Introduction to the United Nations | Global Politics

Summary

This lesson offers an introduction to the United Nations, focusing on its structure and key institutions, particularly the UN Security Council. Established post-World War II as a successor to the League of Nations, the UN aims to maintain global peace, foster international cooperation, respect human rights, and promote social and economic well-being. The Security Council, with its 15 members including five permanent ones, holds significant authority in global security matters. The lesson raises questions about the representation and veto power of permanent members, hinting at future discussions on the Council's role and challenges.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The United Nations (UN) was established post-World War II as an upgrade to the League of Nations, aiming to prevent failures like those that led to global conflicts.
• 🏛️ The UN's primary objectives include maintaining global peace and security, fostering closer relations between nations, promoting human rights, and encouraging social and economic well-being.
• 👥 The UN Security Council (UNSC) is central to global security governance, with the authority to regulate international peace through resolutions and actions.
• 🔄 The UNSC consists of 15 members, with 10 rotating seats and 5 permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France.
• ⏳ The permanent members of the UNSC have significant power, including the ability to veto resolutions, which can lead to challenges in addressing issues involving the permanent members themselves.
• 🔍 The composition of the UNSC raises questions about representation and the need for a more global reflection of today's political landscape.
• 📜 The UN Charter of 1945 outlines the functions and principles of the UN, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and law.
• 🌟 The UN General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, and the International Court of Justice are other key bodies within the UN structure, each playing a role in global governance.
• 🌱 The promotion of human rights is a fundamental aspect of the UN's work, with various UN bodies and organs dedicated to this cause, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• 🔄 The UN's role in global politics is dynamic, with a focus on adapting to current global challenges and maintaining international peace and security in an ever-changing world.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of the United Nations?

The primary purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote social, economic, and environmental cooperation.

How was the United Nations established and why was it created?

The United Nations was established following the end of World War II in 1945 as a revamped version of the League of Nations. It was created to prevent the failures that led to World War II and to regulate international relations and peace more effectively.

What are the four main aims of the United Nations?

The four main aims of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, promote respect for human rights and international law, and encourage social, economic, and environmental cooperation.

What is the role of the UN Security Council in global security?

The UN Security Council plays a central role in maintaining global peace and security. It has the authority to make decisions that are binding on all member states, including the power to impose sanctions and authorize military action.

How many members does the UN Security Council have, and what is the difference between the permanent and non-permanent members?

The UN Security Council has 15 members, consisting of 10 non-permanent members who serve on a rotating basis and 5 permanent members. The permanent members are the United States, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, China, and France. They have significant powers, including the ability to veto certain resolutions.

Why was the League of Nations considered to have failed?

The League of Nations failed due to several reasons, including limited powers, lack of participation from major powers like the United States, and the inability to prevent aggression by member states, which ultimately led to World War II.

What are the main institutions of the United Nations that will be explored in the lessons?

The main institutions of the United Nations that will be explored are the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Economic and Social Council.

What is the significance of the veto power held by the permanent members of the UN Security Council?

The veto power held by the permanent members allows them to block any substantive resolution, which can be significant in maintaining their national interests. However, it can also be problematic as it can prevent action against a permanent member committing international violations.

Why is there a debate about the composition of the permanent members of the UN Security Council?

There is a debate because the current composition does not fully represent the global community, with no representation from the global South and a dominance of Western states. This raises questions about fairness and the legitimacy of the Council's decisions.

How did the Russian Federation assume its position on the UN Security Council?

The Russian Federation assumed its position on the UN Security Council after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was one of the original permanent members, and the Russian Federation took over its seat.

What are some of the challenges faced by the UN Security Council in maintaining global peace and security?

Some challenges faced by the UN Security Council include the ability of permanent members to veto resolutions, the underrepresentation of certain regions of the world, and the difficulty in reaching consensus on actions against powerful nations that violate international law.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to the United Nations

This paragraph introduces the topic of global politics and the United Nations (UN). It sets the stage for an exploration of the UN's structure and its role in global governance. The UN is described as an evolution from the League of Nations, established post-World War II to prevent the failures that led to global conflict. The UN's main objectives include maintaining global peace and security, fostering international cooperation, promoting human rights, and encouraging social and economic well-being. The paragraph also previews the focus on the UN Security Council (UNSC), which is central to global security and is composed of 15 members, 10 of which rotate and 5 that are permanent, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France.

05:02

🏛️ The UN Security Council and Its Challenges

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the UN Security Council, highlighting its composition and the issues surrounding its permanent members. The five permanent members—United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France—are noted for their significant influence, stemming from their status as major powers at the end of World War II. The paragraph raises questions about the representativeness and necessity of permanent members, especially considering the lack of representation from the global South. It also addresses the power of the veto, which allows permanent members to block resolutions, even those condemning their actions, as exemplified by Russia's veto power in the context of the Ukraine invasion. The paragraph concludes by noting the historical anomaly of Russia's succession to the Soviet Union's seat on the UNSC and the ongoing debates about the council's structure and fairness.

