United Nations Organization
From Hobson's Choice
United Nations General Assembly Building Click for larger image |
Interior Click for larger image |
Security Council Chanber Click for larger image |
The largest multilateral organization in the world; includes nearly all nations. It was formed originally 25 April 1945 in San Francisco, USA from the Allies in World War II.
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Context
There had long existed proposals for a union of sovereign states for the preservation of peace. The first such global organization was the League of Nations, created as part of the Paris Treaty System (1920) that ended World War I. In addition to its role as an international parliament, the League included several agencies for monitoring social issues of member states, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO); and administering the finances of countries with complex balance of payments issues through the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).
However, the League of Nations suffered from several serious shortcomings. First of all, its membership did not include the United States and the USSR. Second, it possessed no equivalent to a security council, or small group of major powers whose prestige was tied up in the business of the League. Decisions taken by the League on security matters amounted to the views of yet another country, and a weak, neutral one at that; there was no reason why the foreign ministries of the Britain, France, or Germany would have particularly cared whether the League's writ was taken seriously or not.
Formation and Early History
The term "United Nations" was first used 1 January 1942 in the UN Declaration of the Allies; this term was used to reflect the creation of something more enduring than a mere military alliance.[1] Instead, the UNO was to have a moral and diplomatic commitment to mutually agreed wartime goals, including the unconditional capitulation of the Axis powers. Soon after, UN agencies began to appear.
In October 1944, representatives of the Allied nations met at Dumbarton Oaks, DC, to draft the structure of the UNO.
Notes
- ↑ "Declaration by the United Nations," 1 Jan 1942.
See Also
League of Nations
UN Specialized Agencies
