About United Nations

The United Nations is a world body whose goals are to uphold international collaboration and establish and uphold world peace and order. It was founded in 1945, following the end of World War II, to uphold peace and stability among its member nations. The United Nations manages, controls, and enforces laws and settles disputes in other nations. This prestigious organization has accomplished a number of things, including advancing democracy, promoting peace, and battling for human rights and famine relief. It is a global institution since the countries that make up its membership are spread out over the globe, and it has had a lot of success there (Conforti, and Focarelli, 89). These accomplishments include maintaining peace and order, protecting the environment and fighting against hunger and diseases.

United Nations was established after the failure of several international treaty organizations formed in the century before United Nation creation. These organizations include Hague Convections of 1899 and the International Committee of the Red Cross. In the First World War millions and millions of people lost their lives and this led to a Paris Peace Conference to establish a body that would maintain harmony between countries. The League of Nations was established as a global peacekeeping institution at the end of World War Ito ease conflicts between countries. It was formed on 10th January 1920, and its main goals as enumerated in its agreement included averting wars through cooperative security and disarmament and also solving international conflicts through arbitration and negotiation (Conforti, and Focarelli, 99).

Other objectives of the League of Nations was end human and drug trafficking, the slave trade, the weapons trade, global health and the protection of the minorities in Europe. The league faced a lot of challenges in its operation because it did now own an army force and therefore, it relied on the victorious Great Powers of World War 1 to execute its resolutions. These great powers include Italy, Japan, France and UK and they were reluctant in offering their army making the league member reluctant in complying with the league’s sanctions. The league made some notable success in promoting peace, but it failed to prevent Axis Power aggression in the 1930s. The reasons why it failed were that the United States did not join the institution although Woodrow Wilson faced opposition from the isolationist’s Congress despite his enthusiasm about the league. Other great power counties such as Germany, Japan, Spain, and Italy also withdrew from the league making it weak (Helleiner 90). The outbreak of the World War II demonstrated that the League had failed its key objective because it was supposed to prevent any future world wars. The UN replaced it after the end of the World War II and absorbed several organizations and agencies founded by the League.

The Bretton Woods Conference was a meeting of representatives from 44 nations that met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, from July 1 to 22, 1944. The conference was set to deliberate upon some new guidelines for the post-WWII international monetary system. After legislative ratification by member delegates, articles of agreements were signed for the establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (Helleiner 115). The conference also recommended for global economic cooperation. The main purpose of IMF was to promote financial flaws and the stability of exchange rates while IBRD was to hasten reconstruction after huge destructions of the World War II and foster economic development through lending money to member countries to build infrastructure. It was also responsible for promoting economic developments in less developed countries.

The important argument behind the Bretton Woods Conference was the idea of globalization by opening the markets. The United Nation President, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau said that the formation of the IBRD and the IMF marked the end of economic patriotism. These agreements meant nations would maintain their national interest, but they were free to trade with other nations because there would be the removal of economic spheres and trade blocs that influence their geographical trade. The second notion behind the Bretton Woods Conference was the cooperative administration of the Western political-economic order (Helleiner 179). This was to ensure that trade barriers were reduced and there was a smooth flow of capital in the industrial democratic nations.

In the 70 years of United Nations tenure, there are numerous accomplishments that it has been able to achieve globally. It has managed to promote arms control by reducing nuclear weapons production. In 1968 the U.N signed a treaty with the United States, Russia, and Britain against using their nuclear weapons to the non-nuclear weapons countries. The institution allowed them to continue developing nuclear power, but they should ensure peaceful benefits because their nuclear weapons may be passed to other countries. This was a way of safeguarding non-nuclear countries in this agreement to assure them that they were protected from nuclear attacks (Kourula 174).

