The United Nations E-Book

50MINUTES

• Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: History
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 34

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the history of the United Nations in next to no time with this concise guide.
50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the history and principal achievements of the United Nations. The UN was founded in 1945 in the aftermath of the bloodiest war the world had ever seen, with its founding members aiming to maintain international peace and security and prevent destruction on such a vast scale from taking place again. Nowadays, the organisation consists of 193 members, meaning that almost every country in the world is represented, and its work spans a number of fields, including peacekeeping, the defence of human rights and sustainable development.

In just 50 minutes you will:
• Gain an understanding of the structure, aims and functioning of the United Nations
• Learn about its main areas of activity and key related bodies
• Understand the criticisms that have been levelled at the UN and the challenges facing it in the future

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Leseprobe

The United Nations

Key information

Date founded: 24 October 1945 (ratification of the Charter of the United Nations).Headquarters: New York City.Key protagonist: Franklin D. Roosevelt, American president (1882-1945).Impact:Establishment of peacekeeping operationsControl of nuclear powerSupport for economic and social welfare

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) is a key player on the international stage and is often in the spotlight. It carries out countless activities throughout the world, including mediation in peace negotiations, peacekeeping through the Blue Berets, humanitarian aid in countries hit by natural disasters, and the coordination of medical aid during epidemics. However, the organisation does not always receive good press, and has been criticised for its inability to resolve certain conflicts and for its structure, which is deemed outdated and poorly equipped to address current realities and challenges. Indeed, its harshest critics have even questioned whether the UN should still exist.

The UN is the successor to the League of Nations (founded in 1919) and is not a recent organisation: it was founded in the aftermath of the ravages of the Second World War (1939-1945) and was inspired by the desire to create a better world. It was officially founded on 24 October 1945, when the Charter of the United Nations entered into force. Its aim was to provide a space for political dialogue between member states and in this way to prevent the outbreak of another war and resolve the many problems caused by the global conflict. Its structure and functioning reflected the new postwar world order. The creation of the UN had far-reaching consequences, and even today many other bodies depend on the organisation. With the end of the Cold War and the emergence of new challenges for humanity, the scope of its activities is constantly expanding, but some still wonder whether the organisation truly belongs in the modern world.

Political, social and economic context

The League of Nations (1919-1946): the forerunner of the United Nations

The United Nations was not the first international organisation with a broad jurisdiction to be created in the 20th century. It was preceded by the League of Nations, which was founded in 1919 in the wake of the First World War.

The idea for the League of Nations was put forward by Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the American president during the war. His “Fourteen Points” (a series of principles designed to guide the peace process) included the creation of a global body tasked with maintaining peace so that the horrors of the Great War would never be repeated. The Covenant of the League of Nations was signed by 42 founding members, the majority of which had participated in the conflict.

The Covenant set out the organisation’s three main objectives:

to prevent wars based on the principle of collective security;to enforce international law through the creation of a Permanent Court of International Justice in 1922, and to resolve disputes through negotiation and mediation;to improve citizens’ overall quality of life.

The League of Nations was run by a General Assembly with representatives from all the member states, a Council comprising nine members (five of which were permanent, namely Great Britain, the USA, France, Italy and Japan, and four of which were non-permanent and elected by the General Assembly), and a Secretariat tasked with the administrative management of the organisation.

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