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| Years of UN peacekeeping effortsp> Military peacekeepers are the most visible, but not the only, UN peace presence in the field. UN envoys and other civilian personnel are engaged in diplomacy, human rights monitoring and other peace efforts in scores of regions threatened or afflicted by fighting often in the most difficult situations. 4.2 UN and Human Rights The Charter goals of justice and equal rights, for individuals and for peoples, have been pursued by the UN from its early days. As one of its first tasks, the UN formulated the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, a historic proclamation of the basic rights and freedoms
to which all men and women are entitled - the right to life, liberty and
nationality, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, to work, to be
educated, to take part in government, and many other rights. The General Two International Covenants adopted in 1966 - one on economic, social
and cultural rights and the other on civil and political rights - have
expanded and made legally binding the rights set forth in the Declaration. The UN has also put in place mechanisms to further human rights. The The UN Commission on Human Rights is the only intergovernmental body
that conducts public meetings on human rights abuses brought to its
attention and reviews the human rights performance of all Member States. UN missions are monitoring the human rights situation in Haiti, The Security Council has established international tribunals to try persons accused of war crimes during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda. The tribunals have indicted several individuals and brought a number of defendants to trial. Self-determination and independence. A fundamental right - self-determination, or the right of peoples to govern themselves - was a goal when the Charter was signed. Today, it has become a reality in most of the lands formerly under colonial rule. In 1960, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting
of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, in which it proclaimed
the need to bring colonialism to a speedy end. Since then, some 60 former
colonial Territories, inhabited by more than 80 million people, have
attained independence and joined the UN as sovereign Members. Namibia's independence The UN helped bring about the independence of Namibia, achieved in Election assistance To further democratization, the UN has also observed elections, at Observers typically follow the preparation and holding of the election; on election day, they are deployed to polling stations throughout the country, observe voting and vote counting, and issue a final statement on the conduct of the election. Since 1992, the UN has provided technical assistance in the preparation and holding of elections to over 70 countries. Such assistance, which may involve coordination and support, advisory services and short- term observation, is instrumental in building the capacity of countries to run their elections in the future. Apartheid. Apartheid applies to all aspects of life. Socially, blacks had to live apart from the other races. Politically, they could not vote. Economically, they could work only in the lowest paying occupations. The UN helped to bring an end in 1994 to South Africa's apartheid International law. The UN has made major contributions towards expanding the rule of law among nations through its development and codification of international law. The International Court of Justice has assisted countries in solving important legal disputes and has issued advisory opinions on UN activities. The UN has initiated hundreds of conventions and treaties covering virtually all areas of international law - from international trade to environmental protection. Action has been particularly strong in human rights law. For instance, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 4.3 UN Humanitarian Assistance to Developing Countries When countries are stricken by war, famine or natural disaster, the UN
helps provide humanitarian aid. Part of this aid is in the form of direct
assistance from the UN operational agencies and programs: The Office of the The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is
responsible for the protection and assistance of over 26 million people
around the world who have fled war or persecution, seeking at the same time
durable solutions to their plight. In early 1997, UNHCR's major operations
were in the Great Lakes region of Africa, with over 1.4 million people in
need; the former Yugoslavia (over 2 million people); and western Asia (some All UN emergency relief is coordinated by the UN Emergency Relief In 1996, the UN raised $1.3 billion for emergency assistance to over 5. DISARMAMENT 5.1 UN Activity in the Sphere of Disarmament Halting the arms race and reducing and eventually eliminating all
weapons of war are major concerns of the UN. The UN has been a permanent
forum for disarmament negotiations, making recommendations and initiating
studies. Negotiations have been held bilaterally and through international
bodies such as the Conference on Disarmament, which meets regularly in The General Assembly adopted in 1996 the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a landmark agreement that aims at banning all nuclear-weapon tests. In a major step in advancing non-proliferation, States parties in 1995
extended indefinitely the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Other treaties have been concluded to prohibit the development,
production and stockpiling of chemical weapons (1992) and bacteriological
weapons (1972); reduce conventional armed forces in Europe (1990); ban
nuclear weapons from the seabed and ocean floor (1971) and outer space The United Nations proposed another disarmament agreement in 1972. The In 1996, States parties strengthened a Protocol restricting the use, production and transfer of landmines – “silent killers” that slay or maim some 20,000 people each year. According to the UN, there are some 110 million landmines in over 70 countries, and 2 million new landmines are laid every year. Mine Clearance The subject of mine clearance is one of critical importance that has recently taken center stage in the forum of pressing world issues. As regards the work of the United Nations, the process of demining is fundamental to the UN's ability to deliver programs effectively in war-torn countries or post-war environments, whether such undertakings be related to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance or rehabilitation. Over the past seven years, the need for mine clearance has grown
significantly in a number of regions around the world. As a result, the UN
is increasingly called upon to operate mine clearance programs in areas
