WHAT IS UN?

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated

purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly
relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for
harmonizing the actions of nations.[2] It is the world's largest and most familiar
international organization.[3] The UN is headquartered on international territory in
New York City, and has other main offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The
Hague (home to the International Court of Justice).

The organization's mission to preserve world peace was complicated in its early
decades by the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union and their
respective allies. Its missions have consisted primarily of unarmed military
observers and lightly armed troops with primarily monitoring, reporting and
confidence-building roles.[7] UN membership grew significantly following
widespread decolonization beginning in the 1960s. Since then, 80 former colonies
have gained independence, including 11 trust territories that had been monitored
by the Trusteeship Council.[8] By the 1970s, the UN's budget for economic and
social development programmes far outstripped its spending on peacekeeping.
After the end of the Cold War, the UN shifted and expanded its field operations,
undertaking a wide variety of complex tasks.[9]

The UN was established after World War II with the aim of preventing future wars,
succeeding the League of Nations, which was characterized as ineffective.[4] On 25
April 1945, 50 governments met in San Francisco for a conference and started
drafting the UN Charter, which was adopted on 25 June 1945 and took effect on 24
October 1945, when the UN began operations. Pursuant to the Charter, the
organization's objectives include maintaining international peace and security,
protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable
development, and upholding international law.[5] At its founding, the UN had
51 member states; with the addition of South Sudan in 2011, membership is now
193, representing almost all of the world's sovereign states.

History Of United Nations

Despite the problems encountered by the League of Nations in
arbitrating conflict and ensuring international peace and security prior to
World War II, the major Allied powers agreed during the war to establish a
new global organization to help manage international affairs. The United
States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union took the lead in designing
the new organization and determining its decision-making structure and
functions. Initially, the “Big Three” states and their respective leaders
(Roosevelt, Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin) were hindered by
disagreements on issues that foreshadowed the Cold War. The Soviet Union
demanded individual membership and voting rights for
its constituent republics, and Britain wanted assurances that its colonies
would not be placed under UN control. There also was disagreement over the
voting system to be adopted in the Security Council, an issue that became

famous as the “veto problem.”

The first major step toward the formation of the United Nations was taken
August 21–October 7, 1944, at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, a meeting of
the diplomatic experts of the Big Three powers plus China (a group often
designated the “Big Four”) held at Dumbarton Oaks, an estate in Washington,
D.C. Although the four countries agreed on the general purpose, structure, and
function of a new world organization, the conference ended amid continuing
disagreement over membership and voting. At the Yalta Conference, a meeting
of the Big Three in a Crimean resort city in February 1945, Roosevelt,
Churchill, and Stalin laid the basis for charter provisions delimiting the
authority of the Security Council. Moreover, they reached a tentative accord
on the number of Soviet republics to be granted independent memberships in
the UN. Finally, the three leaders agreed that the new organization would
include a trusteeship system to succeed the League of
Nations mandate system.
Security Council veto power (among the permanent members) was
affirmed, though any member of the General Assembly was able to raise issues
for discussion. Other political issues resolved by compromise were the role of
the organization in the promotion of economic and social welfare; the status of
colonial areas and the distribution of trusteeships; the status of regional and
defense arrangements; and Great Power dominance versus the equality of
states. The UN Charter was unanimously adopted and signed on June 26
and promulgated on October 24, 1945.

THE PRINCIPAL ORGANS

OF THE UNITED NATIONS
 The purposes, principles, and organization of the United Nations are
outlined in the Charter. The essential principles underlying the purposes and
functions of the organization are listed in Article 2 and include the following:
the UN is based on the sovereign equality of its members; disputes are to be
settled by peaceful means; members are to refrain from the threat or use of
force in contravention of the purposes of the UN; each member must assist the
organization in any enforcement actions it takes under the Charter; and states
that are not members of the organization are required to act in accordance
with these principles insofar as it is necessary to maintain international peace
and security.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY: The only body in which all UN members

