United Nations
The name United Nations (UN) was first used in the Declaration by the UN on January 1, 1942, during
World War II. It was coined by then the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Founded in 1945,
the UN is an international organization whose mission and vision are guided by the objectives and
principles contained in its founding charter.
The UN represents the peak of modern globalization. This is, in fact, an intergovernmental organization
entrusted with promoting international relations as well as establishing and maintaining international
order. It was established on October 24, 1945, as a replacement for the ineffective League of Nations right
after World War II, in order to avoid another conflict. During its founding, the UN had 51 member states;
now, the member states are 193 (United Nations Organization [UNO], n.d.). Its headquarters can be found
in the city of New York, and is subject to extraterritoriality. While some of its main offices are located in
Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. What makes it interesting is that voluntary contributions from the member
states finance the organization. Maintaining international peace and security, supporting human rights,
fostering social and economic growth, safeguarding the environment, and providing humanitarian help in
the event of hunger, natural disasters, and armed conflict are among the organization's goals (Anonymous
Patriots, 2017). Did you know that it is the largest, most familiar, most internationally represented, and
most powerful intergovernmental organization globally?
Aside from this, the UN Charter was drafted at a conference between April and June 1945 in San Francisco
and is signed on June 26, 1945. After the conference, the charter took effect on October 24, 1945, and
the UN began operation (Jochim, 2017). As a matter of fact, the Cold War between the United States and
the Soviet Union, as well as their respective allies, hindered the UN's mandate to maintain international
peace in its early decades (Torell, 2018). In return, the organization participated insignificant actions in
Korea and Congo while in the process of approving the creation of the Israeli state in 1947. The UN’s
membership grew significantly following widespread decolonization in the 1960s. By the 1970s, the UN’s
budget for economic and social development programs significantly exceeded its budget for
peacekeeping. Meanwhile, after the end of the Cold War, the UN took on some major military and
peacekeeping missions carried out over the world with varying degrees of success (United Nations, n.d.).
Role of the UN
The UN can act on issues confronting humanity in the twenty-first century, such as peace and security,
climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and
health emergencies, gender equality, governance, and food production — all due to the powers vested in
its charter and its unique international character (UN-org, n.d.). Here are some of the its specific roles:
Maintain International Peace and Security – In 1945, the UN came into being, following the devastation
of World War II, with one central mission — that is, the maintenance of international peace and security.
The UN accomplishes this by preventing war, assisting parties in dispute in reaching an agreement,
maintaining peace, and creating the circumstances for peace to last and flourish. These tasks frequently
overlap and, in order to be effective, thus need to be reinforced. Such that the UN Security Council has
the primary responsibility for international peace and security, its General Assembly and the Secretary-
General play major, essential, and complementary roles, along with other UN offices and bodies (About
Us, n.d.).
Protect Human Rights – It seems that the term "human rights" appears seven times in the UN's founding
Charter, making its promotion and protection an important goal and guiding concept. In 1948, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights brought human rights into the realm of international law. Since
then, the UN has diligently protected human rights through legal instruments and on-the-ground activities
(United Nations, 2020).
Deliver Humanitarian Aid – One of the purposes of the UN, as stated in its charter, is "to achieve
international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or
humanitarian character." The UN first did this in the aftermath of World War II on the devastated
continent of Europe, which it helped to rebuild. The UN is now being relied upon by the international
community to coordinate humanitarian relief operations due to natural and artificial disasters in areas
beyond national authorities' relief capacity (About Us, n.d.).
Promote Sustainable Development – The UN’s major focus remains to be on improving people’s well-
being. Over time, people’s perceptions of development have also shifted, and countries today believe that
sustainable development offers the best path for improving people’s lives everywhere as it promotes
prosperity and economic opportunity, increases social well-being, and environmental protection (About
Us, n.d.).
Uphold International Law – The UN Charter has already set an objective, that is, to provide conditions
that allow for the maintenance of justice and respect for responsibilities originating from treaties and
other sources of international law. Since then, the development of and respect for international law has
been a vital part of the work of the UN. This task is carried out in multiple ways — by courts, tribunals,
and multilateral treaties, and by the Security Council, which can approve peacekeeping missions, impose
sanctions, or authorize the use of force when a threat to international peace and security exists, if it is
deemed necessary (United Nations, 2020).
