The United Nations was born on the ruins of the horrors of World War II. The organisation's commitment was to protect future generations from the atrocities of war. But today, standing on the brink of World War III, that promise seems not only unfulfilled, but meaningless. The question of how successful the United Nations has been with the goals and objectives that it embarks on is getting closer and closer. Failures of the global body are profound, with visible examples in crises like Palestine-Israel, Russia-Ukraine, India-Pakistan, and Syria.
After the League of Nations failed to secure peace, a conference was held in San Francisco, USA, in 1945, where representatives from 50 countries adopted the UN Charter. On October 24 of that year, the United Nations began its mission to maintain global peace and security. While the League of Nations collapsed after 26 years, the United Nations has continued for 79 years-but with similarly disappointing outcomes.
The UN Security Council's permanent members have repeatedly shown conflicting allegiances. Russia, for example, a permanent member, has inflicted vast destruction in Ukraine. Meanwhile, during Israel's widespread killing of Palestinians, many global powers have remained silent. In such instances, the United Nations has appeared powerless, reduced to a mere bystander.
As Israel's brutal actions in the Gaza Strip claim over 42,000 lives, the UN and international human rights frameworks remain silent. Israel, established by a UN treaty, now shows blatant disregard for UN resolutions on human rights, while the UN looks the other way. Until the United Nations frees itself from political subservience, questions about its legitimacy will continue. It is both sad and alarming that those responsible for establishing global peace and justice are pushing the world toward yet another devastating war. War, as history has shown, is never a solution.
If the United Nations is to remain relevant, it must free itself from the grip of the Security Council's five permanent members. Global peace can only be achieved when the UN does more than issue statements, condemn actions, and call for ceasefires. The organisation must take and implement concrete, effective measures. Without real change, the United Nations risks being remembered in history alongside the League of Nations-as a well-intentioned but ultimately failed guardian of peace.
Ahamed Junaeid Tonmoy
Student
Department of Political Science
Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh
[email protected]
