Md. Arafat Rahman :
The United Nations (UN) Day is celebrated on October 24 in all independent and sovereign nations of the world. Through the Day, the goals and objectives of the United Nations have been dedicated to the world. The role of the UN in reducing tensions in the world, ending ethnic conflicts and wars, and creating an environment of peaceful coexistence has been repeatedly discussed over the years. In addition to environmental issues, issue of women development has been added nowadays.
Although 51 countries have signed the original UN Charter, the number of UN members has become now more than tripled. The main goal of this world body is to ensure world peace and security. Realising the enormity of the indescribable misery caused to the entire human race by the two world wars, the world leaders set the goal of the United Nations. The priorities of the world leaders at that time were to discourage any kind of war, to ensure the security of small countries, to take action against aggressors, to create a security zone and to improve the human rights situation in different countries of the world.
The UN Charter states, each state must adhere to the principle of tolerance. No state will take an aggressive role and will establish good relations with the neighboring countries on the basis of equal status. The Charter states that the forces of all nations must unite to safeguard international peace and security. In other words, the security of small states against an aggressive state can only be ensured through a united effort. The UN Charter also discourages the use of the armed forces.
Emphasis has been put on not using the armed forces without specific reasons. The Charter also mentions that the United Nations can assist in the social and economic development of a state. The United Nations recognises the right of every nation to self-determination and believes in the principle of establishing relations with every state on the basis of equality. The United Nations will not interfere in the internal affairs of any country.
While the success of the United Nations may seem overwhelming, it cannot be said that the UN has succeeded in every field. In some cases, the failure of the United Nations is also noticeable. Establishing peace in the world is one of the objectives of the United Nations. However, the United Nations failed to prevent wars between countries, especially the Iran-Iraq war, the Sino-Vietnamese war, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Vietnam invasion of Cambodia, or the US military pressure on Cuba. Besides, the United Nations failed to take effective action to prevent or reduce the tensions that erupted between the two great powers – the United States and the former Soviet Union.
The UN failed to reduce mutual arms production and the nuclear arms race. Although the debt of the poor countries is increasing day by day, the UN has not taken any steps to prevent the deaths of thousands of people and the migration of millions in different parts of the world, especially in Syria and Afghanistan in Middle East or Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Even UN has failed to bring to justice all those involved in the genocide in these countries. The United Nations has so far failed to play an effective role in Israel’s naked aggression on Palestine.
The United Nations has also failed to play an effective role in the Bush administration’s unjust invasion of Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction. The big complaint about the UN is that it protects the interests of big countries, especially the United States. The developing world has no representation in the UN decision-making process. However, the powers of the countries representing them are not at all in the decision-making body of the United Nations.
Every organisation has its successes as well as its failures. The same is true for the United Nations. As successful as the UN is, so are its failures. However in comparison, the success of the UN is greater. In particular, the United Nations is working for the development of the developing world by engaging in peacekeeping, environmental activities, or development activities. The UN has taken initiative to end the ethnic conflict by sending peacekeepers to different countries. Structural reform of the UN Security Council is the time’s need.
(Md. Arafat Rahman is Asst. Officer, Career & Professional Development Services Department, Southeast University).