Keywords

💡United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. It operates through various bodies, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice. In the video, the UN is introduced as the main global political institution that regulates relations between states and maintains global peace and security.

💡UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security. It has 15 members, with five of them being permanent members with veto power. The video emphasizes the Security Council's role in maintaining global security and the controversy surrounding the veto power of its permanent members.

💡Global Governance

Global governance refers to the collective management of public affairs at the global level, involving various actors such as states, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The video introduces the concept of global governance and its political implications, focusing on how the UN plays a role in this governance.

💡League of Nations

The League of Nations was an international organization established after World War I to maintain world peace. It is mentioned in the video as a precursor to the United Nations, which failed due to several limitations and ultimately led to World War II. The UN is described as an 'upgraded version' of the League of Nations.

💡Permanent Members

The term 'permanent members' refers to the five countries—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—that hold veto power in the UN Security Council. The video discusses the historical context of these members and questions the fairness and representativeness of the current composition of the Security Council.

💡Veto Power

Veto power allows a permanent member of the UN Security Council to block any substantive resolution, even if it has majority support. The video highlights the issue of veto power, particularly in the context of Russia's veto of resolutions related to its actions in Ukraine, illustrating the political challenges it poses to the UN's effectiveness.

💡Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 that proclaims the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. In the video, it is mentioned as an example of the UN's commitment to human rights.

💡International Law

International law refers to the set of rules, norms, and standards governing the conduct of states and international organizations. The video discusses how the UN Security Council operates within the framework of international law to regulate global security.

💡Global Peace and Security

Global peace and security refer to the absence of war or violence and the establishment of a stable international environment. The video emphasizes the UN's primary aim of maintaining global peace and security through its various bodies, particularly the Security Council.

💡Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main organs of the UN, responsible for promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. The video mentions ECOSOC as one of the main institutions of the UN, highlighting its role in fostering global economic and social well-being.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The video discusses the UN's role in promoting and protecting human rights, including through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various UN bodies dedicated to human rights issues.

Highlights

Introduction to the United Nations and its role in global politics.

The United Nations was established post-World War II as an upgrade from the League of Nations.

The League of Nations had limitations that led to its failure and World War II.

The UN's main aim is to maintain global peace and security, encourage international cooperation, and respect for human rights.

The UN Security Council is central to global security and is composed of 15 members, including 5 permanent members.

The five permanent members of the UNSC are the USA, UK, Russia, China, and France, reflecting post-WWII global power dynamics.

The UNSC has the authority to veto resolutions, which can be problematic when it involves a permanent member.

The Russian Federation's position on the UNSC is a legacy of the Soviet Union, raising questions about its legitimacy.

The UN General Assembly, Security Council, International Court of Justice, and Economic and Social Council are the main institutions of the UN.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an example of the UN's commitment to human rights.

The UN's role in promoting social and economic well-being is broad and multifaceted.

The upcoming lessons will delve deeper into the workings and historical context of the UNSC.

The UNSC's structure and the power of its permanent members are topics of ongoing debate and potential reform.

The UNSC's ability to address global conflicts is constrained by the veto power of its permanent members.

The historical context of the UNSC's formation and the evolution of its membership will be explored in future lessons.