United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) has been Helping and Protecting Children. The organization has been helping save the lives of children and protected their rights everywhere in the world. UNICEF contribution has saved 90 million children since 1990. The organization also works to improve the living standards of children by making sure that they live in a clean environment and are provided with at least the three basic needs. One protection is another achievement of the United Nations after the 1987 Environment Program aimed to take actions against the countries deteriorating the ozone layer. The treaty aimed to reduce chlorofluorocarbons such as carbon dioxide emissions which lead to global warming.

The World Health Organization (WHO), a U.N agency, has eradicated smallpox globally. After 13 years of immunization against smallpox, it was declared extinct in 1977. The disease is transmitted by humans unlike in other viral diseases by birds or insects and therefore, WHO official aimed at the target to eradicate the viral diseases. The UN’s Food Program has supplied food to many countries facing hunger due to drought and increased population in the 21st century causing demand for food to increase. UN feeds 104 million people in 80 nations. Most of the people who receive food aid are in war zones, developing countries, faced by natural disasters and those that need health emergencies ( Kourula 174). For instance, UN supplied in Haiti and Japan in 2010 and 2011 during earthquakes disaster that led to massive destruction of properties. Although the World Food Program does not help in stopping or controlling natural disasters, it also aids in stabilizing food security. Currently, the United Nations is trying to enlarge the range of its World Food Program with the assistance of its member countries.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is U.N. agency that aid to refugees. This is another accomplishment of the United Nations. The UNHCR was established in 1949 and has helped 17 million refugees and asylum-seekers. The agency helps the refugees directly or may work with other governments to ensure that they meet their responsibilities to the expatriates. The UNHCR has won 2 Nobel Peace Prizes in 1954 and 1981, and these are enough evidence for the success of. Currently, the UNHCR is facing a challenging financial issue, trying to support and protect almost 700,000 people who have fled conflicts in, Mali, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan. It is truthfully the only hope of millions of expatriates all over the world.

Despite the fact that UN has achieved significant achievements, it is faced with a lot of challenges/ problems. One of them is the outdated structure since it was established after the Second World War II and has not been updated to adapt to the changes in the 21st century. The five great power countries which include Britain, Russia, United States, France and China of the Second World War remain the power players since it was established. It has been critiqued according to the Gallup pools that it does not represent the current world and should be reconstructed and new members should be elected in the general counsel to allow full representation and implementation of non-binding resolutions ( Kourula 174).

Political horse-trading is another factor affecting the UN due to political interference from the five big countries. Those elected to senior positions are not qualified for those seats and they bribe to get the positions. The councils are therefore mismanaged and end up failing in their mission. The demand for UN services is increasing rapidly, and they need to keep peace all over the world. It requires troops for peacekeeping who end up being killed or taken to captives. There are a lot of humanitarian crisis, and therefore the number of refugees who run away for their safety has increased. UN is straining to provide shelter, clothing, and food to over 51 million refugees. The outbreak of diseases such as Ebola and Cholera has been a big challenge to UN.

The institution has several opportunities which will make it remain strong despite the threats and weaknesses it faces. First, it is a wide organization since it has 15 agencies and eleven sub-autonomous agencies programs and funds. It has the capacity of creating new agencies to deal with challenges facing its member countries, for instance, an anti-terrorist agent. The agencies can manage themselves independently making them more effective than when they are under the UN thresholds (Kourula 175). The second opportunity is the possibility of expansion to every corner of the world because they have reliable resources. The institution has various sources of funds which include 193 members’ countries contributions, donations, and grants from volunteers. It can use the funds to expand its operations all over the world.

Currently, United Nations is still working on its operations all over the world. In North Korea, there are eight major sanctions resolutions imposed by the United Nation Security Council to control nuclear and missile productions since 2006. Between the year 2006 and 2009, North Korea conducted nuclear tests and UN imposed two sanctions refraining it from conducting missile and nuclear tests and it withdrew from Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NPT) agreement made in 1993 (Arms Control Association). It was forced to return to NPT. In 2013 North Korea launched its third nuclear test and UN banned its import of missile technology and luxury goods. In 2016, North Korea conducted the 4th nuclear test and in response UN prohibited other states from offering training to North Korean to reduce their nuclear advancements, and it was also to abandon all biological and chemical weapons. The country was also banned from selling helicopters, and statues. In August 2017, UN prohibited joint ventures between North Korea and other states and denied port access to vessels coming from North Korea. On September 3, 2017, North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test, and United Nations added more sanctions on September 11 which involved full bans on textile exports. Ban all imports of natural gas, condensed gas and crude oil (Arms Control Association). The inspection of suspected vessels and if they refuse inspection, they should be denied port access.

