Introduction
The modern world is governed not just by nations but also by a web of international organisations that provide arenas for cooperation, regulate global affairs, and attempt to manage conflicts. The most important of these is the United Nations (UN), established after World War II. Understanding these organisations — their structure, role, limitations, and reform debates — is central to Class 12 Political Science.
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The United Nations (UN)
Establishment: The UN was founded on 24 October 1945, after World War II, replacing the failed League of Nations. It currently has 193 member states.
Preamble goals: To maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations; achieve international cooperation; and be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.
Principal Organs of the UN
1. General Assembly (GA): All 193 member states; each has one vote; discusses global issues; resolutions are generally non-binding. It meets annually and in special sessions.
2. Security Council (SC): 15 members — 5 Permanent Members (P5): USA, UK, France, Russia, China; and 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms. The P5 each hold veto power — any one of them can block a resolution. The SC is responsible for international peace and security, and its resolutions are binding.
3. International Court of Justice (ICJ): Settles legal disputes between states; located in The Hague, Netherlands. Its judgments are binding but enforcement depends on the SC.
4. Secretariat: Headed by the Secretary-General, the UN's chief administrative officer. Current (as of 2022) SG: António Guterres (Portugal). The Secretariat runs day-to-day operations.
5. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Coordinates economic, social, and humanitarian activities.
6. Trusteeship Council: Supervised trust territories; now largely inactive as decolonisation is complete.
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UN's Role and Achievements
- Peacekeeping: UN peacekeeping missions deploy troops from member states to conflict zones (Blue Helmets). Since 1948, over 70 peacekeeping operations.
- Humanitarian aid: Agencies like UNICEF, UNHCR (refugees), WFP (food), WHO (health) operate globally.
- Norm-setting: Conventions on human rights, women's rights, climate (UNFCCC), law of the sea (UNCLOS).
- Decolonisation: Supported independence of many nations; served as a forum for anti-colonial movements.
- Development: UNDP promotes human development; SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set 17 global development targets by 2030.
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Limitations of the UN
- Veto power makes the SC dysfunctional when P5 nations have conflicting interests (e.g., Russia/China vetoes on Syria; US vetoes on Israel-Palestine).
- Funding dependence: Relies on member contributions; powerful members (especially USA) sometimes withhold dues for political reasons.
- Sovereignty constraint: The UN cannot intervene in "internal affairs" of member states (UN Charter Article 2(7)), limiting action on civil wars and human rights abuses.
- No standing army: The UN depends on member states to contribute troops for peacekeeping.
- Enforcement gap: ICJ judgments may not be implemented if the Security Council (controlled by P5) does not enforce them.
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UN Security Council Reform
- There are widespread demands to reform the UNSC to make it more representative:
- Current P5 reflects the post-World War II power balance, not the contemporary world.
- India argues for a permanent seat, given it is the world's most populous country, largest democracy, a major contributor to UN peacekeeping, and a significant economy.
- G4 nations (India, Germany, Japan, Brazil) have all advocated for permanent seats.
- Opposition from existing P5 members (especially China, which opposes India and Japan) and smaller nations (who prefer only more non-permanent seats).
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Other Important International Organisations
World Bank: Provides loans for development projects; voting power based on financial contribution, dominated by Western nations.
International Monetary Fund (IMF): Provides short-term financial assistance to countries in balance-of-payments difficulties; also voting power is weighted.
World Trade Organization (WTO): Regulates international trade; all members have equal voting rights in theory, but large economies dominate in practice.
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India and the UN
India is a founding member of the UN and a strong supporter of multilateralism. India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping forces and has participated in over 40 UN peacekeeping missions. India advocates UNSC reform and its own permanent membership as a matter of justified representation.
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Common mistakes
- Confusing the veto with a "vote" — the veto is an exclusive right of the P5 to block resolutions, not a negative vote counted alongside others.
- The General Assembly cannot enforce decisions — only the Security Council issues binding resolutions.
- The ICJ only settles disputes between states, not criminal trials of individuals — the International Criminal Court (ICC) handles individual criminal responsibility.
- The UN was established in 1945, not immediately after WWI — the League of Nations (1919) came after WWI.
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Summary
International organisations, especially the United Nations, are central institutions of the contemporary world order. The UN has achieved significant successes in peacekeeping, humanitarian work, and norm-setting but faces serious limitations due to veto power, sovereignty constraints, and inadequate enforcement mechanisms. Reform — especially of the Security Council — is urgently needed to make these bodies more representative of today's global realities.