Student’s Scientific Society «Integral»
ESSAY: YEARS OF UN PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS
Section: English Language
Author: Sokolova Olga, School #5, Form 11A
Supervisor: Gorina Elena Vasilievna
English Teacher, 1st category,
School #5 with extensive English learning
N. Tagil
1998
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 2
2. Origin of the UNO 3
3. The way UN works 4
1. Main bodies 4
2. Security Council activity 6
4. UN activity 8
1. UN peacekeeping missions 8
2. UN and human rights 12
3. UN humanitarian assistance to developing countries
14
5. Disarmament 15
1. UN activity in the sphere of disarmament 15
2. The problem of Iraqi military arsenal
16
5.2.1 Iraq/Kuwait conflict 17
5.2.2. UNIKOM Establishment 18
5.2.3. Blitzkrieg 20
6. Conclusion 23
7. References 24
8. Appendixes 25
I. INTRODUCTION
Most people are familiar with the work of the United Nations in
peacekeeping or in delivering humanitarian assistance to a far-off country.
But the many ways in which the UN has a direct impact on all our lives,
everywhere in the world, is not always so well-known.
Now that world mass media reflect the news about the UNO in detail, it
is very challenging to know different points of view, and I took an
interest in this problem. I heard about UN activity but didn’t reach the
main point, like the majority of my coevals, who are familiar with the
events that concern the UNO but don’t fully understand the essence of them.
UN activity in preserving peace has attracted me most of all. The arms
race, disputes between nations, wars, military conflicts have turned into
the real danger to the mankind. I think that people must stop killing each
other and end this violence. I’ve chosen the UN peacekeeping missions and
especially in Iraq as a specific example of UN’s work. It is very urgent
nowadays.
II. ORIGIN OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Day in, day out, the UN and its family of organizations work together
and individually to protect human rights; promote the protection of the
environment; help the advancement of women and the rights of children;
fight epidemics, famine, poverty. Throughout the world, the UN and its
agencies assist refugees and help improve telecommunication; deliver food
aid and protect consumers; combat disease and help expand food production;
make loans to developing countries and help stabilize financial markets. UN
agencies define the standards for safe and efficient transport by air and
sea, work to ensure respect for intellectual property rights and coordinate
allocation of radio frequencies. The UN's work has a long-term impact on
the quality of our lives.
The name "United Nations" was devised by United States President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first used in the "Declaration by United
Nations" of January 1, 1942, during the Second World War, when
representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue
fighting together against the Axis Powers.
The United Nations Charter was drawn up by the representatives of 50
countries at the United Nations Conference on International Organization,
which met at San Francisco from April 25 to June 26, 1945. Those delegates
deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of
China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at
Dumbarton Oaks in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on June 26,
1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not
represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the
original 51 Member States.
The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1945,
when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the
United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories.
United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24 each year.
III. THE WAY UN WORKS
The United Nations is an organization of sovereign nations. It
provides the machinery to help find solutions to international problems or
disputes, and to deal with pressing concerns that face people everywhere.
It does not legislate like a national parliament. But in the meeting
rooms and corridors of the UN, representatives of almost all countries of
the world -large and small, rich and poor, with varying political views and
social systems -have a voice and vote in shaping the policies of the
international community.
The UN has six main bodies listed below. All are based at UN
Headquarters in New York, except the International Court of Justice, which
is located at the Hague, Netherlands.
In addition, 14 specialized agencies, working in areas as diverse as
health, finance, agriculture, civil aviation and telecommunications, are
linked together through the Economic and Social Council. The UN and its
specialized agencies constitute the UN system. Main bodies of the UN are:
the General Assembly, Security Council, the Economic and Social Council,
the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the
Secretariat.
3.1 Main Bodies
The General Assembly
The General Assembly, sometimes called the nearest thing to a world
parliament, is the main deliberative body. All 185 Member States are
represented in it, and each has one vote. Decisions on ordinary matters are
taken by simple majority. Important questions require a two-thirds
majority.
The Assembly holds its regular sessions from mid-September to mid-
December. Special or emergency sessions are held when necessary. When the
Assembly is not in session, its work goes on in special committees and
bodies.
The Assembly has the right to discuss and make recommendations on all
matters within the scope of the UN Charter - the Organization's founding
document. It has no power to compel action by any Government, but its
recommendations carry the weight of world opinion. The Assembly also sets
policies and determines programs for the UN Secretariat, directs activities
for development, and approves the UN budget, including peacekeeping
operations. Occupying a central position in the UN, the Assembly receives
reports from other organs, admits new Members and appoints the UN Secretary
- General.
The Economic and Social Council
Working under the authority of the General Assembly, the Economic and
Social Council coordinates the economic and social work of the UN and
related specialized agencies and institutions. The Council has 54 members,
and meets for a one-month session each year, alternating between New York
and Geneva. The session includes a special meeting at the level of
ministers to discuss major economic and social issues.
The Council oversees UN activities and policies promoting economic
growth in developing countries, administering development projects,
promoting the observance of human rights, and fostering international
cooperation in areas such as housing, family planning, environmental
protection and crime prevention.
The Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was established to ensure that Governments
responsible for administering trust territories take adequate steps to
prepare them for self-government or independence. The task of the
Trusteeship System was completed in 1994, when the Security Council
terminated the Trusteeship Agreement for the last of the original 11 UN
Trusteeships - the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau),
administered by the United States. All Trust Territories have attained self-
government or independence, either as separate States or by joining
neighbouring independent countries. The Trusteeship Council will now meet
as and where circumstances so demand.
