ARTICLE 33 OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER AND THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES: AN AFROCENTRIC CRITIQUE

Abstract

Chapter VI of the United Nations (UN) Charter gives expression to the global call for the pacific settlement of international disputes. With the endless and renewed global geostrategic shifts, the idea of peaceful settlement of disputes has once again caught the attention of both scholars and practitioners in International Relations, Law and related disciplines. What emerges from the discourse is the deficit of an Afrocentric perspective, which leaves the existing literature with a partial ability to generate a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under study. Based on the blend of Afrocentricity and literature review, this study uses Article 33 as a primary unit of analysis for re-interpreting Chapter VI of the UN Charter. The major finding of this study is that the official documents of the UN are replete with inconsistencies in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decisions, a grave situation also worsened by the disconnect with operational realities.