A new proposal on Burma would directly involve the UN Security Council... A round-up of Burmese opinions on the possibility of effective UN action posted by The Irrawaddy on its website a few weeks ago crystallized what many of us have been feeling for some time: The UN may be a paper tiger incapable of bringing change to Burma. Let?s be honest. What has the UN done for Burma lately?...The UN?s three accomplishments—uniting world opinion, injecting a reasonable sense of urgency, and agreeing on a common mechanism for change—are real and not without merit. The problem is that the mechanism needs adjustment. The Burmese regime has had more than a decade to cooperate with the good offices of the UN secretary-general, but it has refused. Ten years of failure is enough to show that the present mechanism is broken. One positive proposal for fixing this broken mechanism and strengthening the UN?s role in Burma—indeed, the only pro-active proposal—was launched on September 20 by former Czech President Vaclav Havel and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu. They proposed a UN Security Council resolution that would compel the SPDC to work with the secretary-general. It would also authorize him to report back periodically to the council. Unlike UN General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights resolutions that are unenforceable, the UNSC resolution would be binding. This means that the regime must work with Annan towards national reconciliation—or stand in violation of the UN Charter. In what appears to be a nod towards building an international consensus that all can agree on, Havel and Tutu did not call for sanctions to be applied through the council..."