My Science School

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 They are actually on loan and can be withdrawn by the respective countries anytime.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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