Origins of United Nations War, Peace and the United Nations Origins of United Nations

Pair-Share What do you know about the United Nations? If you don’t know much about the United Nations, what do you think it is based upon the name itself? Do this in the KWL!

United Nations Overview

Before the UN: League of Nations League of Nations, an organization conceived during the First World War and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.” Due, in part, to the fact that the United States refused to join, the League of Nations was never able to carry out its intended mission.

Steps Leading Up to UN Creation The leaders of the Allies met during the spring and summer of 1945 to discuss what should happen to the world once World War Two ended. Many issues were addressed regarding how to end the war with Japan, rebuilding the war-torn countries, and what could be done to prevent World War Three.

Pair-Share Why do you think it took the devastation of World War Two for universal support of a peace-keeping body?

The Birth of the United Nations June 26, 1945 - representatives of 50 countries sign the charter of the United Nations at a conference in San Francisco UN officially comes into existence on 24 October 1945 - now celebrated as United Nations Day

1945: The United Nations The United Nations Charter states the goals and purposes of the organization: To maintain international peace and security Develop friendly relations among nations To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends

Structure and Organization of United Nations

The Structure of the UN Security Council: responsible for peace, has 15 members General Assembly: main deliberative forum of the UN has 191 members The UN Secretariat headed by the Secretary General UN Economic and Social Council International Court of Justice based in The Hague, Holland

Other Parts of the United Nations

International Court of Justice The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one not located in New York (United States of America). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

Look at the United Nations Flowchart. Pair-Share Look at the United Nations Flowchart. Which of the different bodies of the United Nations do you think are the most important and why? Select your top three and explain your reasoning.

UN Security Council

UN Security Council The real power rests with the Security Council. The Security Council discusses and votes on major security issues facing the UN. It is charged with keeping world peace and may vote to take action against a member nation or non-member nation in order to keep the peace and protect lives at risk.

If there is still no progress the Security Council can authorize military action Recognized by their Blue Helmets

UN Security Council The Security Council has five permanent members: United States United Kingdom France Russia China. 10 other countries elected for two year terms The countries that currently sit on the Security Council for a two year term are: Angola, Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Spain, and Venezuela.

Pair-Share What do you notice about the five permanent members of the Security Council? What do you notice about the current ten rotating members of the Security Council?

Pair-Share What do you think are the strengths of the Security Council? What do you think are the weaknesses of the Security Council?

What power does the 5 permanent members of the Security Council have that the other Security Council members do not have ? VETO

The Weakness of the UN System in Enforcing Peace Veto power: the UN can only take serious action when all the “policemen” agree: “Decisions of the Security Council shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members” Made the UN virtually powerless during the Cold War Hungary in 1956 Vietnam War The exception was Korea in 1950.

In more than 50 years, the UN Security Council has only authorized military action in the following cases Korea Somalia Bosnia Gulf War In all these cases different countries have undertaken military action with the permission of the UN. The UN itself has not gone to war

Peace-Keeping

UN Peacekeeping Operations The UN has no military force of its own, and is dependent on other countries to provide military forces The UN Charter requires countries to maintain a certain part of their forces for the use of the UN. This has never been done Instead of representing the world, the UN is often pushed into becoming an instrument of its most powerful members