Foundation of the UN to Meet International Challenges - Essay Example

?Sometime in the first half of the 20th century, the need for an international governmental body became apparent to the nations of the world, who struggled for the authority in policing one another. When hostilities broke out that would eventually grow into the First World War, this need became increasingly apparent. As the War proved, it is incredibly difficult for one nation, no matter how powerful, to impose any kind of sanction on another. Countries, in fact, need to work together in order to form an alliance in imposing these kinds of restrictions, and to do so in a way that is transparent to the rest of the world, invites participation from other countries, and abides by an international code of law that supersedes those of any particular country (Walters). That way, if a country decides to make genocide legal, the international community can impose trade restrictions, embargos, and other measures in order to weaken that country’s ability to carry out its plans. In addition, an international government makes possible the use of a widespread alliance in military actions against a country such as Germany in World War II. However, the League of Nations proved incapable of preventing the aggressive military actions of Germany in the years leading up to the Second World War, which created the need for the United Nations, which is more structurally able than its predecessor to handle such international challenges. The intergovernmental League of Nations was formed in 1919 at the Treaty of Versailles immediately after the First World War, tasked with the responsibility of preventing another such war and maintaining world peace. It planned to do so through disarmament, serving as an international arbiter of disputes, and by enforcing laws related to prisoners of war, the arms trade, and global health (League of Nations). The countries of the world readily approved of the idea of the League, noting that the Great Powers of the world needed to take increased responsibility in ensuring the global security of the world. The Great Powers began to realize that eventually, in a conflict between countries, they would have to become involved (Walters). Because the League of Nation had no standing army of its own, it relied on the Great Powers for its security measures. The resolutions that the League drafted were to be enforced by the larger armies of the world and, thus, the League relied on the active and full participation of each of its members (League of Nations). However, many armies were hesitant to fully engage those resolutions for a number of reasons. In some cases, the League would draft a resolution against an economic partner or long-time ally of one of the Great Powers. For example, during the conflict between Italy and Ethiopia in the mid-1930s, the League called resolutions against Italy. Few countries complied, due to Italy’s status in the world as an economic and political ally. Italy itself mocked the resolutions, which damaged the public image of the League as the world’s policing agency (Jahanpour). These kinds of acts undermined the effectiveness of the organization not only to carry out its intergovernmental security role, but also to serve as an effective arbiter between states. Once countries did not respect the authority of the League, they did not respect its ability to effectively bring about conclusions to those conflicts. The greatest failure of the League came in the late 1930s with Germany’s non-compliance. Starting with a complaint from a Jewish German about rights violations based on religion, sanctions from the League on Germany resulted (Shoah Resource Center). These resolutions banned racist laws. Because one of the stated goals of the League was to protect minorities in Europe, the organization lived up to its mission (Walters). However, in 1937, Hitler-led Germany refused to recognize itself as part of the League and continued enforcement of laws against Jews. The failure of the League in this instance was constituted by the assumption that the Great Powers of the world, like Germany, would maintain participation in order to assure a common peace. However, in this case, one of the Great Powers did not want common peace; therefore, they rejected the association without much of a consequence (Walters). Recognizing the inadequacy of the League, nations dropped out of participation to attend to more pressing demands: namely, the destruction and costs of the Second World War. During World War II, the United Nations came into existence by virtue of an alliance of 26 nations pledging to fight the Axis Powers. In 1945, representatives from 50 nations drafted the Charter for the United Nations. After ratification by the world’s most powerful countries, those 50 countries received recognition at UN-recognized nations (Higgins). Like the League, the UN would serve as an international intergovernmental agency to ensure security, economic development, international law, and human rights. As such, its responsibilities spanned much further than those given to the League of Nations, which was meant to serve as a means of communication between different countries. The UN, in contrast, takes on a much more active role in ensuring the safety and security of civilians during times of political instability. By taking a human-centred approach to intervention by means of agencies like the International Court of Justice, the member countries in the UN have more of a sentimental investment in the union. Given the wide scope of the UN’s stated objectives, it can address international problems in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most important, via the Security Council, is the ability to keep peace in countries where conflict is occurring (Annan). The UN accomplishes this task by ensuring international recognition of the UN’s purpose in an unstable country. It can do this by drafting a resolution against the parties of the conflict. This encourages support from the member nations, so that should military intervention become necessary, there are volunteers to provide forces. During this peacekeeping, the UN is also equipped to protect human rights and provide humanitarian aid to those displaced by violence. During times of peace, after the conflict has settled, the UN is involved in the economic and social development through collaborative relationships with the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (Lindblom). An interesting case study of the United Nations’ methods of interventions is the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, which has prevented recurrent violence between Greeks and Turks in the tiny nation for decades (Stegenga). Together, Cyprus and Greece contribute money to the forces that maintain security on the island of Cyprus in order to avoid further conflict regarding which side has the legitimate right to ownership. Nevertheless, personnel from 13 different member countries collectively help to maintain the island’s security. During this time of peace, the country has been able to develop socially, economically, and politically, which would not have been possible in a country that was consistently torn by faction and war. The United Nations helped resolve this conflict by a constant presence in the country, which the League of Nation, an organization that could only deploy forces in response to conflict, was structurally unable to provide. These measures helped ensure cooperation long enough for Greece and Turkey to independently and peacefully settle their own conflicts (Stegenga). The United Nations is an expansive set of international and intergovernmental agencies working together in the effort to promote peace and stability in the world; its creation and development were a response to the inadequacy of the League of Nation both to prevent worldwide conflicts and to provide protection to the world’s vulnerable (Annan). The United Nations continues to serve this public good as peacekeeper and humanitarian organization through strategic partnerships with other organizations like the WBG and the IMF. Adolf Hitler accused the League of Nations of abducting his country’s sovereignty by telling them which laws they could and could not support. However, the United Nations does not require countries to give up their sovereignty (Lindblom). The organization only requires that countries submit to the laws and resolutions of the intergovernmental agency, which is a course of action that stands in each country’s interests in order to prevent a Third World War. Works Cited Annan, Kofi A. We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century. Geneva: United Nations Publications, 2000. Higgins, Rosalyn. The Development of International Law through the Political Organs of the United Nations. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. Jahanpour, Farhang. The Elusiveness of Trust: The Experience of Security Council and Iran. 2008: Transnational Foundation of Peace and Future Research, Washington D.C. League of Nations. The Covenant of the League of Nations. Versailles: League of Nations, 1919. Lindblom, Anna-Karin. Non-governmental Organisations in International Law. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Shoah Resource Center. Bernheim Petition. Washington D.C.: The International School for Holocaust Studies, 1933. Stegenga, James A. The United Nations Force in Cyprus. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1968. Walters, F.P. A History of the League of Nations. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Read More