Shridath Ramphal

The United Nations charter forbids intervention in the internal conflicts of nations unless they threaten international security. However, in the following viewpoint, Shridath Ramphal contends that when a nation’s government threatens the security of its own people, other nations, working under the aegis of the United Nations, have a duty to intervene and restore the citizens’ civil and human rights. The UN charter must be revised to permit these humanitarian interventions, the author maintains. Ramphal is the former secretary-general of the United Kingdom and the cochair of the Commission on Global Governance, an international organization devoted to improving social and economic conditions around the world.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In the author’s opinion, why must the United Nations be the final arbiter of...