At the end of the Second World War Palestine refugees wanted to go back to their homeland in 1948, and since then the united nation has been helping to solve the conflict between Palestine and Israel. In 1947, the UN passed a resolution which gave the right to Palestine’s to return to their homes and also receive compensation for their losses (Pappe 403). The UN partition plan gave recommendation the separation of the area into a Jewish state of Israel, an Arab state of Palestine, and the city of Jerusalem. The creation of the nation of Israel in 1948 marked a beginning of the war in Arabs nations. United Nations involvement in controlling the Arab crisis has not been successful since 1948 to date. The failure of UN physical interference in this crisis has been the major cause of long-lasting pain and struggle in Palestine. UN has condemned Israel inhumanities to the Palestine refugees, but the United States supports Israel because it is a strong ally rich in oil and other mineral resources (Pappe 420). The UN has not been active in bringing peace in the Arab region and to resolve the unending conflict.

United nation struggled to bring peace in Somalia through the United Nations Operation in Somalia 1 (UNOSOM I) in 1990’s. The operation was to provide, facilitate and secure humanitarian relief and resolve civil war conflict. In 1992, 50 United Nations troops from parties represented in the ceasefire arrived in Mogadishu in 1992, but Ali Mahdi Muhammad was against UN intervention and frustrated peacekeeping mission by killing soldiers who came to maintain peace. Somalia is faced by terrorist attacks who try to overthrow the current government and UN is currently maintaining peace in this country (Thakur 235).

In conclusion, United Nation is a global institution because it operates in 193 member countries all over the world. It has helped maintain peace and stability in these countries and innocent lives. The UN has accomplished several achievements such as saving children lives through immunization and ensuring proper standards of living. Providing aid to refugees in an ongoing war in Ukraine and Syria and providing food to people affected by war and natural disaster. However, the institution is experiencing financial crisis to cater for global challenges. It is important to restructure this institution because it plays a major role in meditating, negotiating and resolving crisis when they arise.

Strategic recommendations

UN is outdated since it was established after the Second World War II its structure does not adapt to the current changes in the 21st century, and therefore I would recommend for the restructuring of the whole institution. The institution should be dominated by other states that have no interest in UN operations. The institution is controlled by the five great power countries of the Second World War such as China, Russia, U.S, and France. These countries influence the operations of the UN. For instance, United States interferes with united nation resolutions in Palestine and Israel operation because it wants Israel to be its ally due to its mineral endowment. I would recommend a United Nations that is inherent legitimate and universality is endorsed by a formal political recommitment to the central philosophies of multilateralism by member nations.

Works Cited

Arms Control Association. UN Security Council Resolutions on North Korea. (2017) https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/UN-Security-Council-Resolutions-on-North-Korea (Web Oct 2017)

Kourula, Arno. “The United Nations Global Compact: Achievements, Trends and Challenges.” (2013): 170-176.

Pappe, Ilan. ”Historiophobia or the Enslavement of History: The Role of the 1948 Ethnic Cleansing in the Contemporary Peace Process.” Arab Studies Quarterly 38.1 (2016): 402-417.

Helleiner, Eric. ”What’s Been Missing from Conventional Histories of Bretton Woods?.” Global Perspectives on the Bretton Woods Conference and the Post-War World Order. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017.

Conforti, Benedetto, and Carlo Focarelli. The law and practice of the United Nations. Brill, 2016.

Thakur, Ramesh. The United Nations, peace, and security: from collective security to the responsibility to protect. Cambridge University Press, 2016.