Essential Question: How effective is the United Nations in meeting the purposes for which it was designed?
For most people who have not done extensive research about the United Nations, the intergovernmental organization is one that contributes to world peace. In several cases, they have successfully done so, especially in the field of promoting (note the wording) human rights and fighting lack of food supply and medications in less developed countries. However, largely due to its legal framework and, sometimes, inadequate authority over the hegemon and other great powers, the United Nations have failed in many more aspects. Therefore, to answer our essential question, we must be able to understand the following: (a) The purpose and goals of the United Nations, (b) its successes so far, and (c) its failures.
It is stated in Article 1 Chapter 1 of the United Nations Charter, the purposes of the organization itself. All of them are on the lines of creating a more interconnected and peaceful world, basically, an ideal society in which everyone will be equal. There are four main points given and to simplify:
1. To maintain global peace—this entails preventing and removing potential threats as well as settling disputes—under international law
2. Creating amiable relations between countries to respect the principles of human rights and self-determination of peoples
3. Achieving international cooperation between countries, working together to solve economic, social, and cultural problems
4. To be the center of bringing nations together for common goals
Above are the purposes in which the United Nations was created. After two devastating World Wars, it seemed only logical to create an organization, consisted of members from each country, to overlook peace. Now, with the organization established and its purposes binding countries together, it was time to implement measures to achieve its goals. This brings us to the topic at hand, the successes of the United Nations.
Lack of food has always been a major obstacle in creating a world of equity. After severe exploitation by European countries during the Age of Imperialism, countries in Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia were left impoverished, stripped of resources, and immersed in an era of chaos, only recently re-discovering some form of stability. With a growing population, however, food supplies seem to forever be running scarce. In this particular aspect, the United Nations has done a phenomenal strives to solve this issue. Food aid offered from more developed countries to destitute places and especially conflict zones has affected many people. Statistics offered from the United Nations shows that the UN feeds around 104 million people in over 80 countries. After the destructive 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the world, especially US, pooled in billions of dollars in food aid, alongside other forms of assistance such as rebuilding infrastructures. The UN has also been responsible to help with the prevalence of medication for deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS. The UN, along with more developed countries, work to donate money and fund for better medical advancements offered to poorer countries. Although distribution within the population is a major problem, the UN has made medication available for many people. Another prime example of UN success is in the aid to refugees. The UN subdivision, United Nations Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), founded in 1949, has helped over 17 million refugees in finding a sanctuary to escape from their country suffering in turmoil. Currently, UNHCR is trying desperately to assist over 700,000 people who fled Syria, Mali, Sudan, and DRC. It’s the beacon of hope leading refugees to a safer future.
However, the United Nations is not always as saintly as many make out. In the United Nations, the majority of the resolutions passed can only request a country to commit to a certain action and they cannot interfere within state affairs. An example would be its failure to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons. At the time of the creation of the United Nations in 1945, supposedly only the United States possessed and tested nuclear weapons. The numbers would eventually rise to unimaginable highs during the Cold War and finally decrease towards the end of the 20th century. Nevertheless, the United Nations could not control the spread of the destructive weapon of mass destruction. Arguably the biggest flaw of the United Nations, the organization places state sovereignty over human rights. The fact that the UN prioritizes a state’s borders over human lives has caused the United Nations to pay heavy prices in several occasions. One would be during the final months of the Sri Lanka civil war lasting from 1983 to 2009. Despite having sent UN officials to investigate the situation, the United Nations did not act. Around 7,000 innocent people died as a consequence. In a broader scope, another example would be its failure to curb slavery. Although slavery is extremely looked down upon and the percentages of the people of the world enslaved have gone down, the numbers certainly have not. Even in European and North American countries, illegal sex slave trade is existent, although more rare. Finally, perhaps the most well known example is the United Nations’ refusal to interfere in the Rwandan Genocide between the Tutsi and Hutu people that ended 800,000 lives within 100 days. Finally, the United Nations, with all its power, has also failed to control the hegemon and other determined great powers that simply ignore commands given from the United Nations. One of the most recent examples would be Russia’s annexation of Crimea without consideration of the national sovereignty of Ukraine. The action was condemned by every member state, however, Russia, with all its influence and importance to energy supplies in Europe, would not budge. Moving further back would be the Iraq War of 2003 lasting until 2011. The Bush administration completely went against international consent and invaded Iraq to avenge for the 9/11 incident as well as for their hidden desire for oil there.
Therefore, although the United Nations has succeeded in helping with food troubles around the world as well as making medication more prevalent, it has failed to tackle humanitarian issues (excluding refugees) and controlling the demands of the hegemon and other great powers. To answer the question of “how” effective the UN has been in reaching its purpose, I would say it depends on the issue at hand. When it is on an issue in which there is a global interest in solving such as refugees or lack of food, it is much easier for the United Nations to resolve as the hegemon and great powers will not interfere. However, the case is different when the said powers have a strong opinion for or against a certain action. The high council of the United Nations, the Security Council, has given the P5—United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France—veto power, or the ability to override decisions put forth by member states. By giving such power to states that obviously do not have an interest in helping the world allows the continuation of the inequality that plagues the world today.