that are completely infested with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The clearance of areas for use by a supported nation is undertaken only when specially mandated by the Security Council. It is standard procedure for the UN to not only performs mine clearance but also to assist a supported nation in the development of its own sustainable clearance capacity. The UN program may include such topics as mine awareness, mine marking, mine survey, mine clearance as well as unexploded ordinance disposal. Additionally, the program's overall efforts may go beyond mine- specific issues to cover related areas, such as management and logistics, training and support. The UN may vary its approach to each situation as there are currently no standardized templates or universal procedures established for mine clearance activities world-wide. Mine Clearance in the United Nations is presently divided into two areas of responsibility : . which plans and advises on mine clearing activities carried out under United Nations auspices as well as maintains contact with Governments and organizations that participate in or contribute to these activities. . which serves as the focal point for coordinating all humanitarian mine clearance and related activities. These two units work together to ensure a seamless approach to United 5.2 The Problem of Iraqi Military Arsenal One of the last UN operations on eliminating all weapons was connected with the investigation of Iraqi arsenal, as there were some data proving that Iraq possesses very dangerous weapons that might be lethal to the mankind. The nation of Iraq is relatively young; the country achieved
independence in 1932. Since then, Iraq has been almost perpetually at war
with its neighbors. Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, leading to the Almost all countries are concerned with Iraq's unwillingness to allow 5.2.1 Iraq/Kuwait conflict To understand the essence of the conflict it is necessary to descry
the reasons of the conflict. Shortly after the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq’s
military dictator, Saddam Hussein, accused Kuwait of taking an unfair share
of oil revenues. In August 1990 he made the claim that Kuwait was a part of The Iraqi invasion alarmed President Bush and other world leaders for
three reasons. First, it was an act of aggression by a strong nation
against a weaker nation. (Iraq in 1990 had the fourth largest military
force in the world.) Second, the taking of Kuwait opened the way to an To prevent further aggression, President Bush ordered 200,000 troops
to Saudi Arabia, followed later by an additional 300,000. “We have drawn a
line in the sand,” said the president, as he announced a defensive effort
called Operation Desert Shield. US troops were joined by other forces from
a UN-supported coalition of 28 nations including Great Britain, France, Members of the UN Security Council, including both the United States
and the Soviet Union, voted for a series of resolution concerning Iraq’s
aggression. One UN resolution demanded Iraq’s unconditional withdrawal from The Gulf War had far greater significance to the emerging post-cold
war world than simply reversing Iraqi aggression and restoring Kuwait. In
international terms, we tried to establish a model for the use of force. 5.2.2. UNIKOM Establishment On 3 April 1991, the Security Council adopted resolution 687 (1991),
which set detailed conditions for a cease-fire and established the
machinery for ensuring implementation of those conditions. By resolution On 9 April 1991, the Security Council adopted resolution 689 (1991)
which approved the Secretary General's plan for the establishment of the The mandate was expanded in February 1993 by Security Council
resolution 806 (1993), with the addition of an infantry battalion, to: take
physical action to prevent, or redress, small scale violations of the DMZ
and of the boundary between Iraq and Kuwait; and problems arising from the
presence of Iraqi installations and citizens and their assets in the DMZ on
the Kuwaiti side of the border. Since the demarcation of the Iraq-Kuwait
boundary in May 1993 by the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation From the Security Council on down, nearly every UN diplomat, along with officials from many other countries, will not stop repeating their mantra: They want full and unfettered access to all sites in Iraq where the inspection team suspects weapons of mass destruction are hidden. And that is precisely what Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has refused to do, for the seven years that the inspection regime has been in force. President Clinton has managed to put the United States on both sides of the diplomatic fence, repeatedly insisting America is making every effort to avoid violence, but is ready to use U.S. aircraft and cruise missiles to pound Iraq into submission if necessary. The United States has assembled an armada in the Persian Gulf consisting of 30,000 soldiers, sailors, pilots and Marines, 20 warships, and more than 400 attack and support aircraft. Although it doesn’t compare to the huge multinational force that went to war with Iraq in 1991, neither does the coalition. So far, only Britain and Canada have joined the United States in sending forces to the area. Most of the nations that supported the attack in 1991 seem to feel that a military solution is too unsubtle a tool for such a delicate diplomatic goal, and that the Iraqi people, already suffering under UN sanctions, do not need to endure another baptism by fire. The demonstrations - never spontaneous and always state-organized - quickly became tedious affairs, with the same posters, the same chants, the same stunts. What's more, the UN Security Council more than doubled the amount of oil Iraq can sell over six months in order to buy food, medicine and other goods for its people suffering from devastating sanctions imposed when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. At that time to put pressure on Iraqi forces to withdraw, the United States and the UN voted to place an embargo on the purchase of Iraqi oil. The resulting drop in oil supplies quickly led to higher prices at gas stations all across the country. The vote was unanimous in the 15-member body. The new program—which raises the permitted oil revenue from $2 billion to $5.256 billion—does not go into effect until Annan evaluates and approves an Iraqi plan for how the goods should be distributed. Iraq has expressed irritation over the plan and delayed the previous versions of it, citing what it called infringements on its sovereignty. UN officials insist on the right to strictly monitor the aid given under the plan to make sure it reaches those who need it. U.S. opinion polls show support for attacks on Iraq remains strong,
