Oraña, Justine Angellie G.

Date: March 31, 2021

Course: BSBA-FM2 Mrs. Jhelena V. Olaes

The United Nations Explained: Its Purpose, Power and Problems

About everyone is familiar with the United Nations. Yet how many people are conscious
of what it does? Or how it functions? Or why, as world leaders assemble for the UN General
Assembly's 72nd session, the organization has failed to live up to its founders' promise of
making the world a safer, more prosperous place?

Birth of the United Nations: When, Where and Why

In June 1945, four countries headed by Britain, China, the Soviet Union, and the United
States signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. When the Charter went into effect
on Oct. 24 of that year, a global war had just ended. Much of Africa and Asia was still ruled by
colonial powers.

High Ideals on Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified by the United Nations in 1948.
These rights include the freedom not to be enslaved, the right to free speech, and the right to
obtain refuge from oppression in other nations. Many of the rights articulated — to education,
fair pay for equal jobs, and nationality — have yet to be achieved.

General Assembly: Prominent Stage, Limited Powers

Every fall, at the United Nations General Assembly's opening session, presidents and prime
ministers give speeches that may be soaring or clichéd — or lengthy, incoherent tirades, such as the one
delivered by Libyan strongman Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in 2009. Small and large countries, wealthy
and poor, have an equal voice in the Assembly, with each government receiving one vote. The true
power, though, is contained elsewhere.

Security Council: Powerful but Often Paralyzed

By far the strongest arm of the United Nations is the Security Council, which has 15
members. It has the power to enforce sanctions, as it did against Iran over its nuclear program,
as well as allow military action, as it did in Libya in 2011. It is perhaps the most anachronistic
aspect of the organization, according to critics. Its five permanent representatives are World
War II winners: The United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia. The
remaining ten members are chosen for two-year terms, with seats allocated to various parts of
the country.
Any member of the permanent five — or P5 for short — has the right to veto any bill, and each
has exercised this power to defend themselves or allies on many occasions. Since 1990, the US
has vetoed 16 UN Security Council resolutions, all of which deal with Israeli-Palestinian
relations. Russia has done so 17 times, eight of them over Syria.
The Charter does allow the General Assembly to act if international peace and security are
threatened as a result of a veto. In practice, however, it is rarely done.

Problems Keeping the Peace

The Security Council's job is to keep the world at peace. Its willingness to do so has been
significantly limited in recent years, owing in large part to acrimonious disagreements between
Russia and the West. In the face of major disputes, especially those in which permanent
members have an interest, the Council has been feckless.

Secretary General: Global Reach, Vague Role

The responsibilities of the secretary general, the UN's highest official, are not well
described in the Charter. He or she is supposed to have no affinity for one nation over another,
but the office is highly reliant on the funding and goodwill of the world's most important
countries.
The secretary general is chosen by secret ballot by the Security Council — especially the
P5 — for a maximum of two five-year terms. The position would find it difficult to be
independent of the P5's control as a result of this procedure. The secretary general does not
have an army to send, but he or she may have a bully pulpit. If the officeholder is seen as self-
sufficient, he or she is often the only one on the planet who can get warring parties to the
negotiating table.
The position of Secretary General has been filled by nine people since 1946. They've all been
men.

What’s Next: Questions for the U.N.’s Future

As Mr. Guterres assumed the role on Jan. 1, he inherited a body tasked with illustrating the
UN's importance in a world facing problems that were unimaginable 72 years ago.
Here are some of the questions that can decide whether or not the organization's power
increases or diminishes:

 Is it possible for the United Nations Security Council to take measures against countries that
break international humanitarian law? Will the P5 members of the Security Council look past
their own narrow objectives to find alternatives to the "war scourge"?
 Is it possible to repair peacekeeping activities so that people are protected?
 Will the UN convince countries to formulate new approaches to dealing with the new fact of
mass migration?
 Will the Secretary-General be able to convince governments to uphold their pledge to reduce
greenhouse emissions and assist those affected by climate change?
 Will the Secretary-General be able to convince governments to uphold their pledge to reduce
greenhouse emissions and assist those affected by climate change?
Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/world/americas/united-nations-un-explainer.html

The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship
Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat are the main bodies of the
United Nations. When the United Nations was established in 1945, it was based on the UN
Charter.
The main organs that are mentioned in the article above are the General Assembly and the
Security Council.

General Assembly
The General Assembly is the United Nations' largest deliberative, policymaking, and
representative body. The General Assembly is the only UN body with universal representation,
with all 193 UN Member States included. Every year in September, the entire United Nations
membership gathers in New York's General Assembly Hall for the annual General Assembly
session and general debate, to which many heads of state attend and speak. A two-thirds
majority of the General Assembly is used to make decisions on crucial issues such as peace and
stability, entry of new members, and budgetary matters. Other questions are decided by a clear
majority. Every year, the General Assembly elects a GA President to serve a one-year term.

Security Council
Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for preserving
international peace and security. It consists of 15 members (5 permanent and 10 non-
permanent members). Each Member is entitled to one vote. Both Member States are required
by the Charter to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council is in charge of deciding
whether a threat to the peace or an act of violence occurs. It encourages disputants to resolve
their differences by nonviolent means and suggests ways of change or conditions of resolution.
To sustain or restore international peace and stability, the Security Council can impose
sanctions or even allow the use of force under some circumstances. The Presidency of the
Security Council rotates and adjusts every month.