Bibliography
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml
http://theflame.unishanoi.org/opinion/2013/10/30/top-9-greatest-achievements-of-the-united-nations/
http://listverse.com/2013/01/28/top-10-failures-of-the-united-nations-2/
http://dilipchandra12.hubpages.com/hub/Successes-and-Failures-of-the-United-Nations
For most people who have not done extensive research about the United Nations, the intergovernmental organization is one that contributes to world peace. In several cases, they have successfully done so, especially in the field of promoting (note the wording) human rights and fighting lack of food supply and medications in less developed countries. However, largely due to its legal framework and, sometimes, inadequate authority over the hegemon and other great powers, the United Nations have failed in many more aspects. Therefore, to answer our essential question, we must be able to understand the following: (a) The purpose and goals of the United Nations, (b) its successes so far, and (c) its failures.
It is stated in Article 1 Chapter 1 of the United Nations Charter, the purposes of the organization itself. All of them are on the lines of creating a more interconnected and peaceful world, basically, an ideal society in which everyone will be equal. There are four main points given and to simplify:
1. To maintain global peace—this entails preventing and removing potential threats as well as settling disputes—under international law
2. Creating amiable relations between countries to respect the principles of human rights and self-determination of peoples
3. Achieving international cooperation between countries, working together to solve economic, social, and cultural problems
4. To be the center of bringing nations together for common goals
Above are the purposes in which the United Nations was created. After two devastating World Wars, it seemed only logical to create an organization, consisted of members from each country, to overlook peace. Now, with the organization established and its purposes binding countries together, it was time to implement measures to achieve its goals. This brings us to the topic at hand, the successes of the United Nations.
Lack of food has always been a major obstacle in creating a world of equity. After severe exploitation by European countries during the Age of Imperialism, countries in Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia were left impoverished, stripped of resources, and immersed in an era of chaos, only recently re-discovering some form of stability. With a growing population, however, food supplies seem to forever be running scarce. In this particular aspect, the United Nations has done a phenomenal strives to solve this issue. Food aid offered from more developed countries to destitute places and especially conflict zones has affected many people. Statistics offered from the United Nations shows that the UN feeds around 104 million people in over 80 countries. After the destructive 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the world, especially US, pooled in billions of dollars in food aid, alongside other forms of assistance such as rebuilding infrastructures. The UN has also been responsible to help with the prevalence of medication for deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS. The UN, along with more developed countries, work to donate money and fund for better medical advancements offered to poorer countries. Although distribution within the population is a major problem, the UN has made medication available for many people. Another prime example of UN success is in the aid to refugees. The UN subdivision, United Nations Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), founded in 1949, has helped over 17 million refugees in finding a sanctuary to escape from their country suffering in turmoil. Currently, UNHCR is trying desperately to assist over 700,000 people who fled Syria, Mali, Sudan, and DRC. It’s the beacon of hope leading refugees to a safer future.
However, the United Nations is not always as saintly as many make out. In the United Nations, the majority of the resolutions passed can only request a country to commit to a certain action and they cannot interfere within state affairs. An example would be its failure to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons. At the time of the creation of the United Nations in 1945, supposedly only the United States possessed and tested nuclear weapons. The numbers would eventually rise to unimaginable highs during the Cold War and finally decrease towards the end of the 20th century. Nevertheless, the United Nations could not control the spread of the destructive weapon of mass destruction. Arguably the biggest flaw of the United Nations, the organization places state sovereignty over human rights. The fact that the UN prioritizes a state’s borders over human lives has caused the United Nations to pay heavy prices in several occasions. One would be during the final months of the Sri Lanka civil war lasting from 1983 to 2009. Despite having sent UN officials to investigate the situation, the United Nations did not act. Around 7,000 innocent people died as a consequence. In a broader scope, another example would be its failure to curb slavery. Although slavery is extremely looked down upon and the percentages of the people of the world enslaved have gone down, the numbers certainly have not. Even in European and North American countries, illegal sex slave trade is existent, although more rare. Finally, perhaps the most well known example is the United Nations’ refusal to interfere in the Rwandan Genocide between the Tutsi and Hutu people that ended 800,000 lives within 100 days. Finally, the United Nations, with all its power, has also failed to control the hegemon and other determined great powers that simply ignore commands given from the United Nations. One of the most recent examples would be Russia’s annexation of Crimea without consideration of the national sovereignty of Ukraine. The action was condemned by every member state, however, Russia, with all its influence and importance to energy supplies in Europe, would not budge. Moving further back would be the Iraq War of 2003 lasting until 2011. The Bush administration completely went against international consent and invaded Iraq to avenge for the 9/11 incident as well as for their hidden desire for oil there.
Therefore, although the United Nations has succeeded in helping with food troubles around the world as well as making medication more prevalent, it has failed to tackle humanitarian issues (excluding refugees) and controlling the demands of the hegemon and other great powers. To answer the question of “how” effective the UN has been in reaching its purpose, I would say it depends on the issue at hand. When it is on an issue in which there is a global interest in solving such as refugees or lack of food, it is much easier for the United Nations to resolve as the hegemon and great powers will not interfere. However, the case is different when the said powers have a strong opinion for or against a certain action. The high council of the United Nations, the Security Council, has given the P5—United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France—veto power, or the ability to override decisions put forth by member states. By giving such power to states that obviously do not have an interest in helping the world allows the continuation of the inequality that plagues the world today.
Bibliography
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml
http://theflame.unishanoi.org/opinion/2013/10/30/top-9-greatest-achievements-of-the-united-nations/
http://listverse.com/2013/01/28/top-10-failures-of-the-united-nations-2/
http://dilipchandra12.hubpages.com/hub/Successes-and-Failures-of-the-United-Nations