Category United Nations

The NHRC India coordinates with the NHRIS of other countries to enhance awareness on human rights.

The International Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10, which is the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. The Indian government established the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on October 12 in 1993 to promote and protect human rights. But do you know what NHRC is?

What is NHRC?

The NHRC was established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993. It was set up in conformity with the Paris Principles, which was adopted at the first international workshop on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights held in Paris in October 1991.

According to Section 2(1)(d) of the PHRA, Human Rights is the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.

Roles

One of the responsibilities of the NHRC is to inquire into complaints of violation of human rights or abetment or negligence in the prevention of such violations, by a public servant.

It intervenes in proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court, with the approval of the court.

The Commission also studies treaties and international instruments on human rights and makes recommendations for their effective implementation to the Government.

It spreads human rights literacy and promotes awareness amongst the masses. It also encourages the efforts of all stakeholders in the field of human rights literacy not only at the national level but at the international level too.

The NHRC India plays an active role in coordinating with the National Human Rights Institutes (NHRIS) of other countries to enhance awareness from the perspective of human rights.

It has hosted delegations from United Nations bodies and other NHRC as well as members of civil society, lawyers, and political and social activists from many countries.

Organisation

The unique feature of NHRC India is that it is one of the few NHRIS in the world whose Chairperson is the former Chief Justice of the country. The Chairperson and members of the Commission are appointed by the President on the basis of recommendations by a panel headed by the Prime Minister. The current Chairperson is Justice Arun Kumar Mishra.

The Commission has its own investigating staff headed by a Director General of Police for investigation into complaints of human rights violations.

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UNESCO has always strived to refine and redefine education. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) was set up for the same purpose.

MGIEP is an educational research institute that was established in 2012 in Delhi. The institute works to implement education for building up a peaceful and sustainable society.

Various research programmes are carried out by the institute. For instance, it recently conducted a study to find out the effect of peace education. It also uses the help of the internet to conduct online campaigns.

The work of MGIEP is done in collaboration with the United Nations University in Japan. Dr. Anantha Kumar Duraiapparh, an experienced environmental development economist is the director of the institute.

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UNESCO has marked the important places with cultural and natural heritage as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 38 World Heritage Sites are located in India. Taj Mahal, the Sun Temple at Konark, Khajuraho monuments, Hampi and Ajanta caves are some of the most famous among them.

India comes sixth in the list of countries with the maximum number of World Heritage Sites. Out of the 38, 30 are cultural sites. India has six natural world heritage sites too.

India has also got one mixed-criteria site which has both natural and cultural elements- the Khangchendzonga National Park. This national park is home to many endemic plants and animals. It also contains an important Buddhist monastery.

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While most of the Indian leaders chose to deliver speeches at the UN General Assembly in English, Atal Bihari Vajpayee chose to do something else.

Though Vajpayee was fluent in English, he spoke to the General Assembly in Hindi! Imagine delivering a speech in Hindi at the UN General Assembly, where there are representatives from across the world and English is the dominant mode of communication.

It was the first time an Indian leader addressed the UN in Hindi, or any other language other than English. Vajpayee was making clear India’s stand on various issues like nuclear disarmament, state-sponsored terrorism and reforms. Between 1977 and 2003, Vajpayee had addressed the General Assembly seven times.

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Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit made her way into the history of the United Nations when she went on to become the first ever female president of the UN General Assembly.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became the president for a year from September, 1953 after Lester B Pearson, the famous Canadian diplomat. Before representing India in the United Nations, she worked as India’s ambassador to the Soviet Union, the United States, Mexico, Ireland and Spain. She began working for the UN in 1946 and in 1979, she was appointed as the Indian representative of the UN Human Rights Commission.

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was her brother.

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Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque joined as India’s UNICEF Representative in July 2017. She is responsible to make sure that the rights of the underprivileged children are taken care of. She coordinates the efforts of the UN to transform the lives of children by ensuring quality education, and sufficient nutrition.

Before coming to India, Yasmin worked as the Deputy Director of the UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Operations. She played a major role in formulating the policies for effective response to children during times of crisis. She is also noted for being the first UNICEF representative in South Sudan. She had also worked in Bangladesh, Ghana and Sri Lanka.

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Many of us know Shashi Tharoor as a leading politician who uses complex English words like floxinoxinihiliphication. Shashi Tharoor had worked with the United Nations for almost thirty years.

Before rising to being an administrator at highest levels, Shashi Tharoor worked as a peacekeeper and a refugee worker. Peacekeeping after the Cold War was one of his major responsibilities. He then served as a senior advisor to the Secretary-General.

In 2001, he was appointed as the Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information under Kofi Annan. Tharoor was nominated by the government of India in the Secretary-General election.

However, he retired from the UN in 2007 after finishing second in the selection of UN Secretary-General. He then returned to India to become a leading figure in Indian politics.

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We all remember some advertisements because celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar or Alia Bhatt featured in them. When a notable person advertises a product, we are more likely to remember it. The UN too makes use of this idea. The UN takes help of many notable people to advocate a specific course and they are known as Goodwill Ambassadors.

UNICEF, the UN wing that works for the upliftment of children around the world has a long list of Goodwill Ambassadors. These ambassadors use their fame to draw the attention of people towards important issues.

So far, there have been five UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors from India-Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Sharmila Tagore, Shahrukh Khan and Hima Das. Hima das, who holds the national record for 400 metres, is the first Youth Ambassador of UNICEF India.

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‘Why is that we have never heard voices in connection with the freedom of people under the suppression and the tyranny of Pakistani authorities on the other side of the cease- fire line?’ asked V K Krishna Menon to everyone gathered at the UN Security Council on 23 January, 1957. This question was part of V K Krishna Menon’s legendary marathon speech.

V K Krishna Menon is noted for delivering the longest speech in the history of the UN. Defending India’s position on Kashmir, Menon spoke for eight hours. He collapsed on to the Security Council floor towards the end of the speech.

