Written by: Gray Southon, Special Officer for UN Reform, UNA New Zealand

One of the critical dilemmas involved in any external interventions in a country's affairs is the conflict between external and internal control. Any external intervention, involves reduction of internal control and loss of sovereignty, whether or not it is requested or how broad the consultations are. We need to better understand this dilemma and seek out ways in which the intervention can best enhance the internal political and decision systems. It is a process that we do not seem to have been very successful at yet.

Perhaps national UNAs could make a contribution to understanding this dilemma in each case.