The international organizations. Social Sciences Essay

The International Organizations
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The International Organizations
As an international organization that is tasked with maintaining world peace and enhancing tolerance among nations, the United Nations is indeed a crucial part of the world today. The inception of the organization took place in 1945 after the Second World War with the United States, Britain, China, Russia, and France as its main members. These countries are also served with veto privileges especially with regards to matters of the UN’s Security Council. Since its inception, the UN has been involved in numerous activities that have helped prevent the events that were seen during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. However, this has not been without a fair share of challenges. One major issue that has continued to be a problem for the organization is trying to keep the five original members happy. Aside from this issue, there is also the challenge of resources that continually strains the operations of the organization. Another factor is its collaboration with regional organizations like the African Union, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the League of Arab States among others. To further the understanding of the UN, this article will compare and contrast the ideas presented in a 2015 UN report and those presented in three articles from The Economist titled “Call the blue helmets,” “Mission impossible?, and “A chance for a safer world.”
First of all, there is the issue of the UN leadership. The leadership of the UN is one of the most crucial aspects of the organization. The UN is bigger than any country or region because it serves the interests of the entire world. One of the things that one notices about the UN is that it is not a democracy. Even though the organization has been involved in setting up democracies around the world (for example Congo), it does not appear to follow the same ideas. This is made clear in the article Mission Impossible? The article, while referencing the Security Council, an arm of the UN, notes that “the system is not only undemocratic, anachronistic and unfair but also…outrageous” (The Economist, 2007). Regardless of the above, it is crucial that the UN maintains a leadership that sets an example for the rest of the world. As indicated in the UN’s 2015 report, “strong leadership and accountability are crucial.” However, even though this report appears to showcase a strong leadership outlook by the UN, the Economist readings offer a different take. Even though the UN is keen on acting as a leader for the world, it is often forced to conform to the wishes of countries like the U.S. Before Mr. Ban’s tenure as the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan had had a bad relationship with the U.S. Upon ascension to his position, Mr. Ban “made it clear that one of his first tasks would be to forge closer relations with the United States. That pledge is an indication of how poisonous they had become under his predecessor” (The Economist, 2007). What the above shows is that the leadership of the UN is working in an environment that is constrained by the demands of rich and powerful countries. Acting against the wishes of a country like the U.S. would prompt a tantrum that may in turn halt efforts to spearhead peace initiatives in the world.
The issue of resources is one that continues to limit the UN’s reach to the world. The organization has had a tumultuous time because of its inadequacy to gather and dispense resources to its initiatives. As a caretaker of the world, the UN ought to have access to large amounts of resources to help in the running of its operations. However, currently, the UN is depleted of crucial resources, for example, an army that can be on its beck and call whenever there is a peacekeeping operation. In the article titled A chance for a safer world, it is clearly stated that the UN is in need of more resources. “It also needs some m...