The UN – “A More Perfect Union?”

The U.N.- A more perfect union? Author's Name The Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor Name Assignment Due Date The United Nations Organization was formed in 1945, after the end of World War II, to maintain world peace and provide states with a conflict resolution platform. It was a purely American idea and the plan of Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish a global government (Meisler, 2011). The Charter of the United Nations defines its purpose in the international system as maintaining peace, security, and well-being of nations (Charter, 1945). Ultimately, maintaining peace and security is the primary relationship of the United Nations Organization with the current International System of States. The U.N. supports the power dynamics between the states in the international system, where some sovereign states hold more sway than others. The prime example of this is the group of permanent security members who possess veto power. They have a political edge over weak nations in the system (Foreign Relations, 2024). Moreover, The U.N. shapes the whole world structure by urging sovereign nations to abide by International Law, facilitating global cooperation, and working as a legitimizer of state actions. Thus, the United Nations has a complex and multifaceted relationship with the international system. The United Nations Organization was created at a crucial time in world history. After witnessing World War II's horrors, humanity looked back at the failed League of Nations and found a solution to maintain future world peace. It was only possible through international Organizations but with a more rigorous charter and membership than the League of Nations. Thus, creating the U.N. was more necessary than ever (U.N., n.d.-a). The unchecked nationalism before the Great War and the decline of economic trade between the nations made the war inevitable. Therefore, there was a need for an international government that could look after the actions of the sovereign and try to preserve peace in the world (U.N., n.d.-a). This made the creation of the United Nations a necessity. Moreover, after the World War II, the world was left in ruins. The newly formed U.N. stepped in to salvage these nations out of difficulties. In modern times, The United Nations Organization is depicted as a perfect union among states as it maintains good relations among states (Burke & Bell, 2006). This supra-national organization is serving the whole world on major issues such as global warming, pandemics, nuclear proliferation, etc. If not for the U.N.O., international cooperation on transnational problems would have been an issue (Burke & Bell, 2006). Additionally, the United Nations is also a political utility. It is the most important political tool that the world is using to prevent wars through conflict management. It is the globe's negotiating hub, where adversaries are given an open ground to discuss their grievances (Burke & Bell, 2006). Therefore, the United Nations was born as a necessity, and in modern times, it reflects a perfect union. Moreover, this organization is still necessary to keep the international system in order and a political utility because it provides states with every tool to resolve bilateral and multilateral issues. Although the United Nations was created to give every member state an equal representation. However, there is clear discrimination of power between small and large states. Structurally, the United Nations' democratic organ, the United Nations General Assembly, is weaker than its most powerful organ, the United Nations Security Council. For this reason, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council yield more power than other nations (U.N., n.d.-b). The structural imbalance in the United Nations has been criticized, and many world regions can hear calls for reform. However, exiting veto-wielding larger and power states are trying to keep the status quo (Blum, 2005). There have been many attempts to reform the undemocratic nature of the United Nations Security Council (Patrick, 2023). Due to the dominance of power states, such as permanent security council members, every reform plan gets rejected in the UNSC (Patrick, 2023). Therefore, the U.N. is a more useful tool for large and powerful states to secure their national interest than for small states. Nation-states in the international system are of enormous importance to the United Nations. As part of the U.N., states defend the legitimacy of this supra-national organization due to several reasons. The first and most important reason for the U.N.'s legitimacy is its global representation and inclusive nature. The charter of the United Nations also requires a nation-state to accept the organization's legitimacy. Any nation that becomes part of the United Nations Organization needs to accept the charter of the U.N.O. as a legitimate document (Charter, 1945). The global representation of the states in the United Nations General Assembly provides a debating platform for all member states to engage with the world. From discussing issues and collaborating on transnational problems to asking the world for help, nation-states utilize the United Nations floor. Ultimately, they give legitimacy to the organization. Furthermore, being a democratic organ, UNGA provides every member with a state vote on international issues. For instance, owing to the recent war in Gaza, calls for Palestinian membership were forwarded by the United Arab Emirates. Then, all member-states of the United Nations voted on the matter (Al Jazeera, 2024). Thus, the United Nations gives every member state a voice in international matters; this makes the member states defend the legitimacy of the supra-national organization. The second reason for which states defend the legitimacy of the United Nations is the development of International Law. The concept of international norms existed before the creation of the U.N.O. However, in modern times, this organization ensures that every member state must comply with international rules. For instance, the use of chemical weapons in times of war is prohibited by Geneva Protocol (Disarmament, n.d.). Any member state that uses chemical weapons ca...