Role of UN in Achieving and Maintaining Peace in Conflict Zones - Research Paper

Introduction

Saving prospering generations from the scourge of war has always been the main aim and motivation for creating the United Nations, whose founders lived through two world wars devastation. Since its creation, the United Nations has always been called upon to prevent disputes and troubles from escalating into war, or helping in peace restoration when armed conflict breaks out and promoting lasting peace in the societies that emerge from wars. Therefore, the paper is premised on a discussion on the role of UN in achieving and maintaining peace in conflict zones.

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The United Nations has helped to end many conflicts, often through security council actions; the organ with the main responsibility under the UN charter for international security and peace maintenance. When a complaint regarding a threat to peace is brought before it, the action of the council is to recommend to the involved parties to attempt reaching an agreement by peaceful means (Gibbings, 2011). In some scenarios, the committee undertakes mediation and investigation or may appoint some individual representatives to set forth principles for a settlement that is peaceful (Francis, 2006). Nevertheless, when a dispute leads to conflict, the first concern of the council it to end it immediately. The security council also deploys the United Nations operations of peacekeeping to help in reducing tensions in areas that are troubled, creating sustainable peace conditions after reaching settlements and keeping the forces opposing apart. Moreover, the council might decide on economic sanctions, enforcement measures or even collective military action (Redpath, Young, Evely, Adams, Sutherland, Whitehouse, & Gutierrez, 2013).

Nonetheless, according to the charter, there is a general assembly which can make recommendations on the overall principles of cooperation for the maintenance of international peace and security, such as disarmament and for a peaceful rapport of any situation that might impair relations that are friendly among other nations (Weiss, 2018). Also, the general assembly can lead discussions in any questions that relate to international security and peace and make recommendations when the security council is not discussing the issue. Additionally, pursuant to its resolution for Uniting for Peace of November 1950, (resolution 377 (V), the general assembly might take actions when the security council fails to take actions, owing to a permanent member negative vote, more so, where there seems to be a threat to or peace breach, or even act of aggression (Barash, & Webel, 2017). Therefore, the general assembly can consider the issue instantly with a view of making recommendations to members for the measures that are collected to restore or maintain international peace and security.

Moreover, the secretary general is empowered by the charter to bring to the security council's attention to any issue that in his view or opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international security and peace. Thus, the secretary general plays an important role is using his good offices, which are publicly taken steps and in private that drawn upon his impartiality, independence, and integrity in the prevention of international disputes from spreading, arising or escalating (James, 2016).

In the past decades, the United Nations formed a continuum with the league of nations having a general purpose, functions, and structure; most of the related agencies and the principal organs or United Nations were adopted from same structures that were established earlier in the 20th century. However, in some respects, the United Nations constituted a different organization, especially regarding its objective of peace and security maintenance and its commitment to social and economic development (Baylis, & Gray, 2018). Changes in international relations nature resulted in the modifications in the United Nations responsibilities and its apparatus of decision-making. Nevertheless, the tensions of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States affected the security functions of UN during the first forty-five years. The decolonization of the extensive post-world war II in the Middle East, Asia and Africa increased the nature and volume of social, economic and political issues which confronted the organization (Kalshoven, & Zegveld, 2011).

Moreover, the end of the cold war in 1991 brought renewed appeals and attention to the United Nations. Amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical climate, new challenges emerged to the functions and practices established, especially in humanitarian assistance and conflict resolution areas (May, & Furley, 2016). At the beginning of the 21st century, the United Nations together with its programs and the agencies that were affiliated struggled in addressing civil wars and humanitarian crises, refugee flows that were unprecedented, devastations caused by AIDS spread, international terrorism, global financial disruptions and wealth disparities between the richest and poorest people of the world (Weiss, & Daws, 2018).

The United Nation, in this case, plays significant roles in achieving and maintaining peace in conflict zones.

Maintaining International Peace and Security

The UN organization came into existence in 1945, following the second world war devastation, having one central mission: preserving international security and peace. Moreover, the United Nations conducts this activity by working on conflict prevention, helping parties and nations that conflict makes peace; peacekeeping; and creating the environments to allow peace to flourish and hold (Autesserre, 2014). These actions always overlap and should be reinforced on one another to be effective. Additionally, the security council of the United Nations has the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The secretary general and the general assembly play important, complementary and major roles along with other bodies and offices of the United Nations (Bellamy, Williams, & Griffin, 2010).

