The United Nation [UN]
- The United Nations was established in 1945 immediately after the Second World War. It was a successor to the League of Nations which was formed after the First World War.
- The objective of United Nations is to prevent international conflict and to facilitate cooperation among states.
- In the UN Security Council, there are five permanent members (United Kingdom, United State of America, Russia, France and China) and other non-permanent members who are elected after every two years. The most important public figure of the UN is the Secretary General.
- There are different structures and agencies of UN. These include World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) etc.
Reform of the United Nations after the Cold War
- Reforms and improvement are necessary for any organisation to perform better. The UN is also not an exception.
- There have been demands to bring reforms in the UN. Two demands have been raised i.e. reform of the organization’s structures and processes and, a review of the issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the organization.
- On the reform of structures and processes, there has been the demand to increase the membership of permanent and non-permanent in UN Security Council.
- On the issues within the jurisdiction of the UN, some countries want the organization to play a greater role in peace and security missions.
- While some other countries want the role of UN to be confined to development and humanitarian work.
Reform of Structures and Processes of the UN
- A resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1992 over the reforms in the Security Council. The resolution reflected three main complaints.
- To look into the complaints over the restructuring of the UN, on 1st January, 1997, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan initiated an inquiry into how the UN should be reformed.
- Criteria for inclusion of a new member were decided. Some of them were that a new member must be a major economic and military power, a substantial contributor to the UN budget etc.
- Different governments saw advantages in some criteria and disadvantages in others depending on their interests and aspirations. A demand to abolish the veto power altogether was also raised. Many perceived the veto to be in conflict with the concept of democracy and sovereign equality in the UN.
- Permanent members have two privileges i.e. veto power and permanency in the Security Council.
- By veto power means that if a permanent member cast a veto in a negative manner then it may state the decision.
- Without veto power, there is the danger that the great powers would lose interest in the world body and without their support the body would be ineffective.
Jurisdiction of the UN
- A meeting was held in September 2005 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nation and to review the situation.
- The leaders in this meeting decided some steps that should be taken to make the UN more relevant in the changing content. .
- Steps include establishment of a Human Rights Council, creation of a democracy fund, an agreement to wind up the trusteeship council etc.
India and the UN Reforms
- India has always supported the restructuring of the United Nations. It believes that a strengthened and revitalized UN is desirable in a changing world.
- The most important demand of India is regarding the restructuring of the Security Council. It supports an increase in the number of both permanent and non-permanent members.
- It also argues that an expanded council, with more representatives, will enjoy greater support in the world community.
- India itself wishes to be a permanent member in a restructured UN. India is the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country in the world.
- The country’s economic emergence on the world stage is another factor that perhaps justifies India’s claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council.
- Despite India’s wish to be a permanent veto holding member of the UN, some countries question its inclusion. They are concerned about Indo-Pak relations, India’s nuclear capabilities etc.
The UN in a Unipolar World
- It is believed by many countries that the reform and restructuring of the UN could help the UN cope better with a unipolar world in which the US was the most powerful country.
- The US stands as the only superpower after the disintegration of USSR hence US power cannot be easily checked.
- Within the UN, the influence of the US is considerable. As the single largest contributor to the UN, the US has unmatched financial power.
- The UN is not therefore a great balance to the US. Nevertheless, in a unipolar world in which the US is dominant, the UN can and has served to bring the US and the rest of the world into discussions over various issues.
- The UN is an imperfect body, but without it the world would be worse off.
- It is important for people to use and support the UN and other international organizations in ways that are consistent with their own interests.
Other International Organizations
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that looks upon international financial institutions and regulations. It has 188 member countries. The G-8 members (the US, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Canada, Russia), China and Saudi Arabia have more than 52 per cent votes in IMF.
- World Bank is an important international organisation created during Second World War in 1944. It provides loans and grants to the member countries; especially developing countries.
- World Trade Organisation (WTO) is an international organisation set up in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT). It sets the rules for global trade. It has 157 member countries.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization established in 1957. It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purpose.
- Amnesty International is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) which campaigns for the protection of human rights all over the world.
- Human Rights Watch is an international NGO which is involved in research and advocacy on human rights.
UN’S SIGNIFICANT AGENCIES
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- At the international level, overseas financial institutions and regulations.
- It consists of 189 members. Out of them, G-8 members enjoy more powers i.e. the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Russia except China and Saudi Arabia.
- The US alone enjoys 16.75% voting rights.
- World Bank
- It was created in 1944.
- It works for human development, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, infrastructure and governance and provides loans and grants to developing countries.
