Binding Triad

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The Binding Triad (or World Parliament) [1] is a proposal to amend the United Nations Charter to allow the United Nations General Assembly to pass binding resolutions with the approval of a supermajority of members. For a resolution to be binding, it would require the support of nations: [2]

Contents

The Binding Triad appeals to some world federalists because it could theoretically institute a world government with only one change to the U.N. Charter. However, further amendments would be needed to secure representative government. In addition, it is unclear what impact such a change would have on the role of the United Nations Security Council, which enacts and enforces its own resolutions.

Proposal

Richard Hudson (Executive Director, Center for War/Peace Studies, New York) argues that the U.N. can become a world parliament, making global decisions on wars. The key notion is the adoption of a new three-part decision-making rule by all U.N. members. The nations would accept as "binding" decisions those resolutions that carried two-thirds of the General Assembly (see above). [3]

Hudson held three weekend "mock U.N. sessions" where the participants are actually from the diplomatic corps of U.N. members. These conferences are "trials" on how the new decision-making might go in "real life". [3]

Limitations

Two general decision limits are obtained. First, the U.N. would never make decisions about any nation's internal affairs, but only its international ones. Second, the U.N. would not have military forces of its own. Doubts would be referred to the U.N.'s World Court for resolution. Hudson also fields a few of the tough questions raised by his scheme. This ending, of course, invites viewers to their own questions about the scheme. [4]

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has been ratified by 92% of UN members, constituting 51.8% of the population and 50.08% of the United Nations dues as of 2024, [5] demonstrating an example of an unenforceable decision despite meeting all three components of the binding triad.

The United States embargo against Cuba has been deemed illegal under international law by a peak (in 2018) of ~99% of UN members, constituting 95.6% of the population [6] and 77.5% of the United Nations dues, [7] but this is also unenforceable.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Binding Triad". www2.sunysuffolk.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  2. ↑ "Alternative Voting Systems in International Organizations and the Binding Triad Proposal to Improve UN General Assembly Decision | CenterforUNReform". www.centerforunreform.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  3. 1 2 "Peace Magazine v06n1p30: Binding Triad, Anyone?". peacemagazine.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  4. ↑ "Peace Magazine v06n1p30: Binding Triad, Anyone?". peacemagazine.org. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  5. ↑ "A/Res/73/271: Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations". Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20181203034836/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population
  7. ↑ Assessment of Member States' advances to the Working Capital Fund for the biennium 2018-2019 and contributions to the United Nations regular budget for 2018ST/ADM/SER.B/973 Retrieved 13 December 2025.


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