UN System agencies include the World Food Program, UNESCO, and UNICEF. The UN's most prominent
officer is the Secretary-General, an office held by Portuguese politician and diplomat Antonio Guterres
since 2017. Nongovernmental organizations may be granted consultative status with the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) and other agencies to participate in the UN's work. The UN has six principal
organs, as follows:
General Assembly - The General Assembly, the main deliberative assembly, is the UN's central
policymaking and representative organ. The General Assembly is the only UN body with universal
representation, with all 193 member nations represented. Every September of every year, the
organization's entire membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for their annual
General Assembly session and a general debate, and many heads of state are expected to come and speak.
Two-thirds majority of the General Assembly is required to make decisions on crucial issues such as peace
and security, admission of new members, and budgetary matters. On the other hand, some minor
questions are decided by the majority. The General Assembly elects a President each year to serve a 1-
year term of office.
The Security Council – The Security Council is specifically for deciding specific resolutions for peace and
security. It has 15 members; specifically, 5 permanent and ten nonpermanent members. Each member
has an equavalent of one vote. Under the same charter, all member states are obligated to comply with
the decisions of the Council. With this, the Security Council determines whether or not there is a threat
to the peace or an act of aggression. It encourages disputants to resolve their differences through peaceful
ways and suggests techniques of adjustment or settlement terms. In several cases, the Security Council
can impose sanctions or even authorize efforts in maintaining or restoring international peace and
security. In addition, the Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates and changes every month.
Economic and Social Council – The ECOSOC, which is mainly for promoting international economic and
social cooperation and development, is the primary sector in charge of coordination, policy review, policy
discourse, and recommendations on economic, social, and environmental issues and the implementation
of globally accepted development goals. It serves as the central mechanism for the UN system's economic,
social, and ecological activities and its specialized agencies, thereby supervising subsidiary and expert
bodies. It has 54 members that the General Assembly elects for overlapping three-year terms. It is the
UN's central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
The Secretariat – Meanwhile, the Secretariat provides studies, information, and facilities needed by the
UN. It is made up of the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of worldwide UN employees who carry
out the UN's day-to-day operations as directed by the General Assembly and the Organization's other
major organs. In fact, the Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the UN, who is appointed
by the General Assembly as per the suggestion or recommendation of the Security Council. The term will
last for five years and is renewable. Specfically, UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally
and work in duty stations and on peacekeeping missions worldwide.
The International Court of Justice – The primary judicial organ, called the International Court of Justice,
is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the UN's six main organs that is not
based in New York (United States of America). The Court's role is to settle, following international law,
legal disputes submitted to it by states, and give advisory opinions on legal questions by authorized UN
organs and specialized agencies.
Trusteeship Council – The Trusteeship Council (inactive since 1994) was established in 1945 by the UN
Charter under Chapter XIII. This aims to provide international supervision for 11 trust territories that had
been placed under the administration of seven member nations and ensure that necessary steps were
taken to prepare the territories for self-government and independence. By 1994, however, all trusted
territories had attained self-government or independence. The Trusteeship Council suspended operation
on November 1, 1994 (Main Bodies, n.d.).
Functions of the UN
Although the UN does not support its military, it has peacekeeping forces supplied by its member states.
On the approval of the UN Security Council, these peacekeepers are assigned to areas where armed
conflict has recently ceased in order to prevent soldiers from resuming fighting.
Moreover, in 1948, the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a
standard for its human rights operations. The UN currently provides technical assistance in elections, helps
improve judicial structures and draft constitutions, train human rights officials, and provides food,
drinking water, shelter, and other humanitarian services to peoples displaced by famine, war, and natural
disaster.
Finally, the UN also contributes largely to social and economic developments through its UN Development
Program. This is by far the largest source of technical grant assistance in the world. The World Health
Organization, UNAIDS; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; the UN Population Fund;
and the World Bank Group also play essential roles in this aspect of the UN. The parent organization also
annually publishes the Human Development Index to rank countries in poverty, literacy, education, and
life expectancy (Briney, 2019).
Global Governance in the 21st Century
Global governance was developed to explain an international system that was becoming increasingly
complex. It refers to the institutions, organizations, laws or principles, agreements, treaties, and codes of
conduct in the international system that controls or limit the behavior of processes, flows, interactions,
and actions or behaviors of actors in the international system. This international system does not have a
global government that exerts authority or implements laws that members in the international system,
states, or private organizations and individuals obey. According to Adil Najam, global governance is the
management of transnational processes in the absence of a worldwide government. It requires a certain
degree of organization and understanding among key actors in the international system of regulating
interdependent relationships globally.
