When looking at any aspect of the UN, there are always two ways to look at it. The “liberal” view, and the “realist” view. The liberal view showcases the United Nations as being “well functioning international organizations that contribute to the formation of peace” (Kantian project in IR, 2004). While the realist view portrays the UN in the fact that it is of “little help in channelling the perpetual power struggle between states since they cannot change the anarchical structure of the international system” (Rittberger, 2006). The way I see it, regardless of how many projects the UN has been a part of and not solved, they have also been a part of many things that inevitably bring peace to nations and their people. The progress is slow when coming to a success of a nation, but the United Nations shows that “goals are achievable when the right national development strategies and policies are met with political commitment and adequate funding” (un.org). The different aspects that showcase the effectiveness of the United Nations fully are health care, and humanitarian rights. The United Nations stands for peace and justice and these things are leading to that for nations.
When dealing with healthcare, the United Nations works very closely with the World Health Organization (WHO). Since its inception, one of the main targets of the United Nation’s is promoting and protecting good health worldwide. Malaria, women’s and children’s health, tuberculosis, venereal disease, nutrition and environmental sanitation are main focuses both organizations are dealing with. The organizations have been launching “Millennium Development Goals (MGD’s)” and in 2010, the secretary general launched a global effort convening 40 key leaders to define a collective strategy for accelerating progress on women and children’s health.
The Global Strategy has been launched for both women and children now that mobilizes resources to save the lives of more than 16 million women and children. The United Nations has joined many different organizations to help in the aid of many illnesses and ailments. They state under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control”. The United Nations is doing its part in trying to aid developing countries when it comes to health. Health problems like cancer and obesity are on the rise in many countries, while starvation is happening in the others. The UN is making the policies to do what they can, and while progress of improving health is slow, there is progress nonetheless which I feel is the main goal at this time.
Since the United Nations began, one of their main focuses has been humanitarian affairs and assistance. The UN has been relied on since the time of the second world war to respond to natural and man made disasters by the international community. They are the major provider of “emergency relief and long term assistance, a catalyst for action by governments and relief agencies, and an advocate on behalf of people struck by emergencies”(un.org). Civil wars have caused much unrest to the majority of the world in the past few decades and have been cause to many emergency situations. “In 1999 alone, millions were uprooted from their homes by war - 1.2 million in Angola, 850,000 in Kosovo, 750,000 in Ethiopia and Eritrea, 550,000 in East Timor, 200,000 in Chechnya and countless more in other conflicts around the world” (un.org).
Natural disasters including floods, droughts and earthquakes exceed economic losses by more than $90 billion in one year. More than 90 per cent of all disaster victims live in developing countries “a striking indicator of the degree to which poverty, population pressures and environmental degradation exacerbate suffering and destruction” (un.org). When dealing with both cases of humanitarian affairs, the United Nations is sought out on a few fronts that make their efforts effective. One,” it has sought to bring immediate relief to the victims, primarily through its operational agencies; on the other hand, it has sought more effective strategies to prevent emergencies from arising in the first place” (un.org). When dealing with national disasters, the range of outcomes could be endless and the United Nations is ready by seeking prevention for man made disasters, addressing man made causes and assisting in aid when natural disasters do occur. The United Nations has proven to be most effective when dealing with humanitarian rights by providing international protection for more than 22 million people annually. Regardless of the disaster they face, the programs and people are ready to be at the forefront of the problem and fight it head on to help the citizens of the world. A very effective trait I believe.
The problems inevitably will arise, whether natural or man made, and by the efforts of the United Nations there to support people with the aid of food, water, makeshift shelters and health care it is proving to be very effective regardless of how long some areas may take. More of a positive outcome is coming out of these efforts by the United Nations being involved, and I feel that it is very effective to the international community.
There is no doubt that what the UN is trying to achieve is good. The millennium developmental goals are somethings all humans should have privilege to. One of most challenging goals the the MDGs for the UN to achieve will most definitely be to improve education and equality in the school system. In no way do I mean this is a “stupid” goal but it will be one of the most challenging. In order for this goal to be reached and for it to be successful, society but change. Society must want it before the UN decides to implement it. Society’s expectations oppress people and if one breaks the oppress they should feel fear. An example of this would be Malala Yousafzai. She is now known for her activism for rights to education and for women. Yousafzai wrote a blog detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for 22 girls. One afternoon got off her bus and was shot in the face by Taliban member. After the shooting she didn’t stop and says that “the terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born”. Society must be willing to accept the change in order for the MDGs to work. By acceptance I truly believe the goals will do great things and every child could be educated and UN will achieve their millennium development goals.
ReplyDeleteSarah-Mae, I like that you've brought back the argument about what needs to change first, the laws or the society (chicken and egg).
DeleteI also appreciate your reference to Yousafzai.
I agree with you that the United Nations has made huge advances in improving global health in the last fifteen years, but is it a result of an effective organization or two decades of advances in medical care allowing for treatments and rituals, taken for granted by the western world, to be distributed at low cost? The UN boasts that their 6th MDG, Combat HIV/AIDS Malaria and other Diseases, has stopped 1.1 million Malaria related deaths in the last ten years in developing or impoverished countries, but each year there are roughly 219 million cases of malaria (with an uncertainty range of 154 million to 289 million) and an estimated 660 000 deaths (with an uncertainty range of 490 000 to 836 000) (WHO 2010). So realistically, over the last ten years all the UN has succeeded in doing is reduced malaria related deaths by ten percent using treatments that have almost eradicated it in developed countries of the same climate. Furthermore, the UN’s effectiveness is lacking as far as it’s 4th MDG, to reduce child mortality rates two-thirds from 1990-2015. In 1990, Sierra Leone’s under-five infant mortality rate was 246 deaths per 1000 births, and in 2013 this rate has only decreased to 198 in 1000 (WorldBank 2013). If in 1990 it was known by a global survey that a quarter of all the children born in Sierra Leone were dying before their fifth birthday, why hasn’t the UN made it more of a priority to reduce this number? Of course I’m not ignorant to the many conflict Sierra Leone faces and has faced, but minimal change in one of the UN’s top eight priorities of the last 25 years seems almost unacceptable. So are the victories based on the UN being an effective organisation or are they merely based on the fact that as western medicine advances more and more each year, the most minimalistic yet necessary treatments become more accessible to humanitarian aid working on a budget?
ReplyDeleteYou've made some good points about the goals of the UN, and done a good job focusing a a couple. I don't really feel like you've created or supported an argument though, or really made your prediction about what will come in the future? Will the MDG be met? What will happen after 2015?
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