hovering in the 60 percent range, but a disastrous “town hall” meeting in State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said families were not being ordered to leave Israel and Kuwait, but that they were being allowed to do so over concerns they may consider it prudent. Iraqis have in the past threatened to attack both Israel and Kuwait in the event that Iraq is attacked. The United States this weekend is beefing up forces in Kuwait, and Israel has been urgently distributing gas masks. “The probability of Iraq resorting to the use of chemical or biological weapons is remote, but it cannot be excluded,” Rubin said. U.S. officials acknowledge that any attack on Iraq could hit hard at civilians there. As a result of UNICOM work the following data concerning Iraqi
military arsenal were received. 5.2.3. Blitzkrieg1 The events that took place December 16, 1998 shocked the mankind. US
and British forces launched a “strong, sustained” series of airstrikes
against Iraq early Thursday, targeting military and security installations
throughout the country. Pentagon[1] sources said about 200 cruise missiles
were fired from ships and manned fighter bombers in the first wave of what
will be an “open-ended’ attack, designed to degrade Iraq’s ability to
produce nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Clinton accused Hussein
of failing to live up to his commitment to allow unrestricted access to UN
weapons inspectors. This is how chief CNN International Correspondent The military strikes – which came at night – followed a roughly 14-
month period during which Baghdad officials periodically said they would no
longer cooperate with the weapons inspectors. During that time, Baghdad
also repeatedly demanded that crippling international sanctions, imposed
after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait prior to the Gulf War, be lifted. The most
recent escalation in the ongoing weapons standoff came in early November. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry Shelton said the
sites hit during the first bombing wave included weapons of mass
destruction and barracks belonging to the Iraqi Republican Guard. US and World community’s response was not unanimous. Many Russian politicians
expressed their negative attitude to the bombing. Boris Yeltzin met with The only country that fully backed American and British bombing of Tony Blair, the British prime minister is expected to be backed by the
majority of deputies to the House of Commons. He said the attack, named Paris is reserved in its comments connected with the Iraqi bombing. NATO Ministers of Defense have gathered in Brussels to discuss their position regarding the situation in the Persian Gulf. Nobody have expressed their wish to participate in military actions. The UN Security Council held a special debate Wednesday evening on the
military action. Diplomats said the meeting of the 15-nation council would
enable members to voice their views on the crisis, but no council action
was expected in the form of a resolution or other decision. UN Secretary Iraqi officials said at least 25 people had died and 75 were wounded in the Iraqi capital alone during two days of airstrikes. CONCLUSION The UNO, established to replace the existing League of Nations, faces very difficult situation in connection with Iraqi bombardment. The beginning of effective Iraqi resistance came with a rapidity which surprised us all, and we were perhaps psychologically unprepared for the sudden transition from peacemaking to fighting. Some say that Clinton wanted to delay the floor debate and vote on whether he should be impeached over his actions stemming from an affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinski. Some questioned America's moral right to bomb Iraq, while others demanded that this time the US do the job properly and get rid of Saddam Hussein. But by doing so the USA and Britain have violated the UN Charter according to which: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." [ ] Many political leaders doubt the necessity to preserve the UNO as there were drastic actions made by it. I think that the main reason for it is that the USA is the main financial source of the UNO and the latter in its turn is not willing to lose it. In some way, my work can be continued as the events that happen in the world change the situation greatly. The future will show whether the UNO will be preserved or whether it’ll lose its unique character. REFERENCES 1998; Bratislava: Publishing House of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 1970; Duelfer, Deputy Chairman of the UN Special Commission to Iraq.; 1998. The Associated Press.; International Relations. 2nd ed. New York: Taylor and Francis, 1990; Publications, Inc., 1992; March 10, 1998; Release. August 5, 1998; December 9, 1998; Release, December 17, 1998; Appendix A CHARTER OF THE UN PREAMBLE WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives
assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full
powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter
of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization
to be known as the United Nations. The specialized agencies "I want an understanding that will help my mission and make it successful" Kofi Annan United Nations Secretary General Kofi Atta Annan, current Secretary General of the United Nations, is a
native of Ghana -- at the time of his birth, still a British colony called
the Gold Coast. He was born April 8, 1938, in Kumasi, the descendant of a
prominent family of paramount chieftains of the Fante people.. Annan began
his education at a Ghanaian university, then completed a degree in
economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. He pursued graduate
studies in Geneva at the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes By 1971, Annan had joined the United Nations. His experience includes positions as Assistant Secretary General for He was named Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations on On the evening of December 13, 1996, Annan was named Secretary General of the United Nations -- the first black African to hold the job. In the future, Annan will grapple with the problem of gaining support
for the United Nations from the organisation's sceptics, especially the |Membership and | | | Appendix E The United Nations was established in the aftermath of a devastating war to help stabilize international relations and give peace a more secure foundation. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded five times to the United Country Profile Iraq | |People | Appendix G Saddam Hussein President of Iraq -----------------------
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