between Iran and the veto 5on July 14, 2015. The deal formulated the Security Council's groundwork on the lift on nuclear-related sanctions on Iran when the capita Tehran had completed the main procedures outlined in the agreement that limited the activities involving nuclear production. This resolution was fruitful as Iran finally met all the requirements on January 16, 2016. The resolution 2231 also retained the ban on trade on arms on Iran for five years following the implementation and Iran would face a sanction for eight years on the ballistic missile program. However, both were subject to lift if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) evaluated on the nuclear program in Iran through the broader conclusion program. The resolution also had some monitoring mechanism through the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Security Council request half-yearly reports from the UN Secretary-General regarding Resolution 2231 implementation.

Container Security Initiative (CSI)

Container Security Initiative (CSI) is a unique bilateral information transfer system. It is a system launched in 2002 by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency in America under the Department of Homeland Security. It is a system of services that is reciprocal that involves America's coast guard and the other country's port with its main aim being increasing the security for cargo containers that are transported from the United States (Romero, 2003). CSI reduces the trade interruptions through the inspection of the cargo containers at the port of the host country which facilitate the free movement in the USA. The containers are inspected through the help of specific equipment designed to undertake such task without interfering with the cargo containers contents. This is a system that involves both countries' offering security without putting the trade at risk. This is because the shipping containers may pose a security risk to countries; thus CSI aims at reducing the risks. The risks include shipment of firearms and illegals drugs and substance into the state. Extensively, the container shipping May further a security threat since most of the cargo contents is in the steel containers providing an avenue of export or import of unwanted goods which promotes dumping of products in other countries.

Critical Infrastructure Risk

The critical infrastructures are the assets that are basic functioning of the economy and the society. They include agricultural activities, water supply, security services, transportation systems, electricity generation and distribution, public health like hospitals, and housing facilities (Rinaldi, Peerenboom & Kelly, 2001). The critical infrastructure can be put at risk by the natural or human-made disasters. For instance, on Wednesday, July 2018, there was a wildfire in Mati in Athens, Greece. The wildfire in Greece was one of the deadliest as it destroyed the lives of people, the forest cover and the houses among other critical infrastructure. The fire was caused by the European heat wave which started in the coastal region. At least more than 100 people died as a result of succumbing to flames and burns whereas a lot of valuable assets were destroyed including cars and houses.

References

De Wet, E. (2004). The Chapter VII Powers of the United Nations Security Council. Hart Publishing.

Katzman, K., & Kerr, P. K. (2015). Iran nuclear agreement. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.

Rinaldi, S. M., Peerenboom, J. P., & Kelly, T. K. (2001). Identifying, understanding, and analyzing critical infrastructure interdependencies. IEEE Control Systems, 21(6), 11-25.

Romero, J. (2003). Prevention of maritime terrorism: The container security initiative. Chi. J. Int'l L., 4, 597.

Sarooshi, D. (1999). The United Nations and the development of collective security: The delegation by the UN Security Council of its Chapter VII Powers. Oxford University Press.