Transcripts

hello everyone welcome back to global

politics in this lesson what we're going

to do is talk about the United Nations

we're going to take an introduction to

how the UN operates look at some of the

institutions within the United Nations

before taking a very brief introduction

to the first of our of our major topics

on the UN which is of course examining

the U.N security Council

so

this is a new topic for global politics

we're going to be looking at political

governance in the next few lessons and

we're exploring the dimensions of global

governance beginning with the political

implications that relate to it so we're

introducing the nature of the United

Nations and with uh one eye just kept on

this idea of the UN Security Council

because that's what we're going to be

exploring over the next few lessons

firstly because the way in which Global

Security is regulated essentially in

international law is through the U.N

security Council and so we have to

explore the the UNSC first

so what is the United Nations

essentially well

the United Nations was established

following the end of the second world

war and it is almost like the upgraded

version of the previously existing

League of Nations which had a number of

pitfalls that were

quite substantial essentially which led

to the failure of the League of Nations

and the the outbreak of the second world

war in the first place so the League of

Nations was established in 1918 at the

end of the first world war and this was

essentially to have the similar kind of

mandate the the UN has it was supposed

to be

a an international organization that

regulated

um peace and prosperity across the

across the globe tried to solve any kind

of diplomatic disputes in a peaceful

manner rather than through uh armed

conflict but it was limited in a number

of reasons it was limited in some of the

powers that it has it was limited in a

number of the states that were actually

part of the League of Nations so for the

most important example was the fact that

the the United States was not a member

and so therefore it would ultimately

fail and collapse and the the entire

world would collapse into another world

war so the United Nations is like a

revamped version if you will it is the

major Global political institutions

which regulates the relationship between

states according to the Charter of the

United Nations which was established in

1945 there are four main aims for this

institution the first is to maintain

Global Peace and security this is done

through the UN Security Council as well

as some other more subsidiary bodies

to encourage closer relation between

nation-states this is something that is

established through a number of

different bodies of the U.N

to provide greater respect for human

rights and international law which is

something that is also established when

we look at some of the human rights

dimensions of the United Nations for

example

um the uh the the universal Charter on

the universal Declaration of Human

Rights for example is is an example of

this as well as a number of different

institutions within the UN a number of

different U.N bodies and organs that all

have the collective goal of the

promotion of and creation of Human

Rights

and then we also have the providing of

global encouragement of Social and

economic well-being again quite a broad

um description there can mean a number

of different things and has meant a

number of different things and so

therefore has been a task that has been

provided by a number of different bodies

of the UN itself

now the main institutions of the United

Nations that we're going to focus on in

more detail over the next few lessons

are following we have the UN General

Assembly which we'll actually look at

second we'll have the U.N security

Council which we're going to begin with

in the next lesson uh we have the

international court of justice which

we've already been introduced to when we

look at a number of different cases the

international court of justice of course

being the principal judicial organ of

the United Nations and then we have the

UN economic and secure and social

Council

and so therefore these are the bodies

that we will explore but we will talk

about others we will talk about other

um parts of the UN that um don't

necessarily get the same kind of looking

compared to to these uh four main bodies

but the reason for this of course is

because the United Nations uh General

Assembly Security Council uh court of

justice and economic and social Council

are arguably the the largest and most

important of the UN organs

before I finish I just want to quickly

introduce the UN Security Council

because that's where we're going to

begin as I've mentioned already and

essentially when it comes to the

maintenance of Global Peace and security

The Authority where the majority of the

authority is held by the UN Security

Council there are 15 members of the UN

Security Council 10 of which are seats

that are handed to States on a

rotational basis so 10 of those seats

will

um be interchanging States as they come

and go and become members for a period

of time and then they then they leave

their post and become rotated out

but then the other five are permanent

members of the U.N security Council and

the five permanent members of the U.N

security Council are the United States

the United Kingdom the Russian

Federation uh China and France now

there's obviously quite an interesting

um Global hegemony that exists with the

permanent members considering the fact

that these are the established States

that had the most Authority at the end

of the second world war with the creator

of the Cold War these were the Allied

powers and China China's a separate

little story that we can explore in the

future but the four of the five main

members of the permanent members of the

security Council are the Allied Powers

at the end of the second world war so it

does give rise to the question of

whether or not there ought to be at all

permanent members of the security

Council for a start and also the extent

to which if there are permanent members

whether or not they should be a little

bit more representative of the entire

planet considering that we've got no uh

States here from the global South we all

they tend to be entirely European or

western states in in in in this regard

and so therefore those are questions

that have to be raised when it comes to

um the permanent members

there also has the additional problem of

the fact that the permanent members of

the security Council have quite

significant powers on the UNSC

specifically relating to the ability to

veto certain resolutions and the problem

with that is that if we have a

resolution that condemns one of the

permanent members for a particular

action that they are committing then

that can just be vetoed because one of

the members is a permanent member of the

security Council the most important

examples of this are of course the

vetoing of any uh resolution relating to

the uh illegal invasion of Ukraine by

Russia or in March of this year it's

quite difficult for the U.N security

Council to do anything in regard to the

Russia invasion of Ukraine because

Russia is a permanent member of the

security Council similarly uh when we

talk about uh potential crimes that have

been committed against uighur Muslims in

China that same the same problem arises

so there's a lot of balance and a lot of

politics that has to be examined and

sought after when we talk about the U.N

security Council and it should be noted

as well that the Russian Federation

almost assumed its position on the U.N

security Council because of course the

original members of the U.N security

Council were the UK the USA uh France

China and the Soviet Union but the

Soviet Union collapsed and so therefore

it was just assumed that the the

subsequent Russian Federation would take

that place and so there have been

arguments about whether or not you can

just kick Russia off the security

Council as a permanent member as a

result of this particular

um historical uh incident that takes

place

again all these things are going to be

examined in more detail in the future

lessons so stay tuned and the next

lesson we're going to focus in in way

more detail on the security Council

itself some of the work that it does

some of the powers that it has and some

of the historical things that have taken

place within its remit