Ameen Muhammad
Since its inception, the United Nations (UN) has been tasked with maintaining international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations and achieve international cooperation. It is the world’s largest organization that was established after World War II with the aim of preventing future world wars. The charter of UN took effect on 24 October 1945, when it began operations. At its founding, the UN has just 51 member states.
The UN itself, comprises many funds, programmes, six principal operational organizations and specialized agencies, each of which have their own area of work/task, leadership and budget.
Since the second half of the 20th century, there have been countless wars/conflicts, some of which are still going on, and this process continues even after the creation of the UN, which is the organization whose job is to deal with such events and to overcome wars and restore peace.
We can find more examples than we can count in the world, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the war between Russia and Ukraine, Pakistan and India fighting over Kashmir.
Currently, there are five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council that have permanent seats in the United Nations. These five nations (China, Russia, France, The United Kingdom & The United States) also have veto power effectively because their affirmative vote is required to pass a resolution.
The task of the UN is not only to publish annual reports on peace, give aid to backward areas, but its task is also to keep an eye on the world to see where the world is being turned into a war zone by denying peace.
During its war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel has repeatedly argued with the United Nations, but the UN has remained silent on this. Israel also announced last Wednesday that it had revoked the residency visa of UN Human Rights Coordinator Lynn Hastings. However, Hastings said on Monday that “the necessary conditions for the delivery of aid to the people of Gaza do not exist”. She further warned that “if possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to emerge, one in which humanity will not be able to respond to its actions.”
According to UNICEF, more than 13,000 children died in Gaza and others suffered severe malnutrition
On the other hand, Vladimir Putin, who was elected as the Russian president for the fifth time, has warned Western countries that the presence of Western forces in Ukraine and the intervention of NATO could push the world to the brink of World War III.
In October (2023), after the bombing of the Ahle Arab hospital in Gaza, Guterres (Secretary General of the UN) condemned the mass punishment of Palestinians and called for an immediate ceasefire in the region, but he has not yet to receive any response.
It is also to be believed that the efforts of the UN are continuing to ensure the restoration of peace in the world, but when will humanity finally be freed from these wars?
Can it be said that now the UN is failing to stop these wars? If this is not the case, then the UN will have to take effective measures that can be implemented to save human lives and the world from destruction in the present and future.
The writer is Student of Political Science
