'UN should be strengthened'

A majority of people around the world favour strengthening the United Nations to increase its role in peacekeeping, fighting terror and in stopping nuclear proliferation, a new survey has found.

A large majority of those polled in 18 countries representing 56 per cent of the world's population believed the UN Security Council should have the right to authorise military force to prevent genocide, with the highest levels of support in France (85 per cent), Israel and the US (83 per cent each).

The survey was conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPubli Opinion.Org In cooperation with polling organisations around the world also found that a majority in eight countries led by China (76 per cent), the US (74 per cent) and the Palestinians (69 per cent) felt it was the UNSC's "responsibility" to intervene militarily to protect people suffering from human rights abuse.

Among Indians, 66 per cent felt the UNSC should have the right to authorise the use of force in defence of a country that has been attacked; and 63 per cent opined that the use of force must be authorised to prevent severe human rights violations such as genocide.

Sixty per cent also feel that the UNSC should have the right to authorise the use of force to stop a country from supporting terrorist groups.

Interestingly, Indians showed relatively modest support for allowing the UNSC to use force to prevent nuclear proliferation -- 53 per cent say it should have the right to prevent new countries from acquiring nuclear weapons, and 50 per cent believe it should also prevent countries from producing nuclear fuel that could be used for weapons.