Why Do We Need the UN-Specialized Agencies - Research Paper Example

Why do we need the UN specialised agencies Introduction Specialised agencies as a term used in the United Nation’s charter denotes the intergovernmental agencies that work with the United Nations through special agreements. These agencies are often autonomous with regard to their operations; however, they work with each other under the auspices of ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council). This council is also responsible for constituting the administrative committee that consist of the Secretary General and the heads of these specialised agencies. The administrative committee was created in the year 1946. Among the responsibility of the committee involves implementing specialised agreements arrived at between these agencies and the United Nations. This is important in terms of ensuring that the activities taken by the specialised agencies are properly coordinated. Each of the specialised agencies also has their own juridical personality and enjoys independence and other privileges in the regions or member states that they operate. The staffs working for these specialised agencies are often viewed as international workers. Further, their loyalty often remains with the agency that they work. With regard to work or functions, these agencies are not under the control of the government, but the agency. Conversely, state members are required to give these agencies autonomy and not influence the discharge of duty by these agencies. At present, there are approximately fifteen specialised agencies that collaborate with the UN (Congressional Digest 1975, p.69). This paper explores why it is important to have UN specialised agencies. The importance of UN specialised agencies These agencies are important in terms of addressing various problems across the world that include humanitarian issues, health and improving working conditions. Four specialised agencies are considered to be the key in the functions of UN and include the WHO, UNESCO, ILO AND IAEA. These organisations play a specialised role in enhancing the living standards of mankind across the globe, these agencies further target to improve the society in general. As an organisation, the UN consists of mainly six organs and this includes the agencies and work with the UN through cooperation and collaboration to meet the overall objectives of the UN. Other than ensuring that peace prevails across the world, the UN as an organisation has other responsibilities that require the support of these autonomous agencies. This includes support in formulating policies, providing technical support and other practical help both in the economic and social spheres in member states. This makes the work of the General Assembly easier as a result of decentralizing responsibilities to these agencies and other organs associated with the UN. In essence, these organisations coordinate with the UN for purposes of improving the society in general (Sharp 1968, p.881). WHO As a specialised agency working with the UN in making the world a better place, the World Health Organisation mainly focuses in ensuring there is an efficient global healthcare. This agency is guided by six core functions that include being a leader when it comes to maters seen to be vital to health and partnering with other health agencies across the globe where immediate action related to health concern is required (Gian Luca & Claude-Henri 2004, p.108). This agency also carryout research and disseminating knowledge to various health agencies across the world on how to deal with various health concerns. In its role as part of the UN, this organisation also ensure that proper standards related to health are adopted and also carry the work of monitoring if healthcare stakeholders are implementing those standards. In addition, this agency play an important role in providing technical support to the health sector across the globe, facilitating change and ensuring the sector has a sustainable capacity. Having the backup of the UN in terms of resources, WHO is also necessary in terms of monitoring health situations across the world and also acts as a watchdog for health trends (David 2004, p.104). The overall responsibility of the United Nations involves uniting countries across the world in ensuring there is peace, facilitating global development, ensuring justice prevails, propagating for human dignity and well-being of mankind. In this sense, the WHO plays an important role in ensuring health problems are mitigated across the world. Most countries across the world are faced with problems in tackling health issues and as a global organisation supporting health initiatives, WHO work with various health stakeholders in the member states (Allyn 2002, p.7). As a result of globalisation, there are various challenges associated with health and its distribution. In this regard, WHO is important because it assist in improving health knowledge and the necessary technology across the world. This includes sharing best health practices geared at promoting global health. As a drawback, globalisation is also associated with the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Example in this sense includes SARS, Ebola and the HIV/AIDS pandemic (Lawrence 2004, p.2631). Many countries across the globe lack the resources to combat such infectious diseases or the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The WHO often intervenes to provide support by collaborating with other agencies to provide preventative measures and other technical support. In developing countries, the WHO plays an important role in undertaking research to ensure there are mitigation measures in place. For instance, Africa encounters various health concerns that include combating HIV/AIDS, Polio, Ebola and other tropical diseases. The presence of the WHO in Africa and most importantly in Sub-Saharan countries is necessary to support other health stakeholders to tackle various help problems affecting the populations. For a while now, it has become almost impossible for Sub-Saharan Africa to afford treatment for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS (Jennifer 2007, p.1473). Through partnering with other global health stakeholders such as CDC, the WHO has enhanced its research capabilities geared at improving treatment of various diseases not only in Africa, but in other poor nations across the globe. The HIV/AIDS pandemic for instance require adequate funding which, the WHO has greater influence to access funds from other prominent foundations or agencies across the world