Question

Please answer these questions and write a paragragh. (250+words)

1) Is the UN effective/necessary?

2) Would a form of military for enforcement aid the effectiveness of the UN?

3) How else can collective actions be solved without international institutions?

Answer 1

Now united nation is 70 years old. The number of UN member states has increased since its inception in 1951 from 51 to more than 190. The UN was formed immediately after world war substituting failed League of Nations to maintain peace & stability in the world. Though with the ever changing world UN has also changed a lot from its management & operations perspective. Due to its universal nature it is able to promote international peace, security & stability to an extent. UN has a significant role in humanitarian work in different parts of the world.

UN is multipurpose organization which has specific global tasks like peacekeeping, collective security, health, environment & human rights protection on its agenda. There are two viewpoints on effectiveness of UN which divide people in two groups as liberals & realists.

Realists think that international organizations like UN are unable to control the power struggle between states since they cannot change the anarchical structure of the international system. They think that international relations are a result of power & interests. This view is supported by the critics of veto power in UNSC. Because they oppose the veto for its violation of the principle of sovereign equality among states. These permanent member of UNSC doesn’t represent world geopolitical realities. The current structure of UNSC is a reflection of world powers which doesn’t justify its universal nature. Also the failure of UN in assuring security to the nations affected by the proxy wars of the Cold War is an example of this view.

Liberals think that international society is made up of different states who are less or more related to each other. This relation itself gives birth to idea of international order which requires international laws & objectives. They believe that economic interdependence among states leads to peaceful international relations because they understand benefits of trade. They are bonded by economic dependencies. This view is supported by UN’s success in poverty reduction & environmental protection to a great extent in different regions of the world. Its humanitarian aid programs in different regions.

So basically we can say that UN is effective in some areas of its work & needs reforms in some areas.

2) I think a form of military for enforcement aid will have little impact on effectiveness of the UN. In my view UN should use more preventive diplomacy than ground operations against threats of wars. Should put greater emphasis on disarmament, non-proliferation & violence reduction in affected areas.

3) Though international organizations have important role in solving collective actions, they can also be solved by creating regional dependencies among states. They can improve cooperation between regional & sub regional organizations to solve collective actions. A better awareness among states regarding causes of conflicts can reduce risks of instability & security.