are represented, the General Assembly exercises deliberative, supervisory,
financial, and elective functions relating to any matter within the scope of the
UN Charter. Its primary role, however, is to discuss issues and make
recommendations, though it has no power to enforce its resolutions or to
compel state action. Other functions include admitting new members;
selecting members of the Economic and Social Council, the nonpermanent
members of the Security Council, and the Trusteeship Council; supervising the
activities of the other UN organs, from which the Assembly receives reports;
and participating in the election of judges to the International Court of
Justice and the selection of the secretary-general. Decisions usually are
reached by a simple majority vote. On important questions, however—such as
the admission of new members, budgetary matters, and peace and security
issues—a two-thirds majority is required.

Security Council: The UN Charter assigns to the Security Council

primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and
security. The Security Council originally consisted of 11 members—five
permanent and six nonpermanent—elected by the General Assembly for two-
year terms. Each Security Council member is entitled to one vote. On all
“procedural” matters—the definition of which is sometimes in dispute—
decisions by the council are made by an affirmative vote of any nine of its
members, however, a permanent member may abstain without impairing the
validity of the decision.
The nonpermanent members are chosen to achieve equitable regional
representation, five members coming from Africa or Asia, one from
eastern Europe, two from Latin America, and two from western Europe or
other areas. Five of the 10 nonpermanent members are elected each year by
the General Assembly for two-year terms, and five retire each year. The
presidency is held by each member in rotation for a period of one month.
From the beginning, nonpermanent members of the Security Council were
elected to give representation to certain regions or groups of states. As
membership increased, however, this practice ran into difficulty.
An amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased the council’s
membership to 15, including the original five permanent members plus 10
nonpermanent members. Among the permanent members, the People’s
Republic of China replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1971, and
the Russian Federation succeeded the Soviet Union in 1991. After the
unification of Germany, debate over the council’s composition again arose,
and Germany, India, and Japan each applied for permanent council seats.

Economic and Social Council: Designed to be the UN’s

main venue for the discussion of international economic and social issues,
the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) directs and coordinates the
economic, social, humanitarian, and cultural activities of the UN and its
specialized agencies. Established by the UN Charter, ECOSOC is
empowered to recommend international action on economic and social
issues; promote universal respect for human rights; and work for global
cooperation on health, education, and cultural and related areas. ECOSOC
conducts studies; formulates resolutions, recommendations, and
conventions for consideration by the General Assembly; and coordinates
the activities of various UN programs and specialized agencies.

Trusteeship Council: The Trusteeship Council was designed to

supervise the government of trust territories and to lead them to self-
government or independence. The trusteeship system, like
the mandate system under the League of Nations, was established on
the premise that colonial territories taken from countries defeated in war
should not be annexed by the victorious powers but should be administered
by a trust country under international supervision until their future status
was determined. Unlike the mandate system, the trusteeship system invited
petitions from trust territories on their independence and required periodic
international missions to the territories.

International Court Of Justice: The International Court of

Justice, commonly known as the World Court, is the principal judicial
organ of the United Nations, though the court’s origins predate the League
of Nations. The idea for the creation of an international court to
arbitrate international disputes arose during an international conference
held at The Hague in 1899. The court’s decisions are binding, and its broad
jurisdiction encompasses “all cases which the parties refer to it and all matters
specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and
conventions in force.” Most importantly, states may not be parties to a dispute
without their consent, though they may accept the compulsory jurisdiction of
the court in specified categories of disputes. The court may give advisory
opinions at the request of the General Assembly or the Security Council or at
the request of other organs and specialized agencies authorized by the General
Assembly.

