Is the United Nations redundant or still relevant?

Aadil Ahmad Shairgojri*

*Correspondence:
Aadil Ahmad Shairgojri,
aadilhassan1995@gmail.com,
aadilhassan834@gmail.com

Received: 21 April 2022; Accepted: 07 May 2022; Published: 17 May 2022.

States were given equality and the ability to opt for any type of governance under the Atlantic Charter of 1941. The United Nations (UN) Declaration, which was built after the Atlantic Charter, was signed by 26 nations in 1942. Based on ideas put forth by China, Russia, the United States, and England at Dumbarton Oaks in 1944, the United Nations Charter was negotiated by 50 nations in San Francisco in June 1945. The UN was found on October 24, 1945. With the aid of its different agencies, the UN has increased its efforts in order to maintain international peace, foster social and economic growth, protect the environment, aid in humanitarian relief, and uphold the rights of women and children. The UN, in my opinion, will be the most significant international organization in the new millennium. Since the Charter, there have been both triumphs and failures, such as the inability to stop military wars that have resulted in the deaths, injuries, and displacement of millions of people. It cannot be disputed that the UN Security Council appears to have failed in Syria. The study’s purpose is to clarify whether or not the UN is still necessary.

Keywords: United Nations, relevance, role, redundant

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) was established on October 24, 1945 established with a single purpose in mind, i.e., to promote international cooperation. The United Nations Charter, which was negotiated during a meeting held in April–June of that year, was created to fill the vacuum left after World War II when the League of Nations was destroyed. The UN was created on October 24, 1945, as a result of this charter. In addition to ensuring the safety and security of the world, the UN is tasked with promoting human rights, economic development, social equality, and cultural understanding. Coordination on these issues can take place here, as can the development of friendly relations be based on mutual respect for these values. An overarching UN goal was to continue the League of Nations’ tradition. This new version, like its predecessor, has the same structure and functions. The same goes for the government’s major bodies and other agencies. The UN, unlike its predecessors, placed equal emphasis on fostering social and economic advancement while also preserving international peace and security. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as their allies, complicated the UN’s peacekeeping mission in its earliest years. The establishment of Israel as a sovereign state in 1947 was supported by the organization, as were major actions in Korea and the Congo. Its membership grew rapidly in the 1960s, and its budget for economic and social development programs soon outpaced its expenditure on peacekeeping. By the 1970s, membership had risen to more than 100 countries. There have been a number of major military and peacekeeping missions undertaken by the UN since the end of World War II.

Research objectives

To provide a thorough analysis and illuminate the question, is the UN still necessary?

Methodology

This article uses a variety of secondary sources, including newspaper articles, magazine articles, and inquiry reports, to support its allegations. It is both descriptive and analytical in character.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA), the International Court of Justice, and all three have their headquarters in New York City. The UNGA serves as a platform for debate and policymaking. The Security Council has 15 members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). They can veto a matter brought before the permanent notice. The UN Security Council can request unconventional dispute resolution and then suggest guidelines or a settlement agreement. The Security Council has the authority to use force maintain peace and order.

The UN was founded to prevent future wars and sufferings. Many million people have died in countless conflicts over the last half-century. The conflict in Syria has killed millions of people. In Syria (recently), Sri Lanka, Central Africa (1990), the Civil War, the UN has failed to promote human rights. A country’s human rights record has no bearing on its ability to vote in the General Assembly. The UN’s bureaucratic bloat, which has nothing to do with seniority, slows down decision-making and prevents effective response to crises, e.g., in Rwanda and Yugoslavia. The General Assembly’s unanimously supported proposal can be thwarted by one of the Security Council’s last five vetoes. As a result, countries such as the US and NATO have taken unilateral action, resulting in fewer officials. Since 1945, the UN has had no involvement in international affairs because it cannot deal with issues, e.g., in Israel and Palestine. Great powers came together by chance and institutions like GATT and WTO, working together to promote independence at the UN.

The UN is still relevant because it funds, programs, and has special agencies. The UNDP serves 141 countries (UNDP). The main goal of UNDP is poverty reduction boycott and inequity. This method aids policy formulation, institutional capacity building, and flexibility for strong development and growth. The area has UNDP, democratic government, disaster management, and sustainable development. The International Emergency Fund for Children of the UN prioritizes child rights and well-being (UNICEF). Poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination are all targets of UNICEF. With their help, a favorable environment for their fulfillment is being created.

It is also involved UN policies, international standards, and norms that are evolving in this area are all taken into consideration. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is also intrigued (UNHCR). The Geneva Protocol of 1951 protects refugees and coordinates international action to solve refugee issues. The UNHCR’s role in Syria’s civil war has been widely acknowledged. Another humanitarian organization is WFP. It works to end world hunger and malnutrition and assists in civil wars, natural disasters, and wars. The WFP feeds over 8 million people annually. WFP humanitarian aid in Somalia in 2011 improved the situation. Famine and extreme poverty have left 40 lakh people hungry. As a result, the UN Every pregnancy must be necessary, and Population Fund strives to guarantee that every child is delivered safely. In order to preserve sexual and reproductive health, UNPF works to stop child marriage, the spread of HIV, and female sex activity. Environmental preservation is a focus of several UN organizations. UN Environment Program (UNEP) environmental institutions and agendas have been formed to promote environmental consistency. It promotes sustainable development by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation as part of the UNFCCC (REDD). The outcome of the COP 21 talks in Paris is a case in which the UN has stepped in to establish environmental responsibility. The UN Peace Keeping Force has been a part of the UN’s efforts to maintain world peace (UNPKF). Maintaining peace and security, facilitating political processes, safeguarding citizens, assisting in disarmament and reunification, and supporting democratic rule of law and legitimate state authorities are all goals of peacekeeping missions. It also helps coordinate anti-terrorist efforts. The UN has helped broker a ceasefire in Syria’s ongoing civil war.

The UNODC fights narcotics trafficking, organized terrorism and crime. Its goal is to establish international guidelines for countering drug criminality and trafficking. It tries to stop crimes including money laundering, organized crime, maritime theft, and HIV/AIDS. The UNODC has started initiatives including the International Anti-Corruption Campaign, World AIDS Campaign, and World Dispensary Campaign (UNODC).

Conclusion

The effectiveness of the UN and its bodies in various fields can be debated. However, the UN’s efforts can never be reduced. The world has entered the 21st century with heavy baggage. The UN needs to be everywhere to ensure a better and more peaceful future. The world can move more permanently under UN auspices. Thus, all stakeholders must abandon trust in the UN. The UN is not redundant and won’t be anytime soon, and important problems are debated democratically. I doubt the UN will be abolished in the next 75 years. The UN has survived ideological lobbying, selfishness, outright corruption, policy evasion, and neglect. It has changed by adding new functions and reforming procedures and agencies while maintaining its founding principles and legitimate bureaucratic processes. It has prevented several wars and alleviated much human suffering.

As for the UN, I do not expect it to achieve intergovernmental cooperation and world peace in the face of state, leader, and society selfishness. The UN’s controversies, incoherence, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness simply reflect the international system’s dysfunctional characteristics. Nonetheless, in the 21st century, the UN will, in my opinion, be the world’s preeminent international organization.

Acknowledgments

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for giving me the chance to finish this thesis. We would especially want to express our gratitude to the innumerable researchers and inspectors who put in endless hours to compile papers on subjects relating to our article and worked with us to create a successful plan for ensuring that our work was carried out efficiently throughout the process.

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