- It is criticized for setting the economic agenda of poorer nations, attaching stringent conditions to its loans and forcing free market reforms.
- WTO-World Trade Organization
- An international organization to set the rules for global trade which was set up in 1995 as a successor to General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and has 164 members.
- Major economic powers such as the US, EU and Japan have managed to use the WTO to frame rules of trade to advance their own interests.
- The developing countries often complain of non-transparent procedure and being pushed around by big powers.
- IAEA-International Atomic Energy Agency
- It was established in 1957 to implement US president Dwight Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” proposal.
- It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purpose.
- IAEA teams regularly inspect nuclear facilities all over the world to ensure that civilian reactors are not being used for military purposes.
- Amnesty International
- An NGO to campaign for the protection of human rights all over the world.
- It prepares and publishes reports on human rights to research and advocate human rights.
- Governments are not always happy with these reports since a major focus of Amnesty is the misconduct of government authorities.
- Human Rights Watch
- Another international NGO involved in research and advocacy of human rights.
- The largest international human rights organization in the US.
- It draws the global media’s attention to human rights abuses.
- It helped in building international coalitions like the campaigns to ban landmines, to stop the use of child-soldier and to establish the international criminal court.
- UNESCO
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established on 4 November 1945.
- Its headquarter is in Paris, France. UNESCO has 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions that facilitate its global mandate.
- UNESCO is a special body of the United Nations whose main objective is to promote education, natural science, society and anthropology, culture and communication.
- During past several years, the special work done by UNESCO has been to promote literacy, technical and educational training and independent media etc. all across its member nations.
- It has 193 member states and 11 associate members.
- UNICEF
- The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established on 11 December 1946 by the United Nations General Assembly.
- Its main task was to collect emergency funds for children and to help in their development work all across the world.
- Apart from this, UNICEF helps and encourages the works that promote children’s health and better life in all parts of the world.
- With its headquarter in New York, United States, UNICEF has been working successfully in almost all 193 countries of the world.
- ILO
- The International Labor Organization (ILO), founded on 11 April 1919 with its headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland.
- The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
- It is a body of the United Nations which aims to promote efficient conditions of social justice and work for workers through international labor standards at the global level.
- In addition, there is an incentive for women and male workers to engage in productive work and to create safety, parity and self-respectful conditions for them at the workplace.
- The ILO is subsequently a major contributor to international labour law.
WORDS THAT MATTER
- UN Charter: A constitution of the UN to deal with objectives of the UN.
- Veto: It is a negative vote to be enjoyed by five permanent members of Security Council to stop a decision.
- Secretary General: A representative head of the UN to prepare an annual record of the UN activities.
- WHO: World Health Organization to deal with matters related to health.
- UNICEF: United Nation’s Children Fund to deal with child welfare.
- UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to deal with promotion of education, science and culture.
- Peace Keeping Operation: A mechanism for restoring peace and security by sending UN controlled troops in the affected area.
UN SECRETARIES-GENERAL
- Trygve Lie (1946-1952) Norway: Lawyer and foreign minister, worked for ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Kashmir; criticized for his failure to quickly end the Korean war, Soviet Union opposed second term for him; resigned from the post.
- Dag Hammarskjold (1953-1961) Sweden: Economist and lawyer, worked for resolving the Suez Canal dispute and the decolonization of Africa; awarded Nobel Peace Prize posthumously in 1961 for his efforts to settle the Congo Crisis, Soviet Union and France criticized his role in Africa.
- U Thant (1961-1971) Burma (Myanmar): Teacher and diplomat worked for resolving the Cuban Missile crisis and ending the Congo Crisis; established the UN Peacekeeping force in Cyprus; criticized the US during the Vietnam war.
- Kurt Waldheim (1972-1981) Austria: Diplomat and foreign minister; made efforts to resolve the problems of Namibia and Lebanon; oversaw the relief operation in Bangladesh, China blocked his bid for a third term.
- Javier Perez de Cuellar (1982-1991) Peru: Lawyer and diplomat, worked for peace in Cyprus, Afghanistan and El Salvador; mediated between Britain and Argentina after the Falklands war; negotiated for the independence of Namibia.
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-1996) Egypt: Diplomat, jurist, foreign minister; issued a report, ‘An Agenda for Peace’; conducted a successful UN operation in Mozambique; blamed for the UN failures in Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda; due to serious disagreements, the US blocked a second term for him.
- Kofi A. Annan (1997-2006) Ghana: UN official, created the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; declared the US-led invasion of Iraq as an illegal act; established the Peace building Commission and the Human Rights Council in 2005; awarded the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.
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