such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that also work with the WHO to promote health initiatives across the globe. In recent times, the WHO has played an important role in monitoring the spread of various diseases across the world that include managing the threat posed by SARS in Asia and Ebola in parts of Central Africa. Other important contributions that can be associated with WHO include its effort in eradicating smallpox that was once a global pandemic (Christopher & Alan 2004, p.1100). UNESCO UNESCO is necessary as a UN specialised agency because it contributes towards peace and security across the world which, is the main goal of UN. UNESCO is able to work with nations for purposes of promoting education, science, culture and communication. This helps in ensuring there is universal respect when it comes to justice, human rights and rule of law. This agency is necessary as evident in the functions that it carries across the world. UNESCO is involved in promoting education among the feminine gender that has been marginalised across the world. This has played a role in empowering women to participate actively in the development initiatives. UNESCO further take an important role in the global arena in terms of giving grants and fellowships to the education sector, which helps to improve the capabilities of teachers and scholars alike. Children with disabilities are also not left behind since UNESCO also provide financial help to various organisations that support handicapped children across the globe (Wagner 2013, p.21). Education is important in improving living standards across the world and most importantly in the developing world with limited resources to provide education to its citizens. In advancing knowledge, UNESCO also supports initiatives meant at improving literacy rate among adults in developing countries. On another note, advancement in science is critical and UNESCO also plays a role in promoting education related to the field of science (Van der Auwera 2014, p.251). The agency is recognised for organising various workshops across the world that are geared towards bringing scientists together to discuss forums meant at improving the field of science. Other than supporting scientific related initiatives, UNESCO is also associated with initiatives that focus on promoting cultural interchange across the globe. Among the activities that UNESCO takes are responsible for include preserving cultural heritage. Around the world, there are various sites that need to be preserved so as to pass cultural heritage from one generation to another. Such sites require funding meant to restore them so as not to lose their value. For example, UNESCO is recognised for its effort in Pakistan where it has played an important role in preserving Moenjodara that was hit by salinity (Pyykkonen 2002, p.546). The agency also play an important role in facilitating the translation of various manuscripts to other languages and this helps in the interchange of culture. The agency also stimulates the development of communication field by supporting the media. This is important considering the power of information in enlightening various communities around the world. In advocating for the improvement in education, culture, science and communication, this agency continues to support various programmes around the world that include programs such as the World Press Freedom Day. In addition, the agency also supports governments around the world to undertake various projects that supports the UN’s overall goal. At present, the agency consists of about 160 members and its headquarters is located in Paris, France (Gullino 2013, p.391). ILO As one of the main UN specialised agencies, International Labour Organisation play an important role in improving labour standards and the living conditions of workers across the world. While people work to improving their living conditions, these organisations ensures that the work environment is designed in a manner that employs are not exploited. However, the agency faces numerous problems in ensuring that working conditions are improved around the world. The work of this agency requires collaboration with labour unions from each member states, this plays a role in ensuring that the each country implements labour standards that can promote the well-being of both the worker and their employers (Griffin 2003, p.804). The activities of ILO are critical across the globe since, it helps to raise concerns regarding the exploitation of workers that include poor wages, squalid working conditions and the use of child labour and slavery that is still rampant in some countries. For instance, the agricultural sector continues to witness exploitation of farmers and labourers by multinational cooperation that ignores the established labour standards. Among the atrocities committed by the multinational corporations include subjecting workers to low wages and the use of child labour in the farms. Such exploitations are evident in parts of Africa, Asia and South America where labour unions in those countries are doing little to improve the situation for workers (Ghai 2002, p.11). The idea of establishing labour unions around the world involves championing the rights of workers; this includes advocating for better pay and improved working conditions. This require the unions to collaborate with their governments in implementing labour standards geared at promoting favourable labour conditions for both employers and their workers. As a result of globalisation, multinational corporations have moved their firms abroad with an aim to take advantage of the cheap labour in some countries. This is evident in the Far East where firms from industrialised nations are capitalizing on cheap labour to cut on production cost at the expense of the labourer who in most cases is not aware of their right to protest for better pay and working conditions. In addition, the complacency of governments and labour unions in such countries has resulted in the creation of sweatshop where people work for long hours and in poor conditions. These are some of the problems that ILO intends to eradicate in developing a level ground for both workers and their employers. As such, ILO play an important role in developing and advancing standards that various labour unions or its members across the world can embrace in improving labour standards (O’Higgins 2002, p.71). On its part, ILO is also takes a role in providing technical support in the implementation of social policies and workforce training. It also collaborates with various organisations and industries in matters