The United Nations: Eight Decades of Global Diplomacy Amid Growing Challenges
The United Nations (UN) currently has 193 member states and manages an annual general budget of $3.72 billion. Its peacekeeping forces comprise around 60,000 military personnel stationed worldwide. However, as the organization marks its 80th anniversary, it increasingly appears as a spectator in a world where might often seems to make right.
### How Was the UN Created?
Initial planning for the UN began in 1939, following recognition that the League of Nations had failed to prevent another global conflict. The term “United Nations” was first coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt in a 1942 declaration signed by 26 nations committed to fighting the Axis powers.
The UN’s foundational framework was shaped by the “Big Four” — the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and China — during a conference in Washington DC in late 1944. This framework was further agreed upon by Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin at the Yalta Conference a few months later.
In April 1945, representatives from 50 nations, accounting for 80% of the world’s population, convened at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco. There, they drafted and ratified the UN Charter, pledging to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The Charter officially came into force on October 24, 1945.
### What Does the UN Look Like Today?
The UN describes itself as “neither a supra-state nor a government of governments.” Instead, it serves as a forum for international dialogue and cooperation. Its Charter outlines four main purposes, ranging from maintaining peace and security to promoting social and cultural cooperation.
The organization retains the basic structure established at Yalta. The General Assembly acts as the “world’s parliament,” where each member nation has an equal voice to discuss pressing issues and vote. However, the true power lies with the Security Council, charged with taking “prompt and effective action” in emergencies. The Security Council can impose sanctions, enforce blockades, and authorize military intervention to uphold its decisions.
The Council consists of five permanent members — the United States, Russia, Britain, France, and China (the “Big Five”) — each wielding veto power, alongside ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms without veto rights.
### What Has the UN Achieved?
Over its history, the UN has codified a body of international laws and pioneered the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It has played a vital role in the decolonization process; Article 1 of the Charter recognizes the right to self-determination. The UN has brokered over 170 peace settlements, and its peacekeeping forces have helped resolve conflicts in regions including Colombia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, and Cambodia.
The World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency, led efforts to eradicate smallpox in 1980 — a disease that killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century alone. The UN has also been instrumental in brokering international agreements such as the 1970 Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty and the Paris Climate Accords.
No nuclear bombs have been used since 1945. To supporters, the UN remains the best defense against global warfare.
### Have There Been Failures?
Certainly. The UN’s darkest moment arguably came in 1994, when its peacekeepers failed to prevent the Rwandan genocide, which claimed the lives of approximately 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
A year later, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were massacred in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces while Dutch peacekeepers stood helplessly by.
Additionally, the UN has faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers, often referred to as the “Blue Berets.” More fundamentally, the UN’s own structural limitations — particularly the Security Council veto — have frequently hindered timely action.
### How Does the Veto Cause Problems?
The veto system was originally designed to secure the involvement of major powers; notably, the United States never joined the League of Nations, partially due to the lack of such a mechanism. However, the veto has often paralyzed the Security Council.
To date, over 320 resolutions have been vetoed, with the majority blocked by Russia (or the USSR) and the United States; China has become an increasingly frequent veto user.
For example, the USSR vetoed objections to its 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, while the US has vetoed nearly 50 resolutions concerning Israel. British, French, and US vetoes once prevented the UN from condemning apartheid in South Africa.
In fact, the Security Council has arguably functioned as intended only twice: first, during the 1950 Korean War — when the USSR was boycotting the UN and China had not yet assumed its Security Council seat from the Republic of China (Taiwan); and second, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, during a brief thaw in East-West relations.
### Why Is the UN Facing Difficulties Now?
Recent geopolitical crises underscore the UN’s current challenges. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine blatantly violated the principle of respecting national borders. Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza has continued despite General Assembly resolutions demanding a ceasefire and strong condemnations from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The UN has even struggled to intervene effectively in conflicts where great powers are absent, such as Sudan’s civil war.
Many developing countries perceive the UN as biased toward the West. Meanwhile, emerging powers like Brazil, Russia, India, and China are promoting the BRICS economic group as a potential rival to the UN’s influence.
Perhaps most damagingly, US conservatives increasingly view the UN as irrelevant and too partial to progressive causes.
### Why Is That So Damaging?
The UN has long depended heavily on American power and funding, with the United States contributing over 20% of the regular UN budget.
The Trump administration planned to reduce US funding to the UN by more than 80% in the coming year. The US has already withdrawn from several key international efforts, including the Paris Climate Agreement, the WHO, and UNESCO.
Moreover, Republican lawmakers have introduced over 20 pieces of legislation aimed at limiting US participation in the UN and related organizations.
While the UN retains substantial global legitimacy and continues vital programs worldwide, it currently faces profound financial and operational crises.
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As the UN navigates its 80th year, its future depends on adapting to these multifaceted challenges — balancing sovereignty and cooperation, reforming institutional structures, and reaffirming its role as a cornerstone of international peace and security in a fractured world.
https://theweek.com/world-news/never-more-precarious-the-un-turns-80