United Nations

The presence of the United Nations in the international community has attempted to embark upon different issues concerning global community. While some nations feel that the organization is successful implementing international law, the history of effective UN policy suggests otherwise. The collation of global leaders within the United Nations recognize that the United Nations with its current representative structure does not embody the concerns of the entire global community; therefore, is not seen as a credible global organization. The leading body of the UN, the Security Counsel, has failed to present its self as acting in favor of the entire global community and not only those who form the Counsel. This lack of trust towards the supreme ruling body of the UN greatly hinders the organizations ability to create universal norms of which nations can agree. The authority of certain dominant nations within the UN and their lack of obedience to some international law reduce the legitimacy of the UN's promotion of norms.

The formation of the United Nations, as a universal organization has, been diluted due to the United Nation's financial reliance on wealthy Western countries. The weakening of the organization is also attributed to its fundamental formation. The structure of the UN as a body, created to benefit states, does not contain the power to punish those who break international law. The General Assembly of the UN, which is its most representative body does not hold the power to create and implement universal norms; consequently, the universal norms presented by the UN is not essentially representative of the entire global community. The United Nations, with its historical and financial connections to Western countries, is not globally perceived as an International Organization that possesses trust and creditability to initiate or enforce universal norms and standards.

When the League of Nations was founded after World War I its main task was to resolve disputes regarding land and power in post war Europe with the creation of the Treaty of Versailles. It described itself as a "global association of governments facilitating co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity” and this is a similar attitude to the modern United Nations. A list of their aims and activities can be found on the United Nations website or charter and reads as follows “International Years, Arms control and disarmament, Peacekeeping, Human rights as well as Humanitarian assistance and international development” so when answering what the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century is one must consider what the UN considers it does.

The UN, each year, specifies issues, aims or themes they wish to bring to the attention of members of the public in their “International Year of…” objective, most recently, the international year of Sport in 2005 and Rice in 2004, from just these two themes one is able to see the varied and diverse issues that the UN cover and using the symbolism of the UN, a specially designed logo for the year, and the infrastructure of the UN ...