Is there a modern need for the United Nations?
By the end of the Second World War (WWII), Europe and Japan were in shambles. The United Nations (UN) was established after WWII to prevent war from breaking out again. It was not founded to govern over the myriad nations of the earth, but rather to preserve the sovereignty of each through international oversight and action. All nations could have a seat in the General Assembly, but only five nations would comprise the UN Security Council: the United States (US), France, the United Kingdom (UK), the Soviet Union (USSR), and China. The UN Charter established a body that would provide a forum for communication between sovereign nations. It also authorized the collective use of force in defense of the international status quo.
One purpose of the United Nations is to preserve the sovereignty of nations. As the 1940s progressed, an antagonistic USSR posed an even greater threat to freedom than Adolf Hitler. On 24 June 1950, South Korea was invaded by communist forces from the North. Bankrolled and trained by the Soviet Union, these forces drove the garrisoned Korean troops almost to the end of the peninsula. However, the UN sprang to action, invading at Incheon and pushing the Northern troops back across the 38th Parallel north to the Yalu River. It was only Chinese intervention that fought back the UN troops, stalemating the fight at the highly-fortified borders that stand today. The UN was seen to be a global policeman, assembling and mobilizing task forces and armies in order to maintain the status quo of borders and nations.
The UN can also bring crises to light that have global import. The UN is very effective in the championing of human rights. Because individual people lack the international stature required to bring a grievance against a sovereign nation, the UN has striven to bring oppressed citizens a voice. From the refugee crises in Darfur and the Sudan to international human smuggling, the UN has power to change minds regarding abhorrent practices and hopefully affect change on an international level. Another project is the recent UN Panel on Climate Change. This panel has alerted nations to the threat of global warming. Their work has recently been recognized, as the Panel was co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former US Vice President Al Gore.
Not everything the UN touches turns to gold. Recent scandals like Oil-For-Food have tainted the UN's credibility. Powerful nations have been able to take international action without UN mandate. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (9/11), America sought to bring those responsible to justice. Proving a connection between Osama bin Laden and the Taliban was clear and uncomplicated; however, the establishment of a connection to Iraq required more diplomacy. America sought UN approval for the invasion, claiming that Iraq had been seeking biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s motives were purely malevolent: the case was made that he sought to propagate this dangerous material to terrorists, specifically those of the ilk who had perpetrated 9/11. Even in the face of ignored UN sanctions, the UN was unconvinced and America proceeded. The US assembled a coalition of willing nations to invade Iraq, topple Saddam and install a pluralistic democracy, though true Iraqi stability remains a work in progress.
This end-run around the UN did not obviate its need. Quite the contrary, as this makes the UN more necessary than ever. In this post-Cold War world where two antagonistic nations no longer stand toe-to-toe, there is a need for multinational oversight of issues that span borders. Whether the issues at hand are one country invading another, global warming, or a refugee crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, the UN can bring these issues to light and hopefully affect change.