concerning how to improve labour standards. Other than promoting labour standards, ILO also engages in research meant at investigating social problems resulting from international competition, the increasing unemployment and other labour changes that have emerged as a result of globalisation. On the same note, globalisation has also created a situation where people migrate to other countries in search of greener pastures. Since most of these immigrants are not protected by the responsible authorities mostly because of their illegal status, they are often subjected to exploitation in the labour market. The ILO often intervenes by ensuring that international immigrants access equal rights accorded to other workers (Wisskirchen 2005, p.252). Today, the role played by ILO globally has improved the bargaining power of labour unions who are members of the agency in terms of negotiating with various stakeholders when it comes to matters concerning the rights of workers. This involves funding labour unions to take up initiatives meant at improving labour standards. In essence, ILO mainly advocates for organised labour and advances this agenda through labour or trade unions that exist across the globe. On another note, ILO has continued to play an important role in both economic and social sphere around the world. For instance, ILO is recognised for advocating against apartheid in South Africa that propagated inequality in the work environment. The agency supported the improvement of labour conditions by the regime. This was geared at improving the working conditions of workers for instance, in the Gold mines of South Africa (Boockmann 2006, p.155). Further, despite of the economic crisis that reached its peak in 2008, ILO continued to advocate for active employment and implementation of efficient labour policies. The agency played an important role in preventing governments from implementing wage cuts and other social cuts for workers. Instead, the agency advocated for reforms in the financial markets to improve the situation. Arguing against wage and social cuts was an important decision in that, it helped in reducing social unrests that further worsens the economic situation during the period of recession. The expert advice on how to deal with the global recession vindicates the importance of ILO as an important agency in the UN. In working collaborating with the UN, ILO will continue to ensure that there are more opportunities for better employment, workers’ rights are protected, the social security systems are expanded and also enhance social dialogue between governments, employers and labour unions (Busse 2002, p.1922). IAEA As a UN specialised agency, IAEA is recognised for important functions that include promoting research, the development and peaceful use of atomic energy around the world. This is an important role in ensuring that such technology is not used for wrongful purposes. The agency is recognised for creating safeguards to ensure atomic energy technology is not used to advance military agenda. For instance, IAEA is now involved in inspecting Iran’s atomic energy development with the aim of ensuring that the country does not use such technology to advance a military agenda. Arms race around the world has created a situation where countries with atomic energy technology are trying to develop nuclear weapons that can eventually be used to destroy the enemy. North Korea accessed this technology and it is now using it in a devastating effect to black mail foreign powers (Brown & Kaplow 2014, p.405). The agency has played an important role in ensuring that member states commit to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). Through this treaty, member states with the technology can only use it for peaceful purposes. The agency further monitor member states and report any instance of noncompliance to the UN security councils for further action. In terms of providing technical support, IAEA has helped nuclear powers like the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpile. This is critical in ensuring that the enriched uranium is not accessed by terrorist or rogue countries that can use the uranium to develop dirty bombs. In other war torn regions and in particular, Afghanistan and some parts of Africa like Ethiopia and Eritrea, IAEA has played an important role in the removal of landmines thus; making those regions safer for innocent civilians who have lost their limbs or died as a result of the mines (Brown & Kaplow 2014, p.411). In order to ensure safety of the nuclear materials, IAEA always conduct regular visits to nuclear facilities around the world to take record of their existence. The agency is also involved in ensuring that member states install instruments and other surveillance equipment that allows for proper monitoring of nuclear installations around the world. This helps to avoid future accidents that may occur or the materials used for wrongful purposes. IAEA makes the world a better place by reducing the risk of a leak from poorly managed nuclear installation or the enrichment of uranium that can be used to develop nuclear warheads. It ensures that member states remain open with projects related to nuclear energy as an assurance that such projects are directed towards a peaceful purpose (Morales 2013, p.306). As a result of the records kept by the agency, and which are derived from visiting various nuclear installations the UN Security Council is kept updated on the activities of member states undertaking various projects related to nuclear energy. In essence, the IAEA is an important agency in the UN because its activities ensure that the world remains peaceful and void of nuclear weapons that can cause mass destruction (Morales 2013, p.318). Conclusion The UN agencies play an important role globally in promoting not only peace, but economic and social development. This is achieved by the agencies engaging in various initiatives across the globe that include implementation of policies, technical support and financial assistance to advance various development initiatives. In addition, these agencies are also necessary in ensuring that the overall objective of the UN is achieve through delegation of UN responsibilities to independent bodies. This decentralisation of responsibilities enhances efficiency in the various roles carried out by the United Nations in general. References Allyn, T 2002, ‘Global governance, international health law and WHO: looking towards the future,’ Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 80, no. 12, pp. 975-980. 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