The International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (also known as the World Court) is
the main judicial organ of the UN, settling legal disputes between member
states and giving advisory opinions to the UN and its agencies. It consists
of 15 judges, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council.
Only countries may be parties in cases brought before the Court. If a
country does not wish to take part in a proceeding, it does not have to do
so (unless required by special treaty provisions), but if it accepts, it is
obligated to comply with the Court's decision.
The Secretariat
The Secretariat works for the other five organs of the UN and
administers their programs. With a staff of some 8,900 under the regular
budget, working at headquarters and all over the world, it carries out the
day-to-day work of the UN. At its head is the Secretary - General.
He plays a central role in peacemaking, both personally and through
special envoys. The Secretary - General may bring to the attention of the
Security Council any matter which appears to threaten international peace
and security. To help resolve disputes, the Secretary - General may use
"good offices" to carry out mediation, or exercise "quiet diplomacy" behind
the scenes. The Secretary - General also conducts "preventive diplomacy" to
help resolve disputes before they escalate.
In many instances, the Secretary - General has been instrumental in
securing a peace agreement or in averting a threat to peace. The current
secretary general is Kofi Annan, who succeeded Boutros Boutros Ghali in
1997 (see appendix C).
Staff members are drawn from some 170 countries.
3.2 Security Council Activity
The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter,
for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized
as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its
members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters.
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it,
the Council's first action is usually to recommend to the parties to try to
reach agreement by peaceful means. In some cases, the Council itself
undertakes investigation and mediation. It may appoint special
representatives or request the Secretary - General to do so or to use his
good offices. It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement.
When a dispute leads to fighting, the Council's first concern is to
bring it to an end as soon as possible. It also sends United Nations peace-
keeping forces to help reduce tensions in troubled areas, keep opposing
forces apart and create conditions of calm in which peaceful settlements
may be sought. The Council may decide on enforcement measures, economic
sanctions (such as trade embargoes) or collective military action.
A member state against which preventive or enforcement action has been
taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the
rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly on the
recommendation of the Security Council. A member state which has
persistently violated the principles of the Charter may be expelled from
the United Nations by the Assembly on the Council's recommendation.
The presidency of the Council rotates monthly, according to the
English alphabetical listing of its member states (see appendix D).
The Council has 15 members - five permanent members and 10 elected by
the General Assembly for a two-year term.
The following countries ended their two-year membership term on
December 31, 1997:
Chile
Egypt
Guinea-Bissau
Poland
Republic of Korea
Each Council member has one vote. Decisions on procedural matters are
made by an affirmative vote of at least nine of the 15 members. Decisions
on substantive matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes
of all five permanent members. This is the rule of "great power unanimity",
often referred to as the "veto" power.
Under the Charter, all Members of the United Nations agree to accept
and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of
the United Nations make recommendations to Governments, the Council alone
has the power to take decisions which member states are obligated under the
Charter to carry out.
Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council
are:
to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the
principles and purposes of the United Nations;
to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international
friction;
to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
to formulate plans for the establishment of a threat to peace or act of
aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not
involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
to take military action against an aggressor;
to recommend the admission of new members and the terms on which states may
become parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice;
to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic
areas":
to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary -
General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the
International Court.
IV. UN ACTIVITY
4.1 UN Peace-Keeping Missions
United Nations peacekeepers, wearing distinctive UN blue helmets or
berets, are dispatched by the Security Council to help implement peace
agreements, monitor cease-fires, patrol demilitarized zones, create buffer
zones between opposing forces, and put fighting on hold while negotiators
seek peaceful solutions to disputes. But ultimately, the success of
peacekeeping depends on the consent and cooperation of the opposing
parties.
The UN does not have an army. For each peacekeeping mission, member
states voluntarily provide troops and equipment, for which they are
compensated from a special peacekeeping budget. Police officers, election
observers, human rights monitors and other civilians sometimes work
alongside military personnel in peacekeeping operations. Lightly armed for
self-defense — and often unarmed — peacekeepers’ strongest “weapon” is
their impartiality. They rely on persuasion and minimal use of force to
defuse tensions and prevent fighting. It is dangerous business;
approximately 1,500 UN peacekeepers have died in the performance of their
duties since 1945.
Rank-and-file soldiers on peacekeeping missions do not swear
allegiance to the United Nations. Governments that volunteer personnel
carefully negotiate the terms of their participation — including command
and control arrangements. They retain ultimate authority over their own
military forces serving under the UN flag, including disciplinary and
personnel matters, and may withdraw their troops if they wish. Peacekeeping
soldiers wear their own national uniforms. To identify themselves as peace-
keepers, they also wear blue berets or helmets and the UN insignia.
The cost of UN peacekeeping personnel and equipment peaked at about $3
billion in 1995, reflecting the expense of operations in the former
Yugoslavia. Peacekeeping costs fell in 1996 and 1997, to $1.4 billion and
some $1.3 billion, respectively — and estimated budgetary requirements for
1998 are expected to drop to under $1 billion.
All Member States are obligated to pay their share of peacekeeping
costs under a formula that they themselves have agreed upon. But as of 15
March 1998, member states owed the UN $1.7 billion in current and back
peacekeeping dues. The United States is by far the largest debtor, owing
$958 million.
Since 1945, there have been 48 United Nations peacekeeping operations.
There are currently 16 under way. Thirty-five peacekeeping operations were
created by the Security Council in the years between 1988 — when UN
peacekeeping operations were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — and June 1998:
…in Africa
In Angola, UN mediation led to the 1994 peace accord and to the
installation of a government of national unity in 1997, formally uniting a
country devastated by 20 years of civil war. A UN operation is in place to
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