United Nations

Definition

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote social progress, better living standards, and human rights. It serves as a platform for countries to address global issues and cooperate on a wide range of matters, including political, economic, social, and environmental concerns.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The United Nations was founded in 1945 after World War II, with the primary goal of preventing another such conflict.
2. The UN has 193 member states, making it the largest intergovernmental organization in the world.
3. The UN Security Council is the most powerful body within the UN, responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
4. The UN General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN, where all member states have an equal vote.
5. The UN has a range of specialized agencies, programs, and funds that address specific global issues, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Review Questions

• Explain how the United Nations is relevant to the concept of contemporary democratic liberalism.
  • The United Nations, as an intergovernmental organization, is closely tied to the principles of contemporary democratic liberalism. The UN promotes democratic values, human rights, and international cooperation, which are central to the liberal worldview. Through its various agencies and programs, the UN works to address global challenges and foster peaceful relations among nations, aligning with the liberal belief in the potential for international institutions to promote stability and prosperity. Additionally, the UN's emphasis on collective security and the peaceful resolution of disputes reflects the liberal commitment to multilateralism and the rule of law in international affairs.
• Discuss the role of the United Nations as an actor in the international system, and how it relates to the concept of sovereignty and anarchy.
  • The United Nations, as an international organization, occupies a unique position in the international system. On the one hand, the UN is composed of sovereign nation-states, each with its own interests and priorities. This reflects the anarchic nature of the international system, where states operate in the absence of a central governing authority. However, the UN also serves as a platform for these sovereign states to cooperate and coordinate their actions, thereby mitigating the potential for conflict and chaos inherent in an anarchic system. The UN's ability to facilitate collective action and promote international norms and institutions can be seen as a counterbalance to the anarchic tendencies of the international system, offering a degree of global governance and order. This tension between state sovereignty and the need for international cooperation is a key aspect of the UN's role in the international system.
• Analyze the United Nations' role in addressing the problem of global governance, and how it relates to the concept of non-state actors beyond NGOs.
  • The United Nations is a central player in the global governance landscape, serving as a forum for states to address transnational issues and coordinate collective action. As the problem of global governance becomes increasingly complex, the UN has had to adapt and engage with a wider range of non-state actors beyond traditional non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These non-state actors, such as multinational corporations, intergovernmental organizations, and even social movements, have become important stakeholders in the global governance process. The UN has sought to incorporate these diverse voices and perspectives into its decision-making and policy-implementation processes, recognizing that effective global governance requires the participation and cooperation of a variety of actors, both state and non-state. This evolving relationship between the UN and non-state actors reflects the growing complexity of the international system and the need for more inclusive and effective approaches to addressing global challenges.

Related terms

Collective Security: The principle that all member states of the United Nations will act together to maintain peace and security, and that an attack on one is an attack on all.

Peacekeeping: The deployment of international military and civilian personnel to help countries navigate the transition from conflict to peace, often by monitoring ceasefires and supporting the implementation of peace agreements.

Sustainable Development Goals: A collection of 17 interlinked global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.