With a doctor constantly monitoring his blood pressure, he returned to continue the speech after an hour. He had to be hospitalized and therefore, the speech was completed on the following day.

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When Aniruddha Rajput, a 33-year-old private lawyer from India was nominated for the International Law commission (ILC) election, he didn’t know that he would possibly be the youngest ever member of the ILC. Rajput was already practicing in the Supreme Court of India for six years.

Rajput was involved in the consultations for decisions regarding the amendment of the Indian Arbitrations Act. He was also a part of the drafting committee of the National Sports Development Bill of 2011.

The Ministry of External Affairs nominated him for the ILC elections. He was pursuing his PhD then. He became a member of the International Law Commission (ILC) in 2017.

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India has a permanent representative who will work as the diplomatic representative of our country. Also known as the Ambassador to the UN, he/she is the head of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

The Ambassador to the UN is expected to represent the interests of the country in the UN. He/she is a diplomatic official who is accredited to the UN, and works to promote the ideas of the UN and raise public awareness. The Ambassador also represents India in the General Assembly and the Security Council if needed.

Syed Akbaruddin currently serves as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He was appointed in March, 2016.

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The UN works in India in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF). It is a framework that takes into consideration both national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN strives to improve the lives of the most marginalized poor, and vulnerable communities of the country, especially women and girls. As the government of India suggests, ‘Development for All’ is the focus of the UN. The work of the United Nations in India pertains to the following:

• poverty and urbanization
• health, water, and sanitation
• nutrition and food security
• climate change, clean energy, and disaster resilience
• education
• skilling, entrepreneurship, and job creation, and
• gender equality and youth development

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 We know that the Secretary-General heads the UN. The Resident Coordinator heads the activities of the UN in India. The Resident Coordinator is the representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Government and is responsible for leading the UN Country Team.

The Resident Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the coordination of the activities of the UN aimed at development. He/she is also responsible for advocating human rights and other values of the United Nations.

Renata Lok-Dessallien serves as the Resident Coordinator of the UN in India. She has been serving the UN for the past 30 years. Renata’s efforts have significantly aided in poverty reduction. She was previously associated with various other countries including Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Laos and Mali.

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India has shown an active participation in the UN peacekeeping missions. Our country has been a part of 43 peacekeeping missions and has supplied more than 1, 80,000 troops. According to the 2014 reports, India is the third largest contributor of troops to the UN.

India has provided and continues to provide eminent Force Commanders for UN Missions. India has already provided two Military Advisors, two Police Advisors, one Deputy Military Advisor, 14 Force Commanders and numerous Police Commissioners.

The Armed Forces of India are currently part of the peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Congo, Liberia, South Sudan, Ivory Coast, Golan Heights, and Haiti. As of February 2017,163 Indians have been killed while serving in the UN peacekeeping operations.

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India is a part of the G4. G4 is a group of four nations who constantly back each other to get permanent membership in the UN Security Council. Brazil, Japan and Germany are the other three G4 nations. But why is India so keen on getting permanent membership in the Security Council? Let’s see.

India has the second largest population in the world. It is also the world’s largest liberal democracy. India comes third in terms of purchasing power and is the seventh largest economy in the world.

India comes forefront in supplying troops for the peacekeeping missions of the UN. Also, the Security Council does not have any permanent member from South Asia at present.

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When India gained independence in 1947, it regarded the already granted UN membership as an assurance of peace and stability. In return, our country has always shown strong interest in the ideals of the UN, and had actively participated in the UN’s specialized programmes and agencies.

India has been a member of the UN Security Council. India has served seven terms in the Security Council, the most recent one being from 2011-12. India was enthusiastic about working against colonialism and the practice of apartheid. In fact, India was among the most outspoken critics of apartheid and racial discrimination in South Africa.

India has significantly contributed to the UN’s peacekeeping mission. Indian troops were sent for the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Indian troops were sent for the United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Korea, Egypt and Congo. In recent years, Indian troops were involved in the missions in Somalia, Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Lebanon and Rwanda.

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In principle, only sovereign states can become UN members. But, India gained UN membership before its independence. India is one among the original members of the United Nations and signed the Declaration of the United Nations in 1944 at Washington DC.

India was not the only member to gain membership before independence. Belarus, the Philippines, and Ukraine too got membership similarly.

Though India, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia were all British colonies, they were given independent seats in the United Nations General Assembly. It was Sir Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar, who signed the UN Charter on behalf of India during the San Francisco Conference on 26 June, 1945.

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Greta Thunberg was a name that filled the newspaper columns last year. Along with a lot of other things, the young climate activist from Sweden is famous for her UN speech.

Greta first became famous when she was 15. Instead of attending school, she protested outside the Swedish parliament holding a placard that said ‘school strike for climate change’ for taking stronger actions against climate change.

Other students soon joined her movement and organized a school strike named ‘Fridays for Future’. This event went international after she participated in the 2018 UN Climate Change Conference.

Greta suddenly rose to world fame when she was featured by Time magazine. Time named her ‘next generation leader’. In 2019, she addressed the UN Climate Action Summit. Greta Thunberg was also nominated for the Noble peace Prize last year.

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‘A race we can win. A race we must win.’ This was the theme for the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. The summit aimed at improving climate action resolved to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to prevent the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degree Celsius.

A global climate strike was held to pressurize the global leaders into action. Also known as the ‘Global Week for Future’, it was a series of international strikes and protests that demanded action for climate change. The summit took place in September.

However, some countries did not agree to the new proposal. China did not increase its Paris Agreement commitments. India did not agree to reduce its use of coal. US did not even speak in the conference.

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The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE), also known as the Stockholm Conference of 1972 is one of the first major international conferences on environment.

After serious discussions about factors that affect the environment like population growth, and advancing technology, the UN came up with the Declaration on the Human Environment, and the Action Plan for Human Environment.

The action plan contained 109 specific recommendations aimed at achieving its goals. The conference presented environment as a human right. Every human has the right to clean and healthy environment. It talked about the responsibility of humans to manage wildlife and the ecosystem.

