United Nations, a grand idea. An organization to give all nations an equal voice in the shaping of a better future. All nations working together towards common goals. Created to improve the relations between nations and avoid conflicts like that which had just ended. To assist nations and people attain a greater understanding of each other and cooperate to improve the lives of people of all nations.

The idea that the industrialized nations would assist those with less to advance. The idea that those with freedoms would help those without. The idea that all people had the same rights and freedoms. The idea that conflicts could be avoided by all nations standing together to say "NO" and be willing to step forward to prevent conflict. International Peacekeepers would uphold those ideals and if necessary enforce them.

At the creation of the United Nation those nations signatory to the Charter took on the responsibility of supporting and advancing the ideals of the United Nations. All those nations agreed to be bound to uphold those ideals. Each new nation that signed also agreed to uphold and be bound by those ideals. Each nation still retained it's individual sovereignty, it's own right to self-govern.

A great idea with high goals and ideals. Just one small problem. Instead of assisting all nations attain the ideals set forward at the creation of the United Nations those nations with the ability, means and technology to assist in reaching those ideals still seek self advancement. Those nations still place their own politics, needs, profits and global standing before the ideals they signed on to take responsibility for.

The General Assembly, the forum where nations of the world could put forward differences and come to reasonable solutions. Where nations could put forward ideas to advance the freedoms and rights of peoples represented, hopefully of those not represented as well. Where open discussion could work to avoid conflict through mutual understanding.

Yet if the ideas for improving the freedoms, rights of a people, a group of people is counter to a nation's ideas, for whatever reason, they simply do not sign, ratify the Resolution, Convention or Declaration and are not bound by it. This even though it may have passed with a majority vote in General Assembly by right of individual sovereignty.

The Security Council, the 'enforcement' arm of the United Nations so to speak. Designed to help enforce the resolutions of the United Nations. It's 'Permanent Members'. World War 2 allies now Cold War rivals and each afraid that the other would push through decisions counter to their own ideas and detrimental to their respective spheres of influence, hence the "Veto' of a single Permanent Member being enough to stop a decision of the Security Council regardless of the majority vote.

How many conflicts could have been avoided, how many people could have been saved from conflict if the veto wasn't there? How much could have been accomplished?

Just as no one single nation can be blamed for the failures so too can no one nation be credited with it's achievements. The failures of the United Nations all make front page news, television news and now news on the internet. Failures are good news, in the sense that they bring out emotion in people. At hearing of a failure the world sees the United Nations as a failure. It is easy to say that the United Nations are ineffective, that they are powerless. Yet they are rendered that way by the very nations that are supposed to make it effective, are supposed to enforce the power given to it by the member nations. It is perhaps the governments of the member nations that need to be examined.

It's achievements however rarely make the news. The only people who hear of them are generally those involved. Those who now have food, land, medicine, peace and their lives.

Forgotten are the ideals of equal freedoms, equal rights for all peoples. Forgotten the ideals of improving the conditions of nations that have nothing by those that have. It is easy to note the failures of the United Nations. Yet where lies the fault? In the organization itself or in the nations which seek to limit the ideals put forward in the creation of the organization? The organization or those who signed on to advance the ideals that it stands for?

Perhaps if the nations of the world actually were to follow the path to the goals and ideals that they signed on for, actually sought mutual improvement, upheld the decisions that were arrived at and stopped placing themselves and 'close allies' before the mutual needs of all nations the United Nations may actually function as it was meant to.

Every nation has it's own problems which it's citizens can, for the most part, complain about and perhaps change. Yet these same citizens of various nations forget that nations also affect each other through politics, economy and other influences. If your global neighbor is in difficulty it will in some way affect your nation, your way of life as well. It's easy to say that the United Nations is useless or ineffective. It is just as easy to question your own government's actions or lack of actions in it.


....................................................................................................................................................


Just my thoughts and hopefully something to give others thought about their own government and it's role in the United Nations. Help or hindrance. Look it up. Look at your own government's voting history, signing / ratifying history at the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly votes.

Ok so it's long. I have way too much time with nothing to do at work.

Failure of Humanity, on all counts.