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| Sunday, 23 October 2005 |
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UN's 60 years: Some impediments hamper achievements by M.P. Muttiah The United Nation Orgsanisation celebrates its 60th anniversary tomorrow, Oct. 24. It is significant that Sri Lanka also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its admission to this world body this year. Sri Lanka was the 76th country to join the UN on December 14, 1955. The name `United Nations' coined by US President Franklin Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1942, Jan. 1, during the Second World War, when 26 nations promised their governments to continue fighting against the Axis powers. In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco to draw the UN Charter. They discussed on the basis of proposals drawn by the representatives of China, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and the United States in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945 by 50 countries. Poland which was not represented at the Conference signed it later and became one of the original 51 member-states. The purpose of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self determination of people; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms: to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations in attaining these common ends. However, the question that is being asked is whether the 191-member world body had lived up to its ideals. Since 1945, hundreds of internal conflicts caused the death of millions. Korea, which was divided into South and North is still not unified. The most expected reform of the Security Council had been shelved. As the Secretary-General Koffi Annan said, world leaders who met last month ``could make only statements" on climatic change and Security Council reform. He emphasised the need to recognise that the world today is very different from that of the founders of the United Nations. The Security Council had always been an issue of dispute. Speaking at the 14th Plenary Meeting of the UN on Jan 18, 1946, Indian representative Sir Ramaswami Mudaliyar said: "The provisions about the veto, over which there have been so many historic fights in what has been described as the Madison Square Garden of San Francisco, these provisions have not always been acceptable to many nations and among others, to India." Although he expected that there would be a change within ten years, it is still a dream of the States. The United Nations has so far failed to ensure equal rights of the nations. Unilateral actions of super powers is an impediment to the implementation of UN's goals. The events in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq are good examples of how some countries attempt to impose their will and social systems on others. The invasion of Iraq was launched overriding the UN system. Most of the developing countries are not happy with the present set up of the UNO, which makes them vulnerable to aggression. For instance Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque speaking at the UN General Assembly last month said: We really have no cause to celebrate the 60th anniversary of UN. The chaotic, unequal and unsafe world we live in today does not exactly pay tribute to those who had gathered in San Francisco on June 26,1945 to establish the United Nations." Cuba is one of the countries that is under trade, economic, and financial blockade of the United States since 1962. The UN General Assembly voted 13 times since 1992 to end the blockade and the number of countries supporting the resolution had considerably increased. Last year 179 countries voted in support of Cuba. But, the United States continues the blockade with stringent resolutions. Venezuelan President Chavez Frias's speech at the UN reflected the sentiments of the developing countries. He stressed the need for the expansion of the Security Council in its permanent as well as non-permanent categories. He also pointed out the need for increasing transparency. "The veto is incompatible with democracy, with the principles of equality and democracy", he said. United Nations cannot fulfil its duties unless real equality is established. |
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