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The United Nations held an international convention in 2002 at Johannesburg, South Africa. The World Summit on Sustainable Development was however widely criticized by many environmental groups.

They said that the summit did not produce any productive international agreements; rather it tried to create new timetables for fulfilling Agenda 21 from the Rio Conference, and that took 10 years after its introduction.         

However, the World Summit did make an agreement to restore the world’s depleted fisheries and implemented an action plan. The Johannesburg Declaration was the major outcome of the summit. The declaration was based on the declarations of the Stockholm Conference of 1972 and Earth Summit of 1992.

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In December, 2015, global leaders assembled in Paris to come out with effective solutions regarding climate change. Reducing the emission of gases that major decision taken during the event. This in short sums up the Paris Agreement.

You might already know that the global temperature is increasing. This is due to the release of greenhouse gases, like methane. The phenomenon of global temperature increase is known as global warming.

The Paris Agreement, also known as COP21 was designed to curb the release of greenhouse gases to levels that would prevent global temperatures from increasing not more than 2 degree Celsius. 197 countries signed the agreement and it came into effect by November, 2016.

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Some of the African countries are constantly in the headlines due to the effects of severe drought and famine. We all know the harmful effects of cutting down forests, the lungs of the Earth. Desertification of the Earth would lead to a lot of environmental damage including the loss of the top layer of fertile soil, and drought.

The United Nations has come up with a long- term strategy to deal with the problem of desertification and cutting down the effects of drought. It held a convention to combat desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification in Africa. This strategy was drafted in 1994 and was signed in 1995. This was the result of the direct recommendation of Agenda that we discussed earlier.

To publicise the programme, the year 2006 was declared as the ‘International Year of Deserts and Desertification’.

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In 1997, a second major environmental conference led by the UN happened in Kyoto, Japan. The plan was to save the environment by reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The UN wanted the industrialized nations to significantly reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

The Protocol was linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A protocol is an official procedure or a set of rules that the members are supposed to abide by.

After long and difficult negotiations, the developed countries agreed to reduce their emissions by five per cent from the levels of 1990. However, many environmentalists suggested that the emissions had to be reduced at least by 50 per cent.

Though the plan seemed splendid, it was not successful. The Kyoto Protocol was not a treaty and therefore, it was not mandatory to sign it. Moreover, USA, the world’s largest polluter, refused to accept the Protocol.

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In 1983, the UN General Assembly launched a World Commission on Environment and Development. This Commission was assigned to draft a report about environment and climate change along with strategies for sustainable development.

When the Commission reported back to the General Assembly in 1987, it suggested to organize a major worldwide conference on the environment.

The UN Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit was the result of this. 178 representatives participated in the Summit that was organized in Brazil in 1992. However, no enforcements were made during the summit.

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We already know about the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) that came into effect in 1972. Eleven years after that, the UN proposed that development should not exploit the natural resources. This idea of sustainable development then became the key plank of all of UN’s development programmes.

The UN is also working to make the whole world accept the model of sustainable development. It was presented during the Earth Summit that was conducted in Rio de Janeiro in1992.

Agenda 21 of the Earth Summit is an action plan to achieve sustainable development and concerns with individual governments across the world that operates at local, national and global levels.

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‘Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol.’ Kofi Annan was not wrong to say this.

The Montreal Protocol is indeed a success story. The ozone hole in Antarctica is slowly recovering and is expected to reach the 1980 levels between 2050 and 2070.

The Montreal Protocol phases down both the production and use of nearly a hundred harmful chemicals. This is done in several steps. The developed and developing countries follow a different timetable in the process.

Without this treaty, ozone layer depletion would have increased at least by ten times by 2050 in comparison with the current levels. This treaty also aids the global climate system.

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By the 1990, people around the world became aware of the problem of the ozone layer. Human activity has damaged the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful UV radiations. The UN looked into this problem and in response, designed the Montreal Protocol.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer is an international treaty to protect the ozone layer. The treaty asked nations to phase out the production of many substances that would deplete the ozone layer.

The UN got the major industrialized nations to sign the treaty. The treaty was adopted in September, 1987 and came into force in September, 1989.

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The UN has faced and mediated many threats to the world including nuclear war. The organisation is now trying hard to deal with something that is more complex and worrying. It is trying to deal with something that has put all living creatures to the risk of mass destruction and that is climate change.

We have been warned that human activity is rapidly changing the Earth and the environment since the mid-1980s. Pure water and air has increasingly become a rarity.

The ozone layer has been damaged due to the release of harmful substances like CFCs from appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators. The waste from factories and households has polluted the air, water and soil.

Millions of acres of rainforests have been irreplaceably cut down. This situation has forced the UN into actions against climate change.

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The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was active from 1999 to 2006. It was one of the most difficult peacekeeping missions of the 21st century.

The civil war in Sierra Leone began when the Revolutionary United Front campaigned to remove the then President Joseph Momoh. When things went out of hand, the UN was asked to help. Several attempts for negotiations were made after an exploratory mission, but none of them were successful.

So, the UN employed the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to make sure that the Lome Peace Accord was implemented. It was an agreement to end the civil war.

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It was in 1992 that the UN sent a peacekeeping force- the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to Yugoslavia. The force was sent to the Serb-controlled areas of Croatia.

It was the duty of the UNPROFOR to ensure that the United Nations Protected Areas were free of military action. It was also responsible for the patrolling of borders. However, the conflict worsened; it spread to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The airport at Sarajevo was under threat. Because of this, the UNPROFOR widened the area that it watched over to ensure security. This was followed by days of violent attacks.

Yugoslavia had to survive a string of bombarding. The lives of the people were in great danger. The UN force worked hard to provide them with food and medical supplies.

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In the early 1990s, the UN was occupied in one of its largest ever peacekeeping missions in Yugoslavia. Now there’s no country called Yugoslavia. Now there’s no country called Yugoslavia. It split to give birth to six smaller independent nations.

