The United Nations, Formed for WorldPeace

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry participates in an event at the United Nations in New York City, September 21,

2016. Photo from: U.S. Department of State

It was 1945 and World War II was finally over. The Allies, which were 17 countries,

including the U.S., Britain, France and China, had defeated the Axis powers. The six Axis

countries included Italy, Germany and Japan.

But, would the two sides be able to keep the peace?

During the years between WWI and WWII, there was not much spirit of internationalism.

There was a lack of cooperation between countries for the common good. Some believe

this made WWII more likely to occur.

The League of Nations was a group of countries formed after WWI to keep world peace.

But, this group proved too weak to solve international issues and it also failed to prevent

WWII.

The end of WWII called for a stronger international group to ensure peace and security

among world powers. It was in this spirit that President Franklin Roosevelt championed the

creation of a United Nations organization.

By USHistory.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.08.17

Word Count 863

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World leaders agree on charter

Three powerful leaders had spent hours debating what the nature of a United Nations

organization should be. They were Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, Winston

Churchill of England and Josef Stalin of Russia (then the Soviet Union). After agreeing on

the general principles at the Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta Conferences, delegates from

around the world met in San Francisco in 1945 to write a charter. With the nation still

mourning the recent death of Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor addressed the delegates.

There was a lot of bitterness and conflict among the nations that were there, but the

charter, the formal agreement founding the United Nations, was ultimately approved by

everyone.

A new spirit of global understanding and cooperation was born after WWII. It was based,

in part, on the widespread recognition of the failures of isolationism, or each country acting

on its own behalf.

This global spirit came to life with the establishment of the United Nations (U.N.) in 1945.

Its headquarters were established in New York City.

The inner workings of the U.N.

The U.N. charter called for the establishment of a Security Council, or "upper house." The

security council serves as the executive branch of the U.N. The Security Council must

authorize any actions. These include economic restrictions, the use of force, or the

deployment of U.N. peacekeeping troops.

Each of the “great powers” — the United States, Great Britain, France, China and the

Soviet Union — holds a permanent seat on the Security Council. These were main the

victors of World War II. The permanent members are known as the "permanent five" or P5.

The remaining 10 seats on the Security Council are elected to two-year terms by the

General Assembly. Each of the permanent five members holds the power of veto. This

means no action can go forward if any one of the five countries objects.

The Cold War started in 1947

In 1947, the United States and the Soviet Union entered into the Cold War that lasted until

1991. Because they were at odds with each other, the U.N. Security Council suffered. The

council was unable to take any forceful or meaningful action.

The structure of the Security Council hasn't changed since 1946, which has upset some

countries who would like to have a seat on the Council — particularly countries that have

grown in size and influence.

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The main body of the United Nations is called the General Assembly. Every member nation

holds a seat in the General Assembly, which is often described as a town meeting for the

world. The General Assembly has standing committees to address ongoing issues such as

economics and finance, social, cultural and humanitarian concerns, and legal problems.

The General Assembly passes resolutions and has the power to make recommendations

to the Security Council. There are also committees that address a wide array of topics from

the status of women to the environment.

Successes and failures

The U.N. has accomplished many things. Its work includes sending peacekeepers to war-

stricken areas and making recommendations on issues that affect the entire world, like

health care and the environment.

The U.N. believes that nations can get along together. In a world with conflicting histories,

goals, and politics, one international group — the United Nations — tries to remain above

the day-to-day ruckus.

When the Cold War ended, many citizens around the globe once again looked to the U.N.

with renewed hope of building a safer, stronger planet.

However, the U.N. has had its share of failures. In 1993, the U.S., under President George

H.W. Bush, sent U.S. troops to intervene in the humanitarian crisis caused by civil war in

Somalia and 18 Army rangers were killed. The following year, the United States, under

President Bill Clinton, was among the countries that prevented a strong UN response in

Rwanda. There, an estimated 800,000 people were killed in a genocide in 1994.

The U.N. also suffered defeats in Europe in the 1990s. U.N. peacekeepers were used as

human shields in the siege of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, which lasted from 1992 to

1996. U.N. forces failed to protect civilians during the Bosnian War in 1995 and thousands

of people died. More recently, the U.N. has struggled in how to address Syria's ongoing

civil war.

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