Sectretariat: The secretary-general, the principal administrative officer

of the United Nations, is elected for a five-year renewable term by a two-
thirds vote of the General Assembly and by the recommendation of the
Security Council and the approval of its permanent members. Secretaries-
general usually have come from small, neutral countries. The secretary-
general serves as the chief administrative officer at all meetings and carries
out any functions that those organs entrust to the Secretariat; he also
oversees the preparation of the UN’s budget. The secretary-general has
important political functions, being charged with bringing before the
organization any matter that threatens international peace and security.
Challenges Against Multilateralism in
Present Times

 Rise of New Cold War: Conflict between the US on the one hand
and China and Russia on the other has become a new reality in
West-East Conflict.
 Divided West: Despite the enduring post-War alliances, there is a
growing divergence between US and its European partners on many
global issues.

o Some of the differences between the US and the other powers is

very visible in the Iran Nuclear Deal.
o Further, rejection of post-War multilateralism and post-Cold War
globalism is at the heart of Trump’s “America First” foreign
policy.
 Ineffectiveness of UN: The UN has been unable to respond
effectively to the once-in-a-century global crisis triggered by the
coronavirus.

o At the UN Security Council, China blocked a serious discussion

on the origin and sources of the crisis. While the US walked out
of the World Health Organisation on allegation of supporting
China.

Areas of UN Reform
 Defunct UNSC: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is
the UN’s main executive body with the primary responsibility of
maintaining international peace and security.

o However, the veto powers possessed by the UNSC’s five

permanent members are used as an instrument to shore up their
 geopolitical interests, regardless of the disastrous consequences
for the victims of armed conflict. As it can be seen in Syria, Iraq,
etc.
o Further, It does not reflect today’s distribution of military and
economic power, nor a geographical balance. Thus, the
structure of the 15-member Security Council ought to be more
democratic and representative.
o This has been long overdue on the demand, especially from the
so-called Group of 4 (G4) countries — Brazil, Germany, India
and Japan — which advocate a permanent seat for all of them.
 General Assembly Reforms: The UN General Assembly(UNGA)
can only make non-binding recommendations, which is another
reason for ineffectiveness of the UN and another important issue of
UN reform.
 Undermining of Associated UN Bodies The Economic and Social
Council has been criticized, as it has become overshadowed by
institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, which are lacking
democratic processes, transparency, and accountability.
 UN’s Financial Crisis: It can be said that the UN has a lot to do but
it has too little money, as it is in a permanent financial crisis due to
the unwillingness of many members to pay their contributions on
time.

o As long as the UN’s budget remains tightly constrained, it cannot

be effective.
 Toothless UN Peacekeeping Operation: While the vast number of
international law treaties affecting international trade, economics and
human rights has proved very effective, laws prohibiting the use of
force have been less so.

o Thus, there is a need to include more personnel and carry out

structural reforms for the UN Peacekeeping Operations.
India’s Role in Reforming UN System & Way Forward
While the UNSC was dysfunctional, India developed a multilateral agenda of
its own — from decolonisation and disarmament to a new international
economic order — and mobilised considerable political support for it. This
underlines the possibilities for shaping the global discourse in the present.

 Reforming UNSC: As former UN secretary general noted that “No

reform of the UN would be complete without reform of the
Security Council”. Therefore, equitable representation as well as
expansion of the UNSC is the desired reform that India envisages.

o However, this would be the most challenging aspect of UN

reforms, as the most permanent five are generally opposed to
strengthening the institution and use their power to stop any
significant change.
 Engaging With Other Multilateral Forums For UN
Reforms: Possible solutions to reform UN finances can be
establishing a ‘reserve fund’ or even a ‘world tax’.

o Also, in order to make UNGA more effective, India can propose

a bicameral parliamentary assembly framework for UNGA.
 Balancing National Interest and Multilateralism: The primary
objective of India’s present multilateralism should be to ensure its
territorial integrity, especially at a time when China has adopted
aggressive posture on the border.

o Here, India can leverage multilateralism to serve India’s

interests. Like aligning with Quad countries or working with
mechanisms like FATF to mount pressure on Pakistan to stop
supporting cross-border terrorism in India.
o Further, while reclaiming its role in the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM), India must engage with other multilateral
institutions as new rule-making as India is not at disadvantage if
rule making takes place outside the UN.