Friday, March 11, 2011
Week # 2: The United Nations (Option)
Do some research on the UN. Is the organization still viable? What role does the US play in the UN? How is the UN funded? Use this blog to raise questions, make comments, share research, and generally discuss the United Nations, both historically (i.e. during the Cold War) and/or currently.
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Some people say that the United Nations is ineffective and useless, while others point out that the organization serves many important functions. Therefore, the viability of the UN probably depends on the opinions stated by supporters and detractors. Through the major accomplishment the UN has done resulted me to strongly support and believe that the UN is very useful and having the ability to grow continually to makes a difference. There are many UN organizations and agencies that function to work on particular issues. For examples, WHO introduced the mass vaccination programs. The United States plays a major role in the UN since it contributes more money to the UN than any other nation and is a permanent of the Security Council. Here is the link of major achievements of the United Nations: http://unama.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?link=LinkImage/UN-60ways-eng.pdf&tabid=1741&mid=1886
ReplyDeleteAlthough, the UN has achieved many accomplishment but at the same time the UN also had forget to do it job couple times. Through the movie, Osama that I watched in World Geography class, during the Taliban hold on power in Afghanistan, they demanded that women remain at home, forbidding women from attending school, holding a job or even walking in the street without their faces and feet fully covered. This resulted a large group of women marched trough streets protesting for their right to hold job. The UN did nothing to help out the situation. Second, through another movie; Darfur, many people were killed and those who alive have nothing left with them. These people do not even have food to eat but the UN did nothing. Therefore, I can strongly say that the UN has failed to live up to its responsibility to promote human rights, with the ongoing killing and displacement of civilians in Darfur. Here the link to the article about Darfur: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20911&Cr=human&
Cr1=rights Third, the UN has failed to prevent the genocide in Rwanda in 1944 caused approximately 800,000 people were killed. Here the article on Rwanda: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/36/444.html
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. The UN can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 192 Member States to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.The US plays a major role in the UN since it contributes more money to the UN than any other nation, and also provides the headquarters for the UN in New York, and is a permanent member of the Security Council.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think UN exerts much effect on the world but I do think it is necessary. It is just a organization for communications among different countries in the worlds, especially big countries such as China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Whether the UN exits or not, those countries will communicate with each other anyway. If the UN didn’t exit, they might have found other organization under a different name but it would have a same function. So there must be an organization like the UN. But until now, I have not seen it does much significant things. Take peace issue as an example. One of the UN’s most important missions is to maintaining international peace and security. However, increasingly, wars are fought in precisely those countries that can least afford them. Of more than 150 major conflicts since the Second World War, 130 have been fought in the developing world. Since the 1950s, more wars have started than have stopped. By the end of 1995, wars had been running in Afghanistan for 17 years. Today, we have many international organizations, like G20 and WTO. But these seemingly strong organizations usually controlled by some big powers. Beside, every country has its own situation. It is hard for an international organization to reach an agreement which can satisfy every country. So the UN should become more independent for exerting bigger effect.
The United Nations grew or became possible from an agreement established between, the United States and Britain, called the Atlantic Charter. This said agreement stated ideal goals of the war, which were: “no territorial aggrandizement, no territorial changes made against the wishes of the people, restoration of self-government to those deprived of it, free access to raw materials, reduction of trade restrictions, global cooperation to secure better economic and social conditions for all, freedom from fear and want, freedom of the seas, abandonment of the use of force, and the disarmament of aggressive nations”. Listed in the Allies of the World War II pledge in the United Nations declaration are the contents of the Atlantic Charter.
ReplyDeleteThe UN is made up of 6 main agencies, General Assembly which is the main deliberative assembly, Secretary Council decide on certain resolutions of peace & security, Economic & Social Council assist & promote international economic and social corporation development, Secretariat provides study information & facilities needed by the UN, International court of Justice the primary Judaical system, and the United Nations Trusteeship Council which is currently inactive.
Although not soul y based off of the Atlantic Charter, the comparison is amazing minus the placement of authority over each individual section. The UN was also founded when the in place League of Nations failed to prevent WWII. So after the War on October 24th 1945 the UN was official. With 5 permanent members of the Secretary Council France, Republic of China( which is now just China), Soviet Union( which is now Russia), The United Kingdom, & the United States. Currently the UN is
What is the U.S. Role in the UN ?-It seems from what I have read that they pay in a much larger potion of dues into the organization, they are to help governments that are economically and govern-mentally challenged. But from most data I found it seems the main role the U.S. Plays in the UN, is based more on the U.S. Status. As I said they pay more dues into the UN so they use that as an advantage to the other members by not paying until they get their way or what they want. As the United States is the dominating member of the UN, even though the UN was not set-up for one government to be a SUPER POWER.
Is the UN still viable ?-
My thoughts or opinion: To me it seem that it may have never truly been viable as it still only allows certain countries to make decisions to the welfare of other countries. The U.S. Seems as though they are the bully of the pack, by holding there dues, and through veto’s. The U.S. Also make decisions on war and have been the main negotiator for all of the wars within the past 20 years. Using the go ahead & backing from the other members. But that ignores everything that the UN was set in place to do. We still have countries that are way undeveloped, going hungry, subject to harsh government, unable to work, and still are without freedom, among many other issues. So to me the UN is just a way for a bunch of bureaucrats to keep a pay-check. It's a shame that the UN wasn't amended it could be beneficial to all nations if members weren't able to find loop holes around the intended policies were for.
http://usinfo.org/docs/democracy/53.htm
http://www.unac.org/peacecp/factsheet/role.html
Wow! I learned a great deal about the UN from you folks!
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