Yugoslavia was made of six republics: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro. With the diverse backgrounds of the republics, each one of them started demanding more power. In 1991, Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia declared independence.

Conflict broke out when the Serbs living in Croatia set out to make a Serbian state within Croatia. Weapons were sent from the Republic of Serbia for this purpose. This led to the outbreak of conflict and that’s why the UN issued an arms embargo on Yugoslavia. This stopped arms from reaching there.

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The Gulf War began in 1991 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Iraq claimed that Kuwait produced too much oil that led to its price drop in the global market. It was in this situation that the Security Council decided to take action against Iraq. The UN also stated that the member states could use whatever means that were necessary to remove the Iraqi force from Kuwait.

In 1991, a multinational force, largely comprising the US military assembled in Saudi Arabia for an operation in the name of the United Nations. This was code-named ‘Desert Storm’. It was a bombing campaign that lasted for six weeks. Kuwait was later liberated following a cease-fire. Iraq also agreed to pay compensation to Kuwait.

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For more than twelve long years, El Salvador was reduced to a land of brutal civil war. The military government was opposed by the left wing supporters of the country and this in turn broke into civil war. The UN began peace negotiations in 1990 and a peace agreement was signed by both the parties in 1992.

It was in 1992 that the UN force, ONUSAL entered the war torn country. The force was constituted by both military and civilian personnel. The prime duty of the force was to ensure that peace prevailed in the country. It initiated a number of reforms including fair trails, and free and fair elections.

It also made sure that greater rights were granted for women and minority racial groups. The force remained in El Salvador for three years and was successful in carrying out these objectives.

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Cyprus is a Mediterranean island had been conquered and ruled by many imperial powers like the Greeks, Persians, Turks and the English. But, the population mainly practise two traditions-Greek and Turkish.

After the island gained independence, the Greek Cypriots wanted to join Greece. The Turk Cypriots did not agree to this. This led to an outbreak of conflict between the two groups. When the conflict picked up, the Security Council sent in UNFICYP, a UN force. This happened in 1964.

However in 1974, a Turkish force invaded and conquered the Greek part of the island. UNFICYP was not powerful enough to resist them. But it was successful enough to prevent a full-scale civil war.

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Korea had been under Japanese control during the Second World War. After the war, a split of opinions merged between North and South Korea. North Korea was predominantly communist while the South favoured the United States.

In June, 1950, the North Korean army invaded the South. The US President Harry Truman urged the United Nations to intervene. Following this, the Security Council decided to supply troops to resist the attack on South Korea.

It was the first time that the UN used military action to repel an attack. After securing the South, the UN army ventured North. Later, China backed the North Korean army. After a series of fights, both parties agreed to sign an armistice in 1953.

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The peacekeeping in Congo is famous for the controversies it created. This peacekeeping mission involved considerable military operations.

Congo became independent in 1960. But, the Belgian commander of Congo refused to Africanize its army. This resulted in a lot of conflicts and even mutinies. The President and the Prime Minister tried to resolve the conflict, but it didn’t work. That is why they sought help from the UN.

The United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) was formed in 1960. But, the UN’s help was criticized by many Congolese. Many believed that the UN was working for the western (Belgian) interests.

The USSR too believed so and refused to pay for the mission. The ONUC withdrew from the mission in 1964 even before the conflicts ended.

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The first peacekeeping mission was launched in 1948 in the newly created State of Israel and was known as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). A conflict broke between the Israelis and the Arab states about thecreation of the new state of Israel. Though there was a ceasefire, the mission remains operational even today.

The second Arab-Israeli war broke out in 1956. This is also known as the Suez crisis and was against the nationalization of the Suez Canal. The war was between the alliance of the United Kingdom, France, and Israel, and Egypt, which was supported by other Arab nations. This resulted in the first emergency special session of the UN General Assembly.

It was the Canadian representative Lester B Pearson who brought forward the idea of a UN police force. Peacekeeping activities began with the formation of the UN Emergency Force (UNEF). They were deployed in the Suez Canal region. The UNEF policed the Egyptian-Israeli border to prevent violent events from happening.

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The UN was not able to stop wars during the Cold War. Many large and small conflicts emerged everywhere that called for serious actions. The UN kept watch over the places with tension and even arranged ceasefires. It also placed neutral troops between the hostile sides hoping to keep them from fighting each other.

Twelve observer and peacekeeping forces were sent to conflict affected areas between 1948 and 1988. Half of them were sent to the Middle East. But, the UN Security Council never tried to use force to make peace among the warring parties. As of February 2009, there have been 63 UN peacekeeping operations since 1948.

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The United Nations is responsible for world peace. However, don’t be surprised to learn that such an organisation does not have an army of its own. At times of crisis, the UN calls on its member states to provide their military service. This service is not free though. The UN pays for the military service it gets.

Though the supreme command lies with the Secretary-General, these forces have their own commanders. The first loyalty of the UN forces is to their country. They are actually on loan and can be withdrawn by the respective countries anytime. They do not form an independent UN army.

The loaned force includes soldiers, police officers and civilians. 123 countries currently provide the military troops and police forces that make up the UN Peacekeeping force. There are currently 13 peacekeeping operations led by the Department of Peace Operations.

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In simple terms, peacekeeping refers to the efforts of the UN to establish lasting peace in areas affected by conflict.

According to the UN Charter, the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international peace and security lie with the United Nations Security Council.

Peacekeeping is a role held by the Department of Peace Operations.

Peacekeepers engage in various activities like implementing the peace agreements, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. They also facilitate the political process, protect civilians, assist in disarmament, and protect and promote human rights. They work in most physically and politically difficult environments.

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Women were considered second-class citizens in many countries. Despite the continuing domestic violence and brutality against women, progress has definitely been made in tackling the issue of gender discrimination.

With proper awareness programmes, millions of women’s lives were transformed; they developed a positive outlook and learnt to stand up for their rights. In developing countries, special funds were set aside for women to help them start their own enterprises.

