Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
United Nations - Statistics & Facts
The United Nations is an international organization made up of 193 member countries and is dedicated to international peace and security. After World War II, the United Nations replaced the unsuccessful League of Nations in order to prevent the development of further wars in the world. It dedicated itself to human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, sustainability, and international law. Currently, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is António Guterres from Portugal. There are six principal UN Organs who are responsible for various areas from peace to trade to justice: The Secretariat, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Trusteeship Council, and the Economic and Social Council.
What instruments does the UN have in times of crisis?
The Security Council is responsible for peacekeeping as well as political missions. In order to help countries involved in conflicts, the United Nations can decide to send peacekeeping missions into these regions. Peacekeepers can be recognized by their blue helmets and are supposed to monitor and implement peace agreements. They are not an army but an instrument to create and sustain peace. As of 2023, there were 12 peacekeeping missions around the world. The Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, short MINUSCA, is currently the mission with the highest number of personnel deployed. The goal of the mission is to stabilize the country after a decade of civil war. Bangladesh is the country that contributes the most to the different peacekeeping missions in terms of number of personnel .Other responsibilities of the UN
Besides maintaining peace in the world, the United Nations also funds a wide range of other projects. The Economic and Social Council of the UN is responsible for specialized agencies like the World Bank, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Through the different related organizations indices like the Human Development Index, Gender Index, or Education Index are created. Also part of the United Nations program is the World Health Organization (WHO), who has gotten a lot of attention recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and World Food Programme (WFP) are all under the UN umbrella.Critique
Despite of its many achievements since its founding, the United Nations has received critique for a lack of action in certain conflicts. Especially, the fixed places of the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France and their ability to veto resolutions have received widespread critique as these can block resolutions going against their interests. Furthermore, other have criticized the members of the Security Council for being outdated, reflecting victorious powers of World War II, not including countries such as India, Japan, or Germany. Worldwide, the view of the UN varies greatly, with over 80 percent having a positive perception in Poland and Sweden, and less than 40 percent having the same in Argentina and Israel. Nevertheless, a majority of people in a range of countries believe that the UN will have a positive impact on world affairs in the future.
