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United Nation History
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United Nation History
Abstract
United Nation is an international organization which was founded in 1945 by more than 50 states of the world. The principal purpose of establishing global forum is to ensure the management of human rights, better living standards, promoting social progress, developing friendly relations among the nation and international peace and security. A wide range of issues are discussed, and member countries express their views through the economic and social council, Security Council and general assembly. Moreover, the articles provided the overall history of UN, conservative opinions and admirable history of the institute.
Introduction
The formation of UN was the advancement of 26 representative countries who were at war with Axis powers. While endorsing the Atlantic Charter, these states use their full resources for establishing peace in the world. The services of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe, and it is best known for humanitarian assistance, conflict prevention, , and peacekeeping. Various programs, funds, and specialized agencies are part of the UN system to make the world a better place. The organization was developed for peace, and its operation was extended to a broad range of issues like global governance, international health, counter-terrorism, disaster relief, environment and refugee protection and coordinating efforts for a safer world.
Discussion
Thomas G.Weiss in his article provides that there was a geopolitical necessity which contributes to the establishment of bodies like UN. After the Second World War, policymakers’ and key world leaders agree to revisit the desirability of multicultural cooperation and intergovernmental organizations. However the ideational and normative role of UN along with inputs from non-state actors through the member states lead to ineffectiveness of the institute. In 1945 the Roosevelt administration in the United States avoids the mistake of Woodrow Wilson in selling the league of nation to the Senate (Weiss, 2015). The administration sought the support of the public for establishing a global organization to prevent the future wars and conflict. The idea was progressive as it gives way for the formation of multiple donor agencies like UNCHR, WB, and UN system on global governance.
The modern history of international organizations properly begins with 19th-century public international unions. Universal postal union and international telegraph fulfilled the requirements to adopt innovation. In the decades of 1930s and 40s functionalist built a theory for small steps in global cooperation. These steps contribute to more significant results as David Mitrany called the actions as ‘peace by pieces.' The primary aim was also to resolve the humanitarian issues without any political purpose (Weiss, 2015). In this regard, UN relief and rehabilitation agency was the first forum to liberate countries from their more fortunate allies and replace them through livestock, infrastructure, and industrial equipment. After the initial development, there was criticism on the performance of UN in the 1960s and 70s. Laurence R. Jurdem reflects that journals of conservative opinion believed US position in the forum was controversial.
Specific issues change the course of history as a commentary of Ronald Reagan led to the failure of US policy in the UN (Jurdem, 2017). Further the conservative movement reflects disapproval from the moment of its existence as liberals praised the performance of UN in promoting peace and stability. These ideas were contrary to writers like Russell Kirk definition of perfection. Conservative viewed the Soviet Union as a real threat to international peace because of its vibrant presence on the world stage. Activists had support for the UN who represented and facilitated the freedom of individual and protection of fundamental human rights. The double standard arguments were implied by Human Event columnist Jenkin Lloyd Jones when he argues for ‘race prejudice was not exclusively a white men disease.' He believed that there should be a fair description of ideas for all the communities of the world.
A civil right movement was the example of right's attempt to link the disorder with the nation’s cities. The role of the United States was criticized for creating chaos and competition between the two blocks (Jurdem, 2017). An ordeal of Watergate and war of Vietnam put more pressure on the US, and it lost voting majority which was maintained during the establishment of UN. Further, the views of conservative were more frustrated when the US sends aid to the third world. The policy of supporting foreigners was perceived as weakening the nation. Various attempts of US failed to gain support from the third world in countering Russia and providing wealth to African states. Since the US was the most significant contributor to serving the financial needs of UN, there was criticism from conservatives who frustrated over the imbalance of power (Jurdem, 2017). The arguments of Senator Goldwater provide that why the US is failing to exercise its role in the general assembly effectively. The public aslo had severe concerns over the performance of new nations of Afro-Asian block.
The primary concern of the conservatives during the 1960s was the loss image of UN because there were excessive spending and inflated officials on the forum. These issues became prevalent with the more massive crises in US foreign policy, which contributes to the weak and vacillating international relations. Similarly, Sunil Amrith and Glenda Sluga in their article new histories of United Nation give ideas and prospects for human development (Amrith & Sluga, 2008). Through the advancement of science, knowledge, and culture there was a discussion of the history of peace which hold higher aspirations for few practitioners of the world. Although historians, diplomat and political scientist opinion for UN as an agency for peace against the two World Wars, there is a change in shift and it became a hub for competition among the various nations. There were questions on the race, rights, and sovereignty aspects in UN.
The incorporation of UN with race question was something that develops a contradiction for the international body. Political agenda and general intellectual assumptions were critical to the postwar challenges for racism. For the agencies of UN, Claude Levi-Strauss wrote that there is an element of race (Amrith & Sluga, 2008). He pointed out diversity as a value for clearing the roots of colonial fascination and racial superiority of civilizing mission. Over time UN became a body for race identification and favoritism. Various states across the globe have raised their concerns for not resolving the primary issues and giving weight to scientific and racial grounds for maintaining hegemony. History of UN was something else, and it was the joint effort of more than fifty leaders to counter the massive destruction of humanity, but it is not valid at the present scenario as disaster is continuously effecting humans through the major powers of the world.
Conclusion
The silence of UN on many critical aspects of conflict and war lead to the failure of US struggle for the cause of human rights. Anderson also reflects in ‘Eyes off the Prize’ about the pressure of cold war and official role of US representatives in UN for maintaining hegemony. There is an urgent need for reconsideration of the role being played by UN in various fields of life. There is a gap between past and present as commitment is less to the historicization and more to an output of the organization. The scholarly discussion of the authors offers a critical aspect of UN history in the light of circumstances that occur during the course of time.
References
Amrith, S., & Sluga, G. (2008). New histories of the United Nations. Journal of World History, 251-274.
Jurdem, L. R. (2017). ‘That mad hatter's tea party on the East River': Conservative journals of opinion and the United Nations 1964–1981. Cold War History, 17(1), 39-59.
Weiss, T. G. (2015). The United Nations: before, during and after 1945. International Affairs, 91(6), 1221-1235.
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