Let’s now look at some specific cases. Turkey was a male dominant society. It established a Ministry of State for Women that specially looked into the progress of women in 1991.

Brazil established a new police until that specifically dealt with women’s issues. Mexico changed its rape law in order to help women victims.

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In the 1980s, the focus of human rights shifted to gender. Inequalities that women have to face in day-to-day life began to be addressed by the United Nations and the rights of women began to be treated as equal to men.

Starting from the 1980s, the UN set up a whole range of women’s groups, the most prominent ones being the UN Division for the Advancement of Women, the UN Development Fund for Women, and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.

These programmes took up women’s issues and started finding constructive solutions for them. Attempts to spread awareness about gender discrimination became crucial in the UN programmes.

For this, a vast amount of information about various issues like domestic violence and harassments were made available for the public. Women’s rights became an integral part of human rights.

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Children are the future of the world. As an organisation that works to build a better future, the UN has never ignored students; it has various programmes targeting students. Let’s now look at some of the UN programmes for students.

The Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth addresses the rights and development needs of the youth. This programme aims to bring the youth closer to the UN. The Model UN Workshop is meant to give students the basic understanding of the rules and procedures of the General Assembly. These workshops discuss drafting resolutions and negotiating deals.

UNICEF has an online platform where students around the world can learn about the issues affecting the world. They can also share their thoughts and opinions about the same. This platform is known as the Voices of Youth.

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Have you heard of an organisation called the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)? This organisation is responsible for drug control and actions against drug abuse. It was established in 1997 by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program and Crime Prevention, and the Criminal Justice Division.

UNODC is concerned with the problem of drugs, crime prevention, and criminal justice, apart from this, it deals with international terrorism, and political corruption. UNODC tries to deal with these threats to the society primarily through research and guidance.

After extensive research, UNODC adopts and implements various policies on terrorism, crime, corruption and drug abuse.

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The name of the organisation suggests that the United Nations Development Programme deals with the development of countries around the world. UNDP connects countries and provides them with resources for development. These resources can be anything from advice to training and grants.

Out of all the member states, UNDP considers the least developed countries the most. It was established in 1965 and now operates in 177 countries. It works in collaboration with the government to face the challenges to development.

The funding of the UNDP comes from voluntary contributions by the member states. Poverty reduction, energy and environment, HIV/AIDS, social development, democratic governance, and crisis prevention and recovery are the main foci of the UNDP.

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established in 1969. It is the UN’s reproductive health agency. Put in simple terms, the UNFPA works to ensure the health of pregnant women, especially the ones who face life-threatening complications.

The UNFPA also works to raise awareness about health, gender equality, and the eights of women and young people. Like many other UN programmes, UNFPA works in partnership with governments, communities, NGOs and other private foundations.

It works to stop child marriage, improve effective birth control, and ensure safe child-births around the world.

It also works to stop gender-based violence, especially against women. UNFPA offers its services to 150 countries around the world.

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Let’s now look at some of the WFP’s landmark achievements during times of crisis. A major part of the work of the WFP is connected with conflict affected areas.

Northern Iran was one of the first regions to receive aid from the World Food Programme. In September 1962, an earthquake struck the area of Boein Zahra. WFP sent 1,500 metric tons of wheat, 270 tons of sugar and 27 tons of tea to feed the survivors of the disaster.

Later, the WFP offered help to a typhoon-struck Thailand and war refugees of Algeria at the times of its independence. WFP is specially noted for its work during the long famine that affected several parts of Africa including Ethiopia, western Sahel and Sudan. The organisation used anything it could get hold of, from cars to camels to deliver food.

In 1989, WFP launched Operation Lifeline Sudan. Since then, WFP dropped 1.5 million tons of food from the skies above South Sudan to feed the hungry Sudanese.

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Be it any day of the year, the World Food Programme (WFP) has 5,600 trucks, 20 ships and 92 planes on the move, delivering food to the hungry around the world.

All of its work is devoted to people who cannot find food for themselves and their families. This organisation feeds around 86.7 million people in around 83 countries every year and is undoubtedly the world’s largest humanitarian programme that addresses hunger.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international community that is committed to end hunger, and achieve food security and improved nutrition. WFP was established in 1961 as an experimental food aid programme of the UN.

The experiment proved successful. Two-thirds of the work of the WFP today is in conflict-affected countries. It strives to eliminate the need for food aid in the coming years.

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Our ecosystem is weak due to prolonged mismanagement by human beings. We are in great danger and if not treated with care, the Earth would become uninhabitable soon.

A lot of people are involved in the conservation efforts that aim to preserve what we have and restore the balance of Mother Nature. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a global environmental organisation that works with the same motive.

The UNEP serves as the advocate for the global environment and deals with setting agendas and policies that would lead to the conservation of the environment and sustainable development.

Apart from this, the UNEP also assists developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

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The fact that no cure exists for AIDS makes it a dreadful disease. The available medicines can only slow down the rate of the spread of infection. Moreover, the stigma associated with the disease makes the lives of the HIV affected harder.

The United Nations has taken this pandemic into consideration and has established the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

The UNAIDS mission was conceived to prevent the transmission of HIV, and provide care and support for those already living with the virus. It also works to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV, and to alleviate the impact of the epidemic.

This programme involves interaction with people living with HIV. The programme was launched officially in 1996 and works in cooperation with many sectors from the government and civil society.

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In 1950, almost one-third of the world’s population lived in cities. Within 50 years, our towns and cities grew at a fast rate and became the hub of economic and social progress. These cities offered many opportunities and the number of city dwellers rose to include almost 50 per cent of the world’s population which created problems of space and habitat for all.

Slums began to develop in the cities. In addition to this, pollution and diseases began to spread. It also created problems of clean water, sanitation and shelter. This is where the work of the UN-Habitat comes in.

The goal of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is sustainable urbanisation. Established in 1978, it was the outcome of Habitat I, the first UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development.

