English Essay on “The United Nations and World Peace” Complete Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The United Nations and World Peace

The capability of modern warfare to destroy humanity is perhaps the most important cause for the creation of the United Nations Organization. Though wars have been quite common since the beginning of history, their potential for destruction was not as great as it is now. Peace, or at least a war-free world, has, therefore, become more a necessity than an aspiration. The United Nations, created for the purpose of peace, has the responsibility to ensure it at all times, at all places.

The birth of the United Nations came about after two crippling worldwide wars, both of which could wipe off the human race from the face of the earth. The two World Wars had tired and taxed the world to the extent, that none who survived them could think of their repetition. The people overwhelmingly supported the establishment of the United Nations and mandated it to revive and preserve peace. Thus, after a devastating spell of warfare, in the first half of the twentieth century, the people opted for welfare and peace in the second.

But unfortunately, the urge and spirit for peace that created the United Nations, did not last long. The unanimity for peace collapsed soon after it was forged, under the pressures of fresh conflicts that followed the Second World War. The immediate scenario that the world faced at the end of World War II was the beginning of the ‘Cold War’; and the subsequent division of the world into two power blocs. The United Nations, which was born of an overwhelming desire for peace, soon had to struggle for life in the toxic atmosphere of ‘cold war’ rivalry. The task of the United Nations in ensuring peace since then has not been as simple as assumed earlier. At present, after fifty years of its existence, its performance is a precarious balance between successes and failures.

One of the major causes of modern conflicts is the increase in the number of nations. Never in the history of the world have there been as many nations as there are now. In the past, powerful states, which created and controlled vast empires, were successful in keeping the peace in large parts of the world. Though two major power blocs led by the superpowers, emerged after World War II, their task of keeping the peace, in contrast to earlier times, was not easy, because the modern ideals of freedom of thought and democracy did not allow the superpowers to exercise control over their vassal states in an effective way. Each of the world’s nations has its own rights that may not be questioned by any other nation. Though this is a noble ideal, in practice, it is very difficult to keep the peace where such ideals exist. The rights and liberties of independent nations also include the privilege to fight wars! This scenario is the greatest challenge that the United Nations faces, in its task of maintaining the peace. Despite the general determination not to fight wars and instead to pursue peace, the nations of die world very often lapse into all manner of quarrels. Though from experience, humankind knows how disastrous the consequences of wars are, it is unfortunately incapable of settling disputes peacefully.

Intriguingly, even after the end of the Cold War, the need for UN-sponsored peace-keeping tasks has been increasing. Earlier, most of the conflicts, even though they appeared to be between nations with clashing interests, were in reality, manifestations of superpower rivalry. Therefore, when their interest in such conflicts declined, the superpowers themselves took the initiative to solve them. But now, since most wars are fought within nations, or rather among sub-nationalities and ethnic groups fighting for their own interests, the nature of clashes has become more complex, and their number much larger.

Despite their preference for universal, eternal peace, people are not yet prepared to work wholeheartedly for it. The peace that is often talked about, can, at best be termed ‘armed peace’. It is paradoxical that nations arm themselves heavily in order to ensure peace. Peace, in this case, is more the result of fear than of a sincere desire for it. Acknowledging this reality, the United Nations also maintains an armed force under its aegis, meant to keep the peace. The manpower and other resources needed by the force are supplied by the member countries.

Since the United Nations is dependent on its member nations for everything, the developed nations, which meet most of its needs, are in a position to influence its functioning. The United Nations naturally has a bias towards such nations; a fact which seriously undermines its impartiality. Thus, the United Nations, created for the welfare of the entire world, is fast turning out to be the servant of a few privileged countries.

The United Nations has had only mixed success in negotiating peace. Though its involvement in the crises in Korea, the Congo and Cyprus has considerably reduced tensions in those countries, it has not had much success in West Asia or the Balkans. If it is the initiative of the conflicting parties in West Asia that has now brought a semblance of peace to the region, American inspired diplomacy and strong-arm tactics have calmed the Balkans considerably.

Besides its mandate to keep the peace, the United Nations is responsible for the general welfare of humanity. Several organizations, like the UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO and FAO, are making great strides in their respective fields. But like those of the United Nations, their activities also often suffer owing to paucity of resources.

It might not be possible to homogenize the world, but it is important to create a feeling of solidarity among its peoples. Peace will be established only if ‘all’ the people wish it. The progress that humanity has achieved so far is fortunately nourishing the desire for peace and cooperation. Rich nations, which depend on the poorer world for their raw materials and a market for their finished goods, have started realizing that they are as much dependent on the poor as the poor are on them. The Japanese economy, even though it is one of the strongest in the world, will definitely suffer if the economies in the rest of the world are not in satisfactory health. Japan’s prosperity is due to its exports worldwide. If the rest of the world is too weak to buy Japanese goods, its weakness will, in due course, spread to the Japanese economy also. Such mutual dependence, fostered by trade relations, shall hopefully, ensure real cooperation and peace around the world. Such peace will certainly be more durable than that achieved by coercion and concession.