Our current state of development appears to be marked by a growing sense of insecurity, social
disintegration, and division, as well as a lack of hope, even among the young — who often confront a
more uncertain future than their parents. Unfortunately, the economic system promotes profits solely for
the wealthy people, resulting in decades of stagnation, if not regression. Half of the world’s population is
still struggling to meet basic needs (The Challenges of the 21st Century, n.d.) due to poverty, exclusion,
and other social challenges — with no secured solutions in sight. Aside from this, the world economy is
running on increasing debt, threatening a return to the financial chaos of a decade earlier, with
governments’ room for maneuver significantly reduced. Moreover, a universal loss of moral responsibility,
high ethics or values, and even spirituality, which filled the vacuum of any higher human purpose in a
materialistic culture, has contributed to all of this (Lewis, 2021).
It is not easy to set priorities among the many challenges of today because everything is interrelated.
Some of the challenges of global governance in the 21st century include the following:
Environmental Challenges – In the scientific community, the significant areas of urgent concern are
climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. For example, the global carbon dioxide emissions from
fossil fuels have grown at an average annual rate of 2% since 1990 and hit record levels in 2018, thereby
reflecting the continued growth of the global economy (Dahl, Maja, & Lopez-Carlos, 2018).
Social Challenges – Unemployment is one of our most critical social challenges because it drives exclusion
and marginalization, with other negative consequences including increasing crime, drug trafficking and
use, domestic violence, family breakdown, juvenile delinquency, and migration in search of better
opportunities. Work done in the spirit of community service has numerous advantages, including the
development of human character and the empowerment of individuals to reach their full potential.
Unfortunately, neither governments nor private servants have found a solution to this challenge at
present. At the same time, this can be an effective tool to alleviate poverty and provide a safety net for
vulnerable groups; it does not address unemployment and the associated waste of resources. Work is
necessary for individual and social health (The Challenges of the 21st Century, n.d.).
Economic Challenges – One economic challenge is the growing risk of a global financial collapse when the
present debt bubble bursts. No reliable, depoliticized mechanism can deal with a financial crisis at present.
Whether a country receives or is refused an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout in the middle of
an economic meltdown is a function not of a transparent set of internationally agreed rules but of several
other factors, including whether the IMF's largest shareholders consider the country to be a strategically
worth supporting. No practical international legal framework exists to ensure that global business
enterprises are socially, environmentally, and economically responsible (The Challenges of the 21st
Century, n.d.).
Security Challenges – Productive capacity in the global economy was never high. In addition, average life
expectancy is at an all-time high; hence, the potential costs of global war are also at an all-time high. The
rewards of war among states, that is, loot, land, glory, and honor. Therefore, populations sought greater
wealth, social security, and various forms of protection which drove nations to resort to war for ages.
Relevance of State amid Globalization
Due to various meanings and shifting notions of globalization, the state's role in it is complicated.
Globalization is commonly characterized as the fading or complete elimination of economic, social, and
cultural borders between nation-states, however, it has been defined in a variety of ways. Several scholars
have theorized that nation-states inherently divided by physical and financial boundaries will be less
relevant in a globalized world.
While increasingly low barriers to international trade and communication are sometimes viewed as a
danger to nation-states, these developments have persisted throughout history. On the other hand, air
and sea transportation made same-day travel to other continents possible, which considerably expanded
trade among countries. However, they did not abolish the sovereignty of individual nations; rather, it was
globalization that transformed the way nation-states interact with one another, particularly in the area of
international commerce (Hall, 2020).
Globalization has changed the state's role politically because of strengthened interstate relationships and
dependence on one another. States were created to be sovereign. However, they would often give their
sovereignty away to pooling in conventions, contracting, coercion, and imposition. This phenomenon has
led to increasingly similar jurisdictions across states and power being economic rather than political
progress because conditions now make political progression and regression together, thereby causing
states to become increasingly developmental.
The state’s role has also changed because most states now have a high dependence on others. Britain
cannot govern and act as a state independently of the USA’s influence and relationship. Since World War
II, Britain and other Western states have become structurally dependent, militarily, and financially on the
USA. Thus, every state’s role has changed from being an authoritative figure to a dependent figure relying
on others to make decisions or based on other’s beliefs. However, this factor can be positive because a
strong state relies on strong allies (Buchanan, 2012).
