United Nations and International Peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United Nations and International Peace - Essay Example International peace is a prerequisite to any country's progress and prosperity that determines the country's development both in terms of social and economic aspects. For decades, terrorism has been a nightmare for countries, which will collapse the economic and social set up of a country and hurdle its economic growth and development. At this juncture, the present essay is relevant as it deals with the role of United Nation's role in preserving and encouraging peace among the member countries. The essay further examines the role of the UN in monitoring and maintaining peace across the world as an international agency in the context of its powers. The essay takes a critical approach to the success and failure of UN in international peace with real examples such as Rwanda, Iraq and Kosovo. The essay is concluded with a short debate on the present role and significance of the UN to contribute to international peace. United Nations came into existence on 24 October in 1945by virtue of the Charter ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories. "The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter" (Introductory Note). The day October 24 is celebrated each year all over the world as UN Day. The basic idea behind setting up of such an organization is to work for peace and development by bringing all countries together in harmony. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the a ctions of nations (Article 1). As regards the membership is concerned, the Charter states that "membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations" (Article 4). The top most official of the UN is the Secretary General and Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-General, holds the position at present. The operations of the UN are regulated by different departments. A brief account of the structure of UN in general is outlined below: The General Assembly The Security Council The Economic and Social Council The Trusteeship Council The International Court of Justice The Secretariat The UN System The Role and Powers of UN in International Peace One of the main areas of concern of the UN is the preservation of world peace. International peace and harmony have been in the agenda f the UN since its inception. By signing the Charter, member states/countries undertake to take efforts to avoid crisis situations between countries and tackling of disputes by peaceful means. Since it inception, the UN has been playing a major role in helping defuse and eliminate international crisis and in resolving protracted conflicts. In its efforts to harmonize the member countries, the UN has experienced both successful and disappointing outcomes. Over the years UN efforts