United Nations - an International Organization of Sovereign Countries - Term Paper Example

I. The United Nations United Nations is an international organization of independent and sovereign countries whose purposeis to gather together all the nations in the world under the principles of justice and, human dignity and peace. United Nations aims for global peace, human development and respect for human rights and actively works with different countries to achieve such goals. At present, there are 192 Active Members of the United Nations and meet in a General Assembly at its Headquarters in New York City, USA. II. Brief history The first idea of a united nation came about when states first established international organizations to cooperate on specific matter. Its forerunner was the League of Nations which was conceived during the First World War “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security” under the Treaty of Versailles1 (United Nations a). The name itself, United Nations became formally known during the Second World War when US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the term in the “Declaration by United Nations” on 01 January 1942 when representatives of 26 nations pledged their nations to fight against the Axis Powers2 (United Nations a). United Nation’s charter was first drafted in a conference of representatives in San Francisco in 1945. It was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of 50 countries and became officially existent on 24 October 1945 when its Charter was ratified by China, France, The Soviet Union, The United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories3 (United Nations a). III. Achievements of the United Nations United Nations have many achievements that ranged from peacekeeping in war torn countries to providing foods and assistance among those disaster struck countries to promoting human rights. UN is also actively involved in promoting development through its United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It had implemented projects for agriculture, industry, education and environment. It supports more than 5,000 projects with a budget of $1.3 billion and is the largest multilateral source of grant development assistance4 (United Nations b). With regard to human rights, the United Nations has helped enact dozens of comprehensive agreements on political, civil, social, economic and cultural rights5 (United Nations b). It actively investigated human rights abuses and the UN Human Rights Commission has brought the world’s attention on cases of torture, disappearance and arbitrary detention. It also helped generate international pressure on governments to improve their human rights records6 (United Nations b). IV. Works that need to be done The United Nations has already achieved a lot in terms of promoting peace, human rights, progress, justice and fighting poverty. But the United Nations has a very big mandate short of solving of solving the problems of the world. To date, there is still widespread poverty and a multitude of violation of human rights. There are still countries in Middle East that are not mindful of its citizen’s human rights especially the totalitarian states. The pressing concern about climate change also needs an international cooperation of which United Nations has still to work to make countries commit themselves towards a cleaner and more sustainable environment. V. Human rights violations The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as ; a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction7 (United Nations c). Yet, even as the primacy of the human rights has been uphold and to respect these rights and freedoms by progressive measures, violations of human rights still exists even among its member states. To cite an example of recent violation in human rights, we can name few cases; a. Human rights violations Ethiopia Ethiopia is a huge country fraught with political contradictions and human rights challenges. The government that assumed power in 1991 has adopted a human rights friendly constitution, ratified international conventions and formally established relevant human rights enhancing institutions (such as a human rights commission and ombudsman); the same government however are increasingly criticized by international observers and human rights agencies for grave violations of human rights8 (Tronvoll 2009, 475). The government country appears stable and accessible, but several low-scale insurgencies are carried out and human rights groups and researchers are denied or restricted access to the country as such, or to areas where violations reportedly occurs on a massive scale (such as the Ogaden). These violations in human rights are committed along ethnic and racial lines9 (Tronvoll 2009, 476). b. Property/human rights violation of the Turkish Cypriots The right to hold property is also considered to be of equal value as the “right to live” in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Therefore, the violation of the right to hold property is deemed to be a violation of human rights10 (Aksu 2010, 19). In this regard, the property rights of Turkish Cypriots have been violated since 1975 and in effect, their human rights transgressed for a long time. According to Greek Law, specifically the Guardian Act, the Greek Administration is not prohibiting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus citizens from owning estates on the South side since 1975. According to the law, they can use these properties on their own behalf, but the Greek administration has blocked the transfer or rental of such properties with a parliamentary decision based on the provisions of the Guardian Act. Because of this law, even if a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus citizen applies with the judicial or administrative bodies for the properties to be returned on the Greek side, such transfer cannot be executed due to the non-functionality of this domestic law. A majority of these Turkish Cypriots were not also informed