Now in its seventh decade, the United Nations is well known throughout the world.

But
how many people know what it does or how it works? Or why, as nearly 200 leaders
converge this week for the 74th session of its annual General Assembly, the institution
has struggled to keep the promise of its founders: making the world better and more
peaceful?

From the ashes of World War II

The United Nations Charter was signed at a conference in San Francisco in June 1945,
led by Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the United States.
When the Charter took effect on Oct. 24 of that year, a global war had just ended. Much
of Africa and Asia was still ruled by colonial powers.
ADVERTISEMENT

After fierce negotiations, 50 nations agreed to a Charter that begins, “We the peoples of
the United Nations.”

That opening line is notable because today, the United Nations can, to some, seem to
serve the national interests of its 193 members — especially the most powerful. Their
priorities can stand in the way of fulfilling the Charter’s first two pledges: to end “the
scourge of war” and to regain “faith in fundamental human rights.”

Human rights: Aspirations vs. reality

In 1948, the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
These include the right to not be enslaved, the right to free expression, and the right to
seek from other countries asylum from persecution. According to the United Nations
Foundation, it is the most translated document in the world.

However, many of the rights expressed — to education, to equal pay for equal work, to
nationality — remain aspirational.

General Assembly: Big podium, small powers

Each fall, the United Nations General Assembly, the main decision-making body of the
organization where each member has one vote, becomes the stage where presidents and
prime ministers give speeches that can be soaring, clichéd, or somewhere in between.
Despite the recommended 15-minute time limit, many leaders exceed it. Some have
delivered long, incoherent tirades, such as one given by Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the
Libyan strongman, in 2009. (The longest General Assembly speech ever given was by
Fidel Castro, at four hours and 29 minutes, on Sept. 26, 1960.)
ADVERTISEMENT

At last year’s General Assembly, President Donald J. Trump delivered a speech that
sharply criticized multilateralism, a cornerstone of the international cooperation
espoused by the United Nations. “America will always choose independence and
cooperation over global governance, control and domination,” he declared. In 2017, Mr.
Trump threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea if it threatened the United States or
its allies.

The General Assembly speeches offer plenty of star power, but critics contend that they
amount to little more than a glorified gabfest.

For the rest of the session, the General Assembly is the arena where largely symbolic
diplomatic jousts are won and lost. Hundreds of resolutions are introduced annually.
While some earn a great deal of attention — like one in 1975 that equated Zionism with
racism — they are not legally binding.

In principle, nations small and large, rich and poor, have equal voice in the Assembly.
But the genuine power resides elsewhere.

Security Council: Powerful but often paralyzed

The 15-member Security Council is by far the most powerful arm of the United Nations.
It can impose sanctions, as it has done against North Korea over its nuclear arsenal and
missiles, and authorize military intervention, as it did against Libya in 2011.
ADVERTISEMENT

Critics say it also is the most anachronistic part of the organization. Its five permanent
members, known as the P5, are the victors of World War II: Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States. The other 10 members are elected for two-year terms,
with seats set aside for different regions of the world.

Efforts to expand the permanent membership to include powers that have emerged
since 1945 — such as India, Japan and Germany — have been stymied. For every country
that vies for a seat, rivals seek to block it.

Any member of the permanent five can veto any measure, and each has regularly used
this power to protect either itself or allies. Since the end of the Cold War, the United
States has cast a veto 16 times on Council resolutions, many concerning Israeli-
Palestinian relations. Russia has done so 22 times in that period.
Image
The Security Council has been unable to defuse major conflicts. Most recently, its
starkest failure has been the handling of the conflict in Syria.CreditMeridith Kohut for
The New York Times

Problems keeping the peace

The Security Council’s job is to maintain international peace. Its ability to do so has
been severely constrained in recent years, largely because of bitter divisions between
Russia and the West.
The Council has been unable to defuse major conflicts, particularly those in which
permanent members have a stake. Most recently, its starkest failure has been the
handling of the nearly nine-year-old conflict in Syria, with Russia backing the
government of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States, Britain and France
supporting some opposition groups.

It also failed to halt the fighting in Yemen between its Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led
coalition, despite a disastrous humanitarian situation and reports from its own
investigators of war crimes on both sides.
ADVERTISEMENT