UNO is the biggest organisation in the world, with its headquarters in New York. It was created in 1945 after the Second World War and the failure of the League of Nations. Around 50 nations assembled in San Francisco, USA, on 25 April 1945 to begin the talks and start drafting the UN charter.
As the world grappled with the devastating aftermath of World War II, a remarkable vision emerged: a global organization dedicated to maintaining peace, fostering cooperation, and promoting human rights. The United Nations Organization (UNO) was born from this noble aspiration in 1945, becoming humanity’s most ambitious attempt at creating a unified platform for international dialogue and conflict resolution.
Yet, despite its monumental achievements in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and sustainable development, the UNO faces mounting criticism about its effectiveness in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape. From structural inefficiencies to questions about equal representation, the organization designed to be the world’s problem-solver often finds itself at the center of controversy.
In this comprehensive analysis, we’ll explore the UNO’s journey from its post-war inception to its present-day challenges, failures and criticism. Let’s also examine its intricate organizational structure, key operational bodies, and the financial framework that sustains its global missions. More importantly, we’ll delve into the critical shortcomings that threaten its relevance and the proposed reforms that could reshape its future.
Historical Development and Purpose
Formation of UNO
The United Nations Organization emerged from the ashes of World War II in 1945, when 51 countries gathered in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter. The devastating consequences of two world wars prompted nations to establish an international body that would maintain global peace and foster cooperation among nations.
Core objectives and principles
The UN’s founding principles focus on four fundamental goals:
- Maintaining international peace and security
- Developing friendly relations among nations
- Promoting social progress and human rights
- Harmonizing actions of nations to achieve these goals
Evolution through decades
The UN’s development can be traced through significant milestones:
| Decade | Key Developments |
| 1940s | Establishment and initial peacekeeping missions |
| 1960s | Major decolonization efforts and membership expansion |
| 1980s | Enhanced focus on environmental issues |
| 2000s | Introduction of Millennium Development Goals |
Key achievements since inception
The organization has recorded numerous notable accomplishments:
- Supporting decolonization of over 80 nations
- Establishing universal human rights standards
- Providing humanitarian aid to billions
- Mediating over 170 peace settlements
- Creating UNICEF and WHO to address global health and children’s needs
The UN’s growth from 51 to 193 member states reflects its expanding influence in global governance. As we examine the organization’s structure, it’s essential to understand how these foundational elements shape its current operations and decision-making processes.
Organizational Structure
General Assembly Powers and Functions
The General Assembly serves as the UN’s main deliberative body, where all 193 member states have equal representation. Each member has one vote on important matters like peace, security, and budgetary issues. The Assembly meets regularly from September to December, with special sessions called when necessary.
Security Council Composition and Veto System
The Security Council consists of 15 members:
- 5 permanent members (P5): US, UK, France, Russia, China (That’s where the problem is)
- 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms
| Permanent Members | Veto Power | Term Length |
| P5 Members | Yes | Permanent |
| Non-permanent Members | No | 2 years |
Economic and Social Council Role
ECOSOC coordinates economic, social, and humanitarian work through:
- 14 specialized UN agencies
- Functional and regional commissions
- Standing committees
International Court of Justice Operations
Located in The Hague, the ICJ handles:
- Legal disputes between states
- Advisory opinions on legal questions
- Enforcement of international law
Secretariat and Secretary-General Duties
The Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General, manages daily UN operations including:
- Administering peacekeeping missions
- Organizing international conferences
- Translating documents
- Mediating international disputes
The Secretary-General, appointed by the General Assembly on Security Council recommendation, serves as the UN’s chief administrative officer for a 5-year term.
Now that we understand the organizational framework, let’s examine how these bodies operate in practice through their main operating procedures and protocols.
Main Operating Bodies
Specialized Agencies Overview
The United Nations operates through various specialized agencies that address specific global challenges. Here are the key specialized agencies and their primary functions
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations guide |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization guide |
| IFAD | International Fund for Agricultural Development guide |
| ILO | International Labour Organization guide |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund guide |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization guide |
| ITU | International Telecommunication Union guide |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization guide |
| UNIDO | United Nations Industrial Development Organization guide |
| UN Tourism | World Tourism Organization guide |
| UPU | Universal Postal Union guide |
| WHO | World Health Organization guide |
| WIPO | World Intellectual Property Organization guide |
| WMO | World Meteorological Organization guide |
| World Bank Group guide |
Peacekeeping Forces
UN Peacekeeping forces serve as the organization’s operational arm for maintaining international peace and security. Key elements include:
- Blue Helmets deployment in conflict zones
- Civilian protection missions
- Conflict mediation and prevention
- Post-conflict reconstruction support
- Military observer missions
Development Programs
The UN implements various development initiatives through specialized programs:
- UNDP (United Nations Development Programme): Focuses on poverty reduction and sustainable development
- WFP (World Food Programme): Provides emergency food assistance
- UNEP (UN Environment Programme): Addresses environmental challenges
- UN Women: Promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment
These programs operate in coordination with member states and local organizations to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each program maintains its own operational structure while reporting to the central UN administration.
The financial framework supporting these bodies plays a crucial role in their effectiveness and reach. The complex funding mechanisms and budget allocations directly impact the success of UN initiatives across all operational areas.
