The United Nations has played very important roles in the world. Since its establishment in 1945 from its earlier organization named the League of Nations, it is playing significant roles in social, economic, educational and some other aspects of development around the world. Because of its relentless efforts, poverty has declined, education has improved, many conflicts are resolved many displaced people received support and there are many other beneficial outcomes globally. But there are some important aspects of the failure of the most important intergovernmental organization. The most notable failure is its failure to prevent wars and civil wars for which the very organization was established by fifty one nations after the devastating Second World War, though the organization itself alone is not responsible for such a failure.
The intergovernmental organization has failed to prevent not only the Russia-Ukraine war but also some other wars and civil wars including the wars in Syria and Yemen. It is notable that there are some causes behind the failure of the United Nations to prevent wars and civil wars. Some challenges exist in the United Nations Charter. For example, the present veto power, which is important in making sure that the UN makes the right approach to resolving wars, civil wars and other sorts of conflicts, puts hindrances to taking any strong and united efforts to resolve conflicts many times. Besides, there are de facto Global North and Global South divisions and a lack of cooperation among powerful countries. Geopolitical rivalries, which are not unexpected at all, deter powerful countries to be united on many occasions and prevent wars and civil wars. Moreover, there are some other causes including the lack of effective efforts of the United Nations. Consequently, it often delivers rhetoric rather than making any actual efforts to prevent wars.
A pertinent aspect, consequently, is whether such an organization should exist at all. Since the main aim of the creation of such an intergovernmental organization was to ensure peace and security through the prevention of wars and the organization mostly failed to do so, it may not be unreasoned altogether to say that it deserves to be defunct. Notably, the importance of the prevention of war was given because of the devastation of the Second World War. Such devastating wars have not yet taken place, many wars and civil wars have occurred in front of the eyes of the UN since its establishment and brought devastating consequences to the world. Yet, such failure may not justify the non-existence of the United Nations because of its important roles in securing peace and security especially in mitigating low-graded conflicts and significant social, economic and other contributions to the world.
Moreover, if the United Nations is defunct, there will be chaos in the world because of the lack of an intergovernmental organization that seeks collective peace and security. Nations states can be engaged in wars and civil wars more and the world can go back to the state of anarchy. Moreover, various developmental activities that the UN is carrying out will end meaning that there will be more problems in terms of not only increased military conflicts but also developmental aspects. Even if the UN has failed to prevent wars and civil wars, the existence of it is important for its important roles in other areas of development. But in spite of such roles, the existence of the UN is at least a bit shaky and/or there will remain a question on its existence always without its main roles.
But an important aspect is whether it is possible to strengthen the United Nations to the extent needed for the prevention of wars and civil wars. Surely, it is desired that the UN becomes a strong and capable organization in preventing wars and civil wars. But it is difficult to make it so because of several causes including the difficulty in improving the Veto Power provision in a more effective manner and the unwillingness of powerful countries, though its diplomatic mechanisms can be strengthened and made more effective. Moreover, and importantly, there is a lack of clear understanding of how the UN can prevent wars when nuclear power holding countries such as Russia, the United States and China directly get engaged by defying established rules.
Since it s difficult to make the United Nations stronger enough for making it capable of preventing wars especially when wars occur with the direct involvement of superpowers by defying established international rules and it is harder for the UN to prevent such wars even if it is made stronger, there is no alternative to responsible acts of all powerful states including superpowers. Yet, ways need to be developed to make the UN at least a bit more powerful and effective in preventing, or reducing the extent of, wars and civil wars including major wars. In this respect, its diplomatic mechanism needs to be developed in such a way that is at least a bit more effective.
