The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that was established in 24 October 1945 by 51 nations, who tend to promote peace and international cooperation. The three main purposes of the UN is to maintain international peace, develop friendly relations among states, develop international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character disregarding to race, sex, language, or religion. Some people argue that the UN is effective for its purposes. Yet, others believe that UN is inefficient in dealing international problems. This post is going to argue that the UN is ineffective because the veto power in the United Nations Security Council, it could not deal with domestic issues, and it could not limit the hegemon.
The United Nations Security Council is one of the councils under the UN and it is charged to maintain international peace and security. Therefore, the Security Council is granted to use the UN Peacekeepers to enforce resolutions that have passed. The Security Council consists 15 members, while 5 permanent members are the victors of World War II—Russia, China, France, UK, and USA—and the other 10 are rotated. Not like the 10 none permanent members, the P5 members share the veto power, which is the right to deny resolutions with one veto. The original purpose for the establishment of veto power is to ensure that superpowers agree with the Security Council resolution, and to not start another world war. However, veto power has been a large obstacle since then to maintain international peace. Russia, China, and the US often have different positions and resolutions could not be passed. Therefore, the establishment of veto power is inefficient and often does not help to maintain international peace and security.
Another flaw of the UN is that it could not deal with domestic problems. Although the UN can pass resolutions to handle international issues, it could not manage intrastate problems. Intrastate problems are conflicts that occur inside states such as civil wars and protests. The UN values national sovereignty over human rights, that is, the UN cannot violate national sovereignty disregarding to anything that might happen to its people. For example, 1994 the genocide in Rwanda an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed in 100 days. However, the UN has no power to intervene Rwandan domestic issues, and the world observed the Rwandan government killed its people without taking actions. Thus, the lack of power to deal with domestic problems proves that the UN is not effective to protect human rights.
Last, and perhaps the most important factor that proves UN to be ineffective, is that it could not stop the hegemon. The US, who is currently the hegemon with the dominance with military and economic power, has unlimited power in the UN and it had done many actions that violates international law. Yet, the UN is ineffective in dealing the hegemon’s ambitions. For example, when the former US president George W. Bush declared to send troops in Iraq, which totally violates the UN charter and the purpose of maintaining international peace and security. However, the UN can do nothing to punish the US because it is the hegemon. With the dominance of military and economy, the US has the ability to do whatever it wants. The ineffectiveness of dealing with the hegemon proves that the UN is ineffective to fulfill its original purpose.
The three ultimate purposes of the US is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among states, and develop international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character disregarding to race, sex, language, or religion. However, because of the existence of the veto power, inability to deal with domestic problems, and ineffectiveness to stop the hegemon, the UN is proved ineffective to achieve its goals.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/sc/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-21897379
The United Nations Security Council is one of the councils under the UN and it is charged to maintain international peace and security. Therefore, the Security Council is granted to use the UN Peacekeepers to enforce resolutions that have passed. The Security Council consists 15 members, while 5 permanent members are the victors of World War II—Russia, China, France, UK, and USA—and the other 10 are rotated. Not like the 10 none permanent members, the P5 members share the veto power, which is the right to deny resolutions with one veto. The original purpose for the establishment of veto power is to ensure that superpowers agree with the Security Council resolution, and to not start another world war. However, veto power has been a large obstacle since then to maintain international peace. Russia, China, and the US often have different positions and resolutions could not be passed. Therefore, the establishment of veto power is inefficient and often does not help to maintain international peace and security.
Another flaw of the UN is that it could not deal with domestic problems. Although the UN can pass resolutions to handle international issues, it could not manage intrastate problems. Intrastate problems are conflicts that occur inside states such as civil wars and protests. The UN values national sovereignty over human rights, that is, the UN cannot violate national sovereignty disregarding to anything that might happen to its people. For example, 1994 the genocide in Rwanda an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed in 100 days. However, the UN has no power to intervene Rwandan domestic issues, and the world observed the Rwandan government killed its people without taking actions. Thus, the lack of power to deal with domestic problems proves that the UN is not effective to protect human rights.
Last, and perhaps the most important factor that proves UN to be ineffective, is that it could not stop the hegemon. The US, who is currently the hegemon with the dominance with military and economic power, has unlimited power in the UN and it had done many actions that violates international law. Yet, the UN is ineffective in dealing the hegemon’s ambitions. For example, when the former US president George W. Bush declared to send troops in Iraq, which totally violates the UN charter and the purpose of maintaining international peace and security. However, the UN can do nothing to punish the US because it is the hegemon. With the dominance of military and economy, the US has the ability to do whatever it wants. The ineffectiveness of dealing with the hegemon proves that the UN is ineffective to fulfill its original purpose.
The three ultimate purposes of the US is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among states, and develop international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character disregarding to race, sex, language, or religion. However, because of the existence of the veto power, inability to deal with domestic problems, and ineffectiveness to stop the hegemon, the UN is proved ineffective to achieve its goals.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/sc/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-21897379