History of the Global Now
The United Nations (UN)
Terese Howard
10/10/09
The United Nations is another of the post-WWII international organizations started to try and prevent further wars of that scope. At its founding in 1945 the UN became the world’s main international police force, court system, relief force, and decision making body. The UN has six sub-groups: general assembly, economic and social council, international court of justice, security council, trusteeship council, and secretariat. These assemblies and councils all have representatives from each of the 192 member countries who vote on issues and make decisions on the steps which the UN should take. All decisions are made by majority rule with each countries representative counting as one vote. The UN is best known for its “peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance” (www.un.com) but it is just as active in the economic, justice, and other roles it plays. Peacekeeping actually includes security actions such as UN army or police intervention in a country. Humanitarian assistance often consists of food aid or other such relief help to countries in need. The UN’s work around the world takes a verity of forms.
“UN agencies define the standards for safe and efficient air travel and help improve telecommunications and enhance consumer protection.The United Nations leads the international campaigns against drug trafficking and terrorism.Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist refugees, set up programmes to clear landmines, help expand food production and lead the fight against AIDS.” (www.un.com)
This range of work has served both positive and negative ends. The UN has little designated legal power, it cannot make laws, however, it does have judicial power and countless other forms of power.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
air travel?
hm.
they seem to have interesting jobs.
If you ask me, the UN is the first step to world government - something we're seeing talked about more and more as time goes by in an unfortunately positive way... Not that there'd be that much of a functional difference between a world government and what happens currently by such organizations as the UN, IMF, WTO, etc., etc. accepting possibly transparency... but a liar who agrees to tell more truths is still probably lying.
For sure. It is that baby structure that, now that it is in place, can be levied at "time of crisis" and given more powers to become more and more of a world government.
Post a Comment