Cadmus (Jun 2022)
The UN as a Guardian of World Peace and its Role in the Ukraine Crisis
Abstract
Following the Second World War, the international community was reinvigorated to design an international body with the capability to limit the onset of another world war. Enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter was the vision for the organization to be “a guardian of international peace and security, as a promoter of human rights, as a protector of international law, and as an engineer of socioeconomic advancement”. The idea that Vladimir Putin has reacted in the way that he has because he is determined to re-create the Soviet Union under the guise of a Eurasian Customs Union has become commonplace among the chattering classes in Washington. What is really driving an essentially pre-emptive and largely defensive move on Russia’s part is the prospect of Ukrainian accession to NATO. In Ukraine, there may be no good options for resolving the crisis, but the “least bad” option would be a settlement brokered by the UN. The United Nations and its members have a dream of World Peace just as you and I do. Actually we have arrived in the time of history which is a turning point. Humanity has a decision to make. Will we plant the root of World Peace or are we doomed to repeat the failures of the 20th century? A world of darkness, oppression and conflict deep in war. This paper will examine the question, do we want it to stay that way or should the UN take over what is given in the Charter, as well as to what extent the present position of the UNSC and tenets of international law can enable intervention when responding to internal conflict.