The UN-Habitat promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It largely looks at the urban poor and works to provide adequate shelter for all.

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The Annual Report to the United Nations General Assembly in 1969 had a proposal that was not previously thought of. The proposal was put forward by U Thant who then served as the UN Secretary-General. He suggested the opening of a United Nations University that would stay true to the nature of the UN- peace and progress.

After round of study about the feasibility of such an institution, it was finally opened in 1975 in Tokyo. The United Nations University works as the academic and research wing of the United Nations.

The university conducts research in areas like world hunger, natural resources, and human and social development. It also conducts a lot of studies about environment, climate and energy.

The United Nations University is not just a research facility. It started offering masters and doctoral programmes since 2010. It is now a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organisation that works for the development and welfare of humanity.

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Millions of Europeans either lost their homes or fled from their homeland after the Second World War. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950 to help these homeless refugees. The UNHCR is still at work today protecting refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.

The UNHCR worked relentlessly for the refugees in Hungary, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia. Currently, this organisation works in a total of 134 countries to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced out of their homelands. Apart from finding permanent solutions, its work also ensures that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country.

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The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was set up in 1966 to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID). Currently, the UNIDO has 170 member states and the industrial development policies in these countries adhere to the norms of the organisation.

The UNIDO strives to make sure that industrial development in its member states follows the model of sustainable development without causing much burden to the environment. The UNIDO comes under the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The focus of the works of the UNIDO is as follows:

• Creating shared prosperity
• Advancing economic competitiveness
• Safeguarding the environment
• Strengthening knowledge and institutions

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Earlier, if two countries had to exchange mail, they had to come to an agreement with each other known as the postal treaty. This created huge problems as a country had to get into a lot of agreements to make mail services possible.

If there was no treaty between two countries for the direct delivery of mails, senders sometimes resorted to mail forwarders who would transfer the mail through an intermediate country.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established to coordinate postal policies among member nations. The Universal Postal Union was set up by the Treaty of Bern of 1874. Earlier, it was known as the General Postal Union. By joining the Universal Postal Union, each member agrees to the same terms for conducting international postal duties.

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People around the world like to travel and explore new lands. Travelling provides lessons in life that no textbooks can offer. While tourism can contribute significantly to the growth of a nation’s economy, it can also damage the environment. Here’s where the work of the World Tourism Organisation comes in.

It focuses on the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) sees tourism as a major factor of economic growth. Therefore, it offers leadership and support to the tourism sector in advancing knowledge. It also makes tourism policies worldwide that would improve the contribution of tourism to the socio-economic development.

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Millions of people around the world go to bed hungry, without having even one proper meal a day. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) works to defeat hunger. There are poor people in both rich and poor countries.

So, this organisation remains neutral and considers all countries-developed and developing-alike. This is in stark contrast with other policies of the UN like the rules about membership contribution.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) works to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices in order to ensure good nutrition and food security for all.

Besides, the organisation works to produce up-to-date information about poverty, hunger and challenges to nutrition.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation also works to adopt strategies that would help in producing a higher yield. It also makes sure that nature is not distributed in this process.

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More than half of the world population is workers. The International Labour Organisation (ILO)works for everything that is related to labour and conditions of labour.

The ILO was established to provide better working conditions and improve living standards. It works for social justice by promoting decent work environment by setting up international standards of labour.

The ILO was established in 1919 and is concerned with the freedom of trade unions, unemployment, equal wages, and abolishing forced labour and child labour. The International Labour Orgnaisation won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 for providing justice for workers and providing technical assistance to poor nations.

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Though both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were created at an international conference at Bretton, they are not the same. Both the organisations have different functions and priorities.

While the World Bank works to reduce poverty, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) strives to bring stability to the world’s monetary system.

The IMF is a firm that checks a nation’s financial health, providing economic assessment every year. It also provides financial aid under several policies. The members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) work together to improve global financial cooperation, and promote international trade and economic growth.

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By the end of the Second World War, many countries were left in utter poverty. Their resources were spent in war and the people were suffering. Considering this situation, 44 countries decided to give shape to an organisation that would offer financial help to the war torn countries.

This organisation would take money donated by governments or other people and distribute it to countries in need. This decision was taken in 1944 and the result was the World Bank.

The World Bank began operations in 1946 and the first loans were given to war torn countries including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Luxembourg. The World Bank is an international organisation that provides money to countries to help them improve the lives of their citizens. Apart from loans, the World Bank also gives out grants. The grants are like loans that do not have to be paid back.

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“To contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information” – this is the aim of UNESCO.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization works primarily to improve and promote education, sciences and culture. This is done in order to increase the universal respect for justice, law, and human rights. Providing quality education for all is UNESCO’s primary concern.

UNESCO has five major programs – education, natural sciences, social sciences, culture and communication/information. The organisation conducts a lot of events that concerns literacy, technical, and teacher-training programs, international science programs, and regional and cultural history projects. It also works for the freedom of the press.

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is successfully providing humanitarian and development aid to children around the world since 1946.

When it began, it was known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. The programme started off as an effort to provide immediate relief from hunger to the children and mothers who belonged to the countries that were devastated by the Second World War.

The programme later expanded to provide them healthcare, and the long term needs of women and children in the developing countries.

The funding for the UNICEF comes from governments and private donations. The UNICEF relies on community-level services to promote the health and well-being of children, with special focus on field work.

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‘Better health for everyone, everywhere.’ This is what the World Health Organisation (WHO) strives to achieve. WHO is concerned with international public health. It was established on April 7, 1948 and works in collaboration with the member states. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WHO has 150 offices across the world.

The World Health Organisation works to eliminate communicable diseases like tuberculosis, Ebola and AIDS, and non-communicable diseases like cancer and heart diseases. It is also concerned with nutrition, food security and drug abuse.

WHO also develops reports, conducts awareness programmes and organizes international conferences related to public health. The organisation also assists governments to strengthen their public health services.

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There were a lot of discussions by scholars and politicians after the Second World War. These discussions attempted to find the roots of the conflicts that later led to wars.