of the extent of their litigation rights that the restitution of their property cases may be filed at the Europen Court of Human Rights because the domestic law is rendered inoperative11 (Aksu 2010, 20). c. Forced sterilization among the women of South Africa who were infected with HIV/AIDS Among the women in South Africa who were sterilized due to the infection of HIV/AIDS, 20 are known to have experienced forced sterilization in the past 10 years12 (Stevens and Le Roux 2011, 32). Of these 20 women, 18 were forcibly sterilized in the past 5 years. It is reported that women were forcibly sterilized during the process of procuring an abortion and one was during childbirth. Some women were manipulated when told that they would not survive is they would have another child and as such should be sterilized. These women did not know what sterilization was about and were not informed that they are being sterilized13 (Stevens and Le Roux 2011, 32). This is a gross violation of their rights even if they have a disease because they are deprived of an informed choice to be sterilized where the procedures were done either by manipulation or coercion14 (Stevens and Le Roux 2011, 32). d. Discrimination against people with disabilities in Cambodia Cambodia is one of the few countries in the world whose population has a higher percentage of disability due to the tragic events and circumstances during the rule of Khmer Rouge. During the rule of Khmer Rouge, the regime caused approximately three million deaths out of its 70 million population between 1975 and 1979. This history of conflict and violence has left a large number among the Cambodian population to have at least one disability15 (Connelly 2009, 124). Despite of this large number of people with disability in Cambodia, the Cambodian government has a very limited number of legal provisions that addresses disability rights. This inadequacy of the state’s policy towards disability in Cambodia was revealed when the newly enacted Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities was compared against the human rights proscriptions outlined in the Convention. The comparison highlighted Cambodia’s current measure to be a failure in providing adequate protections for people with disabilities and even discriminated against people with disabilities16 (Connelly 2009, 125). Despite of this observation, Cambodia still considers disability rights to be a state policy priority. To be consistent with this policy, Cambodia signed the Convention, a public statement to the international community that Cambodia values disability rights and a comprehensive disability law has been drafted and presented to its legislature although the proposed measure is yet to be acted17 (Connelly 2009, 126). The proposed disability law is important because it will improve the protections of its citizen with disabilities in accordance with international standards that provides concrete guidance in how human rights for people with disabilities should be protected18 (Connelly 2009, 126). The current government’s disability protection scheme to its population is inadequate and this law should be improved through the proposed bill to make the protection of its disabled citizen consistent with international standards. d. Violence in Sri-Lanka Since 1970s, the Sri-Lankan government security forces have been guilty of widespread human rights abuses in their confrontations with an armed Tamil separatist movement in the north and east of the island that was led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which has engaged in assassinations, mass killings, and suicide bombings19 (OECD DAC Journal on Development 2008, 134). This culture of violence still has not left Sri Lanka even during its post-independent history as it is still engage in human rights violation which was rampant during the 1970s and 80s. Since 1979, Sri Lanka has used the national security laws known as the Public Security Ordinance of 1947 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979 and other equally draconian legislation to confront the armed insurrection in the South which was led by the People’s Liberation Front (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna). After the armed insurrection in the south, the same laws were used by its successive government to fight armed and non armed groups who opposes or critical to the government20 (OECD DAC Journal on Development 2008, 134). As a result, it became difficult to determine the truth about human rights violations over the past 25 years that made it hard to clarify Sri-Lanka’s past so that truth and reconciliation will become possible and end its culture of impunity and violence21 (OECD DAC Journal on Development 2008, 134). Bibliography Aksu, Aslı. ”Human Rights Violations faced by Turkish Cypriots”. Ankara Bar Review, 2010, 3(1):19-24 Connelly, Ulrike Buschbacher. “DISABILITY RIGHTS IN CAMBODIA: USING THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO EXPOSE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS”.Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal, Jan2009, 18(1): 123-153. “Massive Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka”. OECD DAC Journal on Development, 2008, 9(2):133-145 Stevens, Marion; Le Roux, Nicole. “A human rights violation: the forced sterilization of hiv positive women”. Nursing Update, 2011 Mar; 35 (3): 32-5 Tronvoll, Kjetil. “Interpreting Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia: A Rejoinder to Getachew Assefa”. International Journal on Minority & Group Rights, 2009, 16(3): 475-479, 5p; DOI: 10.1163/138819009X12474964197836 United Nations a. “About United Nations/History”. Web. http://www.un.org/aboutun/history.htm. Accessed on December 13, 2011. United Nations b. “Major Achievements of the United Nations”. Web. http://www.un.org/Overview/achieve.html. Accessed on December 13, 2011. United Nationsc. “The Universal Declaration of the Human Rights”. Web. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/. Accessed on December 13, 2011. Read More