Is the United Nations an effective institution?
- Yes, it's effective
- No, it's useless
The UN is over seventy years old and has already received the Nobel Peace Prize. During this time the Western world and many politicians from the Third World are accustomed to seeing this global organization as an independent international institution that protects the values of internationalism, multilateralism, democracy, pluralism, compromise in resolving conflicts and misunderstandings, human rights and freedoms.
Over the period of existence of the United Nations in the world has already been over 250 conflicts, not all of which, however, the organization was able to solve. For example, in 1994, the United Nations did not take steps to prevent genocide in Rwanda, which killed almost one million people. This happened because the UN Security Council decided not to send a peacekeeping contingent there. In today’s environment, the organization does not play a significant part in conflicts between Russia and Ukraine. Nevertheless, the UN played an important role in ending wars in the Congo (1964), between Iran and Iraq (1988), in El Salvador (1992) and Guatemala (1996). Through the efforts of the United Nations, a peace was achieved that ensured the sustainable economic growth of Mozambique (1994) and the independence of Timor-Leste (2002), while in 2005 the Organization successfully completed its peacekeeping mission to Sierra Leone.
So, do you think the UN is effectively addressing the challenges it faces?
- None