Financial Framework
Member State Contributions
The UN’s financial system primarily relies on mandatory contributions from its 193 member states. Each country’s contribution is calculated based on its Gross National Income (GNI), with adjustments for:
- Economic development level
- External debt burden
- Per capita income
Budget Allocation System
The UN operates with two main budgets:
| Budget Type | Purpose | Funding Source |
| Regular Budget | Core operations, administration | Assessed contributions |
| Peacekeeping Budget | Military operations, conflict resolution | Separate assessment scale |
Key allocation priorities include:
- Administrative operations (30%)
- Peacekeeping missions (45%)
- Humanitarian programs (15%)
- Development projects (10%)
Financial Challenges and Deficits
The organization faces several critical financial issues:
- Late payments from member states, with some countries delaying contributions by years
- Increasing operational costs for peacekeeping missions
- Unfunded pension liabilities exceeding $75 billion
- Emergency response funding gaps
The UN’s financial stability is further compromised by:
- Unpredictable voluntary contributions
- Currency exchange rate fluctuations
- Growing demands for humanitarian assistance
With mounting financial pressures impacting the UN’s operational effectiveness, the organization has been forced to implement various cost-cutting measures and seek alternative funding sources. These financial constraints directly affect the UN’s ability to respond to global crises and maintain its peacekeeping operations. The need for comprehensive reform of the UN’s financial structure has become increasingly apparent.
Major Shortcomings
Old Structure of UNO
The structure of the UN organization is too old to accommodate newly emerging powers like India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany etc. as a permanent member. Its old structure also struggles to overcome financial, security and health-related issues. It needs oxygen to come out of serious sickness.
UNO must understand that all the permanent members are not enough to make correct and ethical decisions. There are countries with new talent, ideas, money and capabilities as well.
It has approximately 14 specialized agencies but lacks ‘The World Immigration Agency’, ‘Religious Peacekeeping Agency’ etc. Today the most faced dangers are related to migration issues and religious radicalization issues. UN, for now, has ignored these issues even though it has peacekeeping forces.
Security Failure
Even though the UN security forces are the world’s most trained and maintained forces with advanced weaponry and financial and soldier support; the UNO fails to maintain peace in the world. 193 countries support UNO but still, issues like wars, infiltrations, and humanitarian crimes are ever-increasing in the world.
Increasing terror organisations, crimes by illegal migrants, religious crimes like on Hindus in Bangladesh, and Jews in Israel, and attacks by Khalistani terrorists on Indians in Canada are the examples of failure of the UNO.
It failed to irradicate mass killings and rapes by ISIS and other terror organisations in the middle east region, Asia. Now in 2024 when Europe is feeling the heat of migrants and particular communities, they are awakened but UNO is still sleeping to counter it.
UNO continuously fails to monitor the turmoil across the world.
Veto Power Misuse
The Security Council’s veto power, held by five permanent members (USA, Russia, China, UK, and France), often leads to deadlock in critical international decisions. Permanent members frequently use their veto to protect their political interests or those of their allies, undermining the UN’s ability to respond effectively to global crises. Some of these powers deliberately forget the main aim of the UNO and play political cards.
The world has advanced since UNO’s inception and needs additional permanent memberships. It needs fresh global powers as permanent memberships. Also, the old rules have to be changed.
Specialized agencies work under pressure
Some Specialized Agencies might be working under pressure from key politicians worldwide. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic came, everyone knew its origin. But WHO (World Health Organization) who investigated the matter kept silent and concentrated only on providing vaccination. What was it afraid of? Did the officials receive any bribes?
Is the Security Council working under pressure from a few developed nations? If not, then why didn’t they intervene when one developed nation attacked another developing or underdeveloped nation? Why they didn’t even condemn it?
Even after knowing that a particular country is a terrorism-promoting country, like Pakistan, why does UNO never treat Pakistan so? Is it because of the political motives of the few? Or is it because of the misuse of the veto power given to permanent members? If so, then doesn’t it need structural change?
Several examples witness the biased acts of various agencies of UNO. If this organization is for 193 countries why do only a few have the upper hand in decision-making? Are those ‘upper hand’ countries afraid of losing global status?
Bureaucratic Inefficiencies
Overlapping mandates between agencies, excessive administrative procedures, Slow decision-making processes, High operational costs, and limited accountability mechanisms are a few reasons that shake the purpose and effectiveness of UNO.
Representation Inequality
The current UN structure fails to reflect modern global realities, particularly in the Security Council. Here’s a breakdown of representation issues:
| Region | Population % | Security Council Seats % |
| Asia | 60% | 20% |
| Africa | 17% | 20% |
| Europe | 10% | 40% |
| Americas | 13% | 20% |
Enforcement Limitations
The UN faces significant challenges in implementing its resolutions due to:
- Lack of independent military force
- Dependence on member states for peacekeeping troops
- Limited authority to enforce decisions
- Voluntary compliance requirements
- Insufficient sanctions mechanisms
These structural weaknesses often result in delayed responses to humanitarian crises and limited effectiveness in conflict resolution. The organization’s inability to enforce decisions consistently has led to selective implementation of resolutions and diminished credibility in international governance. With these fundamental challenges in mind, various reform proposals have been put forward to address these systemic issues.
Making the world a better place remains the core mission of the United Nations, despite its structural complexities and operational challenges. From its establishment after World War II to its current role in global governance, the UNO has evolved through its various bodies – the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and others – to address international challenges. While its financial framework relies heavily on member state contributions, ongoing funding issues and organizational inefficiencies have impacted its effectiveness.
The path forward for the UNO requires meaningful reforms, particularly in areas of Security Council representation, decision-making processes, and financial sustainability. By addressing these shortcomings and implementing proposed reforms, the United Nations can better fulfil its mandate of maintaining international peace, promoting sustainable development, and protecting human rights for future generations.
