United Nations

POL114S TA: Megan Dersnah
Atiq Ur Rahman
997379983
March 4th, 2010

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that was created during the aftermath of WWII to maintain international peace and facilitate cooperation between states. The organization is divided into five organs, each with specific tasks. The most fundamental organ to international security is the United Nations Security Council. The United Nations Security Council can authorize sanctions, peacekeeping operations and even military action when necessary. The Security Council comprises of fifteen member states, where five of the member states are permanent members and the other ten elected members that rotate every two years. These permanent member states have the greatest power; they have the ability to cast a ‘veto’. A veto is the power to stop any council resolution, even with a majority support from the other members of the Security Council. The veto’s power is absolute however it only belongs to the permanent member states. This creates a bias with the division of the United Nations’ power. This paper will argue that the United Nations’ idea of justice is questionable as power and authority chiefly resides with the five permanent members of the Security Council. Though this structure maintains balance between the superpowers, it also creates inequality between the other 187 member states. This paper will argue this by, -the permanent members represent the power during 1945 that has changed, -they do not include any non-nuclear states, -they reflect realist views, backing only what supports them – veto power is way too powerful and it reflects that countries interests
The permanent members represent the power during 1945. They were self-declared after world war 2, china was later voted in but for the most part self elected. Power has changed more powerful nations now and more nuclear states.
Non-nuclear states should be included as they do contribute stuff and...