The United Nations (UN) was established in 1945 by the five victory
powers of World War II - China, France, the United Kingdom, The United States of
America and the former Soviet Union to maintain the post-war peace. Its Charter
was drawn up by representatives of fifty countries and ratified by the original and
permanent members. According to Article 1 of the Charter, the UN’s primary
purpose is “to maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take
effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the
peace”1. Today, 191 states are members of the global organization and subscribe
themselves to the UN Charter to share the responsibility for international peace
and security.
The Charter established six principle organs, of which the Security Council
is the most important with the primary responsibility to settle different kinds of
conflicts to maintain the global peace and security. While other organs make
recommendations to governments, the Council alone has the power to take
decisions and initiate actions including the use of force, which Member States are
obligated under the Charter to carry out.
The Security Councils consists of 15 Member States: the five permanent
ones, which can veto any draft resolution on substantive matters reflecting the
assumption that the major powers would act together to provide collective global
security, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year periods. When a
complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council usually
recommends the parties several peace-making methods like negotiation,
investigation or mediation to reach agreement by peaceful means. When a
dispute gets worse or leads to fighting it is empowered to call for cease-fires,
order economic sanctions, and even authorize military action against an
aggressor on behalf of the UN. One tool for maintaining international peace and
security not embodied in the Charter is the use of peacekeeping forces to prevent
existing dispute from reigniting “using force only in self-defence, and operating in
a neutral and impartial way with the consent of the parties to disputes”2.
Unfortunately, administrative and budgetary constraints limit the UN’s
capacity to respond to every serious threat to peace. [...]
1 “United Nations, Divided World – the UN’s Roles in International Relations”, 1996, p.500.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Critical Evaluation of the UN's Management of Global Peace and Security
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay aims to critically evaluate the United Nations' effectiveness in managing global peace and security. It argues that the UN's success is inherently limited by the actions and support (or lack thereof) of its member states.
- The UN's role in maintaining international peace and security.
- Limitations on the UN's capacity and effectiveness.
- The influence of member states, particularly permanent members of the Security Council.
- The use of peacekeeping forces and their successes and failures.
- Specific case studies illustrating the UN's challenges (e.g., the Cyprus conflict).
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This introductory section establishes the context of the essay by outlining the UN's primary objective—maintaining international peace and security—as defined in its Charter. It highlights the UN's structure, specifically the Security Council's crucial role in conflict resolution, including its power to authorize military action. The introduction also acknowledges the limitations of the UN's capacity due to administrative and budgetary constraints and the tragic failures of peacekeeping missions in various conflict zones, using examples such as Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Cyprus to illustrate these points. The author states their intention to demonstrate the UN's shortcomings in managing global peace and security and will use the Cyprus conflict as a primary case study.
Critical Evaluation of the UN's Management of Global Peace and Security: This section delves into a critical analysis of the UN's performance in maintaining global peace. It argues that the organization's effectiveness is directly tied to the willingness and capacity of its member states to act collectively. The author highlights the absence of a UN-led early-warning system for preventing conflicts, attributing this to the organization's structure and the influence of powerful member states whose national interests may not align with broader international goals. The discussion touches upon the UN's lack of its own military or police force, relying entirely on member states for enforcement. Budgetary limitations and the historical ineffectiveness of the UN in resolving international disputes (with statistics cited from the period between 1945 and 1984) are analyzed. The impact of great power rivalry, vetoes, and financial issues on the UN's ability to manage conflicts is addressed, using the Cold War as a prime example of a significant obstacle hindering the UN's ability to maintain global peace and security. The section also mentions the shift in the UN's performance after the end of the Cold War, acknowledging improved security yet persistent obstacles hindering overall effectiveness. Finally, the different functions of UN peacekeeping forces are outlined, showcasing their evolving roles in maintaining global peace.
Keywords
United Nations, global peace and security, Security Council, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, member states, collective security, Cyprus conflict, limitations, effectiveness, international relations.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Critical Evaluation of the UN's Management of Global Peace and Security
What is the overall purpose of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of an essay critically evaluating the United Nations' effectiveness in managing global peace and security. It includes the title, table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What are the main topics covered in the essay?
The essay focuses on the UN's role in maintaining international peace and security, exploring its limitations and effectiveness. Key themes include the influence of member states (especially permanent members of the Security Council), the use and effectiveness of peacekeeping forces, and specific case studies illustrating the UN's challenges, with a particular focus on the Cyprus conflict.
What are the essay's key arguments?
The essay argues that the UN's success is inherently limited by the actions and support (or lack thereof) of its member states. It highlights the lack of a UN-led early-warning system, the absence of its own military force, budgetary constraints, great power rivalry, vetoes, and the impact of historical events like the Cold War on the UN's ability to maintain global peace and security. While acknowledging improvements after the Cold War, it maintains that significant obstacles continue to hinder the UN's overall effectiveness.
What specific examples or case studies are used?
The essay uses the Cyprus conflict as a primary case study. It also mentions other examples such as Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Burundi to illustrate the failures of peacekeeping missions and the UN's challenges.
What are the main limitations of the UN discussed in the essay?
The essay identifies several limitations, including the lack of a UN-led early-warning system, the reliance on member states for enforcement (lack of its own military or police force), budgetary limitations, the influence of powerful member states whose national interests may not align with broader international goals, the impact of great power rivalry and vetoes within the Security Council, and historical obstacles such as the Cold War.
What is the structure of the essay?
The essay includes an introduction establishing the context and outlining the UN's role and limitations, followed by a critical evaluation of the UN's performance in maintaining global peace and security. The evaluation analyzes the influence of member states, the use of peacekeeping forces, and specific case studies illustrating the UN's challenges.
What are the key takeaways or conclusions suggested by the document?
The document suggests that the UN's effectiveness in maintaining global peace and security is heavily dependent on the cooperation and willingness of its member states. The essay highlights persistent challenges and limitations despite improvements after the Cold War, emphasizing the need for further analysis and reform.
What are the keywords associated with the essay?
Keywords include: United Nations, global peace and security, Security Council, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, member states, collective security, Cyprus conflict, limitations, effectiveness, and international relations.
- Quote paper
- Gisela Schneider (Author), 2002, How well does the UN manage global peace and security, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/14727