Clearing Landmines

The organization assists in clearing landmines in some thirty nations or territories such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Libya, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo. Landmines often maim or kill thousands of civilians annually. Additionally, the organization teaches people how to stay out of ways of harm, help countries in the destruction of stockpiled landmines, help victims become self-sufficient and advocating for full participation in the international treaties that are related to mines (Loader, & Walker, 2007).

Preventing Nuclear Proliferation

For over fifty years, the International Atomic Energy Agency has always served as the globe's nuclear inspector. The experts of the agency often work in verifying that nuclear materials that are safeguarded are only used for peaceful purposes. Up to date, the IAEA has guaranteed agreements with more than a hundred and eighty nations (Donais, 2012).

Combating Terrorism

Most governments often coordinate their counter-terrorism efforts through the UN organizations. In 2006, the governments adopted at the United Nations the first global strategy to counter terrorism (Wallensteen, 2018). The programs and agencies of UN have assisted states to put in practice the global plan, promotion of international cooperation against terrorism and providing legal assistance. The organization has also enacted a legal framework for combating terrorism (Miller, 2015).

Preventing Genocide

UN brought about the first treaty in combating genocide; committed acts with the intent of destroying a national, religious, racial, or ethnical group. More than a hundred and forty-six states have ratified the 1948 Genocide convention which commits in the prevention and punishment of actions of genocide in peacetime and war (Chopra, 2012). The tribunals for United Nations for Rwanda and Yugoslavia, as well as the supported courts by the UN in Cambodia, have put might be genocide perpetrators having a notice that such crimes will no longer be tolerated. The United Nations and Holocaust Outreach Program always seek to remind the globe of the lessons learned from the Holocaust to help prevent acts of future genocide (Pugh, 2013).

Supporting Disarmament

The organization pursues global disarmament and arms challenges as central to security and peace. UN works to eliminate and reduce nuclear weapons, strengthen the prohibition against firearms that are biological, destruction of chemical weapons and halting the proliferation of landmines, light weapons, and small arms (Kenny, & Connors, 2016). The treaties of the United Nations are considered as the legal backbone of the efforts of conquest, that is, the 190 states ratifying the chemical weapons convention, the 162 states ratifying the mine-ban convention, and the treaty of arms trade by 69. Moreover, at the local level, the peacekeepers of the United Nations always work in the implementation of disarmament agreements between parties that are warring (Hultman, Kathman, & Shannon, 2013; Thakur, 2016).

Combating Sexual Violence in Conflict

In the current world, rape is being used increasingly as a weapon of war. For instance, in the past few years, approximately 60,000 were abused sexually during the Sierra Leone civil war between 1991 to 2002, up to 60,000 women in the former Yugoslavia between 1992 to 1995, more than 250,000 women during the Rwandan genocide to mention but a few. Sexual violence and abuse have also characterized conflicts from Somalia to Syria and Afghanistan to Iraq (Hansen, 2013; Willett, 2010). Thus, the representatives of the organization have assisted nations to implement and develop laws which criminalize wartime rape and the end of impunity for the perpetrators; provide training for police officers; helped states devise programs which help victims in rebuilding their life; and supported specialized units development of female police officers who help to investigate allegations of wartime rape (Jeong, 2017; Richmond, 2005).

Consolidating Peace

The peacebuilding commission for United Nations often supports the efforts for peace in nations emerging from conflict. Also, it brings together international financial institutions, international donors, assists marshal resources, and proposes relevant actions for recovery and peacebuilding (Mac Ginty, & Williams, 2016). The peacebuilding fund for the UN supports twenty-two projects in twenty-two nations through delivering flexible and fast funding.

Protecting Human Rights

The statement "human rights" was named seven times in the founding of the United Nations Charter, making the protection and promotion of human rights the main purpose and guiding principle of the organization. In 1948, the human rights universal declaration brought the rights of people into the realm of international law (Oberschall, 2007). Since then, the United Nations has protected the human rights diligently via legal instruments and activities that are on the ground.

Delivering Humanitarian Aid

One of the UN's purposes, as mentioned in its charter, is achieving international co-operation in solving the international problems of social, cultural, economic and humanitarian character. The organization first conducted this action in the aftermath of the second world war on the continent that was devastated in Europe that it assisted in rebuilding (Forsythe, Coate, & Pease, 2013). The United Nations is currently relied upon by the international community in the coordination of humanitarian relief operations because of human-made and natural disasters in areas or sections beyond the relief capacity of only the national authorities (Dannreuther, 2014).

Promoting Sustainable Development

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