After a lot of debates and discussions, it was found that poverty, ignorance and justice were the prime causes that led to serious international issues. To tackle these issues, the UN cane up with a number of funds and specialized agencies. These funds and programmes come directly under the General Assembly.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) are some of the specialized agencies run by the United Nations. Currently, the UN has 17 specialized agencies.

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In 1945, the UN Charter formed the Trusteeship Council to look after eleven territories known as trust territories. Earlier, the trust territories had belonged to those powers that were defeated in the Second World War.

Out of the eleven territories, seven were in Africa while the rest were from Oceania. Over time, many of the trust territories gained independence and as a result, the workload of the council decreased. In 1994, Palau, the last of the territories became independent. This left the council without any responsibilities. Therefore, the Trusteeship Council was suspended in 1994 as its mission was accomplished.

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The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is involved in settling all the legal disputes submitted by the member states. The court would judge crimes like genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. No wonder it is called the ‘World Court’.

The International Court of Justice was known as the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Established in The Hague in 1899 to hear international disputes, it worked with the League of Nations before being associated with the UN. It became a wing of the United Nations in 1946. Apart from settling legal disputes, the International Court of Justice also provides advice on legal questions.

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Not all the countries in the world are wealthy. Some countries are rich while some others are extremely poor. Such a situation creates a huge gap between these nations. The United Nations Economic and Social Council works to bridge this gap by providing direct financial aid to the poor countries.

The council’s financial aid comes in different forms- loans, grants and advice. The organisation also encourages the wealthy nations to help the poor nations.

Most of the work by the United Nations Economic and Social Council is devoted to the development of backward nations. It works to improve the living conditions, healthcare and education system of the backward countries. It also promotes population control.

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The United Nations I run by its Secretariat. The programme and policies laid down by the other UN bodies are administered by the Secretariat. The UN Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, one of the most powerful positions in world politics.

The duties carried out by the Secretariat range from peacekeeping to mediating international disputes. For ensuring its smooth functioning, the Secretariat has employed over 9000 employees from 170 countries, who have sworn loyalty to the UN. There is a wide range of job positions in the Secretariat, from secretaries and scientists to translators and truck drivers!

The Secretariat staff informs the world media about the works of the UN. They also organize international conferences on issues of worldwide concern. They are also involved in interpreting speeches and translating documents into the official languages of the UN.

Apart from New York, the Secretariat has offices in Geneva, Bangkok, Nairobi, Santiago, Vienna and Addis Ababa.

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The UN Security Council has five permanent members- the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom. The permanent membership of these countries was granted by the UN Charter.

These countries were Allies during the Second World War (they were on the winning side.) These countries also possessed nuclear weapons and the world’s most powerful armies. The permanent members also have the power to veto a resolution. This power allows these members to prevent the adoption of any decision regardless of its international support.

There have been discussions about granting permanent membership to other members. The frequently suggested candidates for this were India, Brazil, Germany and Japan.

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The responsibility of maintaining international peace and security lies with the UN Security Council. The real power to make decisions for the world lies with the Security Council.

It is the Security Council takes the decision about providing membership to the nations. It also encourages the members to take action against those who break the rules of the United Nations. The Security Council is the only body of the UN that can call for military action.

There are a total of fifteen members in the Security Council. Apart from the five permanent members, the UN General Assembly elects ten members to serve a two-year term. The meetings of the Security Council can happen anytime around the year and anytime of the day or night.

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The sessions of the General Assembly are presided over by its president. This is a position voted by the members of the General Assembly.

Some of the largest and powerful countries of the world including China, Japan, Russia, the US, France, and the UK have never held presidency. This is because of the global status of their power. In addition to this, the UN Secretary-General should not come from the five permanent member states.

The president of the General Assembly is usually selected from different geographic areas such as Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and other states. Tijjani Muhammed –Bande of Nigeria currently serves as the president of the UN General Assembly.

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You all know about the Indian Parliament. In the Parliament, all elected members get equal representation. The UN General Assembly can be seen as the world’s parliament.

All the member nations have equal representation in the General Assembly. The General Assembly meets every year from September to December. It also meets at other times to discuss other serious issues like terrorism, child labour, or the conservation of the environment. Every nation has one vote in the General Assembly regardless of its size, population, or national income.

To pass resolutions on important matters, it is necessary to win two-thirds of the votes of the members. However, the General Assembly alone cannot make important decisions. It can only recommend that actions to other important bodies like the Security Council.

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There are six principal offices that ensure the smooth functioning of the United Nations-the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice and the Trusteeship Council. These offices support and promote the ideas mentioned in the UN Charter. The UN General Assembly is the central body of the United Nations. Out of the six principal organs, four are located in Turtle Bay in New York.

The International Court of Justice is situated in the Hague and the Trusteeship Council was suspended in 1994. Other UN offices are spread across the world.

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It happened in 1946. The Soviet Union used the power to veto for the first time in the history of the United Nations. This was during the Cold War.

In a nutshell, the Cold War was the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States after the Second World War. The Soviet Union was a communist regime while the US had capitalist interests.

There were dozens of conflicts, some big, some small and the UN was not completely successful in preventing wars. Both the Soviet Union and the US used veto to block the other’s suggestions about various policies. By 1953, the Soviet Union had used veto more than 50 times!

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You might have heard of things like ‘the power to veto’. The Latin word veto means ‘I forbid’. Now you might get means.

In simple words, veto is the power to say ‘no’ to any decision. Te five permanent members of the UN Security Council have the power to veto. No major decisions would be made if any of the five members vetoes a proposal. There is an interesting story behind the introduction of veto in the UN.

When it was founded, the founding members decided that the Security Council would be the most powerful organ of the UN. However, a lot of fear lurked beneath this decision.

The Soviet Union especially believed that the US would get the Council to pass resolutions against the interests of their Republic. This might also lead to a nation gaining absolute power over everything. To avoid this from happening, it was decided that any resolution could be passed only if all the permanent members of the Council agreed to it. Thus, veto was introduced.

