Assignment 1 International Organizations
Samantha Nijboer- 2078352
UN Humanitarian Sector
The United Nations is a 60 year old organization that originated from the Second World War. After
the Second World War, people knew that there was a better way to fight a possible next war; by
preventing it. The UN has brought forth multiple fundamental and technical principles that they affirm
in order to create harmony, cooperation and security between states. Examples of this are the
recognition of equal human rights, sovereign equality of all UN members, no interference in the
‘domestic affairs’ of another state, no using of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of another state and the Pact Sunt Servanda, which entails that when signing a treaty,
you have to go into it with good faith and stick to it. The UN has developed laws for regulating and
constraining the behavior of equal sovereign states at the global level. They also came up with an
effective way to find resolutions for international conflict, which does not entail war. Namely, the
General Assembly which is the general debate arena of the world, where many heads of states, or
representatives in the form of ambassadors come together once a year in September in New York for
three months. Here they discuss multiple global affairs that range from admitting states to UN
membership and finding resolutions aimed at individual member’s states, Security Council or other
organs such as the Secretary-General and the General Assembly itself, to appointing judges to the
International Court of Justice and making charter amendments when ⅔ of the members and the
Permanent 5 states approve. The General Assembly also appoints a UN Secretary- General upon the
recommendation of the Security Council. The Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat and
functions as a mediator in conflicts, as a campaigner for bringing issues to light and determining what
international conflict should be focused on, is a spokesperson to the press and brings moral authority
to the table in global issues. However, there is also quite some criticism on the UN and people are
often wondering if the organization is doing enough regarding global issues. This is understandable
since the UN is a 60 year old organization and such a big bureaucracy also brings about struggles of
efficiency, effectiveness and accountability and could always use improvements. However the world is
better off with the existence of the UN than without. In 1991, the General Assembly came with
resolution 46/182, which was implemented to strengthen the UN’s response to complex emergencies
and natural disasters, while improving the overall effectiveness of humanitarian operations in the field.
This shows that the addition of the General Assembly has been beneficial in global issues. The UN
and its many organs have already resolved many conflicts which could have otherwise lead to
multinational conflict and violence, but instead the UN has caused a sense of cooperation and security.
Therefore the existence of the UN is crucial in resolving conflicts in a diplomatic way and creating
safety and cooperation between all states.
Sources:
- The UN: if it didn't exist, we would have to invent it. (2006). Policy Options. Retrieved 1
September 2022, from https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/climate-change/the-un-if-it-
didnt-exist-we-would-have-to-invent-it/
- Lecture notes
