Deprivation or Circumvention of the UN’s Immunity

The immune system is supposed to protect one’s body from harmful germs, but sometimes it may attack a healthy part of the body itself—this is called an ‘autoimmune disease’. Although the founders of the United Nations (UN) equipped it with such immunities as are necessary for the fulfilment of its purposes, it seems that its jurisdictional immunity is sometimes more detrimental to its proper functioning than protective of it, especially in the context of peacekeeping. The present study aims to discover a cure for this autoimmune disease. Immunities are, in general, under attack because they serve as insurmountable hurdles to holding those who exercise public authority accountable before domestic courts. Peacekeepers may harm the local population, but the UN’s immunity leads to the denial of justice in cases of third-party claims, which put pressure on the UN. However, neither deprivation nor circumvention of the UN’s jurisdictional immunity is a safe and holistic cure for this autoimmune disease. What we need to ensure is that the immune system functions as designed.