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The UN is a huge organisation that needs effective leaders. The head of the UN is responsible for running the UN and this is vested upon the Secretary-General. Being the head of the UN is not an easy task.

The UN Secretary – General is a peace-maker. He or she needs to be a good administrator, a diplomat, and an able spokesperson all at the same time. The Secretary-General should be efficient enough to make the voice of the unprivileged heard.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly and serves a maximum of two four-year terms. The UN had made it a point that the Secretary-Generals should not come from the countries linked with major powers. The first Secretary-General of the UN was from Norway and his name was Trygve Halvdan Lie.

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One would not be wrong to say that the United Nations looks after the world. Such an organisation needs a lot of money for smooth and efficient functioning. You might have membership in some club. As club members, you would have to contribute money for the functioning of the club. Similarly, the UN draws funds through membership.

The UN receives annual funding from the governments of its 193 members. Each member contributes according to its ability to pay. Factors like national income, level of debt and population are taken into consideration to decide a country’s annual contribution.

So naturally, wealthier nations contribute more than the poor nations. For instance, in 2006, Liberia had to contribute 0.001 per cent of the regular budget while France had to pay 6 per cent.

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We have been talking a lot about how the UN strives for establishing world peace. But is peace the only concern of the United Nations? The UN Charter clearly sets out the objectives of the organisation. They are as follows:

• To maintain international peace and security
• To develop friendly relations among nations
• To cooperate internationally in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
• To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends

The UN has many specialized agencies like the UNESCO and programmes like the World Food Programme that help it to achieve these objectives.

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The United Nations has six different languages. They are English, Chinese, French, Arabic, Russian and Spanish. These six languages are used in the meetings and documents of the United Nations. But why does the UN have so many official languages?

UN is an international organisation with its members speaking different languages. This should not be a barrier for effective communication. So, it is natural for it to have more than one official language.

Using different languages enables effective communication between the culturally and linguistically diverse members. Apart from the official languages, all the speeches are translated other languages as well.

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New York holds the United Nations. It is situated in Turtle Bay. Sometimes, the name Turtle Bay is used for the headquarters of the UN. Turtle Bay has served as the headquarters of the UN since 1952. The UN headquarters was designed by a team of architects led by Wallace Harrison.

Though situated in the US, Turtle Bay does not come under US administration. It is completely under the administration of the UN. But, it acknowledges many of the US federal laws.

The headquarters is the home of the General Assembly and the Security Council. In addition to Turtle Bay, the UN has three regional headquarters in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. These offices do not hold the seats of any major organs, but they represent the interests of the UN and aid in diplomatic activities.

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In 1945, the UN had only 51 members including the five permanent member states. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of members by four times. The UN now has 193 members. All the 193 members have a seat and equal representation in the General Assembly.

There are two reasons for the increase in the membership of the UN. Countries like the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia split up to form more independent states. The Soviet Union split to form fifteen independent countries. In addition to this, the end of the European colonial empires led to the formation of new countries.

The number of members increased as more countries were created. For instance, in 1960, when the European empires began to lose their power in Africa, many independent countries were formed like Cameroon, Congo, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Benn and Gabon. All these countries joined the UN.

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The Second World War began in 1939 and it turned out to be more fatal than the First World War. A state of insecurity and destruction lingered everywhere during the war years. The League of Nations had failed and there was an urgent need to re-establish peace and order.

It happened in 1941. US President Franklin D Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill came up with a document known as the Atlantic Charter. The Charter called for the formation of a new organisation to maintain peace. Later, representatives of 26 countries met and accepted the Charter and signed a document known as the Declaration of the United Nations. This was the beginning of the UN.

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Apart from promoting peace, the UN does have other goals. The UN works across the world to improve social and economic well-being. In simple words, the UN can be seen as the government of the world, that works around the clock to make our world a better place.

The UN is a meeting point that brings together all the independent nations and gives space for them to work closely.

The UN can also be viewed as a club where the countries can get a membership and enjoy the benefits it provides. The benefits include humanitarian aid, international law, and support at the times of crisis.

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The failure of the League of Nations led to the Second World War. With the Second World War came the necessity to establish world peace again.

Along with maintaining world peace, it was important to develop healthy relationships between the countries, promote co-operation in international affairs, and promote and respect human rights. Drawing from the failure of the League of Nations, a stronger foundation was laid this time. A new intergovernmental organisation came into existence to fill the gap left by the League of Nations- the United Nations.

The United Nations successfully brought together the countries of the world that are small and big, rich and poor, and have different social, cultural and political backgrounds. In short, the UN is an organisation of the countries that have agreed to co-operate with one another and settle all the disputes peacefully.

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The Second World War broke out during the active years of the League of Nations. The war itself was the proof of the failure of the League’s primary objective- to prevent future wars.

Most of the members of the League did not involve in the war and remained neutral. But some countries chose to go to war.

Germany formed the Axis Powers together with Italy and Japan. The League was not able to efficiently prevent the aggression of the Axis Powers during the war. Soon, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and some other countries withdrew from the League.

With these major members leaving and other important countries like the US and the Soviet Union staying out of it, the League began to lose its credibility and its offices were dismantled. It stopped functioning altogether in 1946. The United Nations took shape after that.

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The First World War killed around 13 million people and most of Europe was left in shatters. UP President Woodrow Wilson came up with a scheme to stop such events from being repeated.

Thirty countries agreed on a proposal to form a commission that would work to bring international peace. This was the first time the world leaders came up with such an effort and the result was the League of Nations.

The League of Nations was an international organisation that was formed after the First World War. It was founded in 1920 to solve the disputes between countries and stop the possibility of open warfare.

It is the world’s first inter-governmental organisation that worked to maintain global peace. It also worked to stop human and drug trafficking, the arms trade, and to improve global health. Though the League had a significant impact in solving international disputes, it stopped functioning in April, 1946.

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