“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” -United Nations Charter – 1945
The true significance of the glorious human triumph, implicit in the UNGA 73 (United Nations General Assembly ‘73), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, passes very much unnoticed by many since it comes to them as yet another routine news item.
If we take an unerring perspective on the last 73 years of human history, the total population of 762 819325 people inhabiting the Earth today, will feel an inescapable sense of obligation to the United Nations Organisation.
Had men got embroiled in a World War 3, at any time during the last 73 years that would certainly have meant the obliteration of a good part of the human race on Earth? This is not at all an exaggeration. It is only a mere reference to the massive death-dealing weaponry, in the possession of some groups in our time.
We in Sri Lanka have a distinct reason for focussing on an in-depth study of the evolution of the United Nations, into its present unparalleled position.
President Maithripala Sirisena addressed the General Assembly on September 25. This marks the Sri Lankan President’s fourth consecutive address to the UNGA.
The current President of the United Nations General Assembly is Maria Ferdinanda Espinosa, a 54-year old lady Diplomat from Spain.
The General Assembly takes on an exceptionally significant position since it is the only venue at which the representatives of all the member nations gather together. The current membership of the United Nations is 193 in addition to the representatives of those member nations, two additional members participate, representing the observer States - Palestine and the Holy See, making the total number of participants 195. Since the total number of countries in the world today is 195, the United Nations Organisation turns out to be the first global organisation in human history that has the whole Earth as its domain.
Government of all the inhabitants of the world
In other words, the United Nations is the Government of all the inhabitants of the world.
The exaltation of the United Nations to this epic height is a human saga of unprecedented dramatic proportions. Its origin can be traced to the days of World War I, the origin can be traced to that lasted from July 28, 1914, to October 31, 1918. A calamity like the massive carnage that resulted from this disastrous encounter, had never happened in human history previously. It lacerated and scarred the souls of men and women so grievously, that leaders were persuaded to device a mechanism to prevent the recurrence of such a diabolical devastation. The document titled the draft of the constitution of the League of Nations, led to the establishment of the League of Nations, in 1919, as the instrument to prevent wars and ensure lasting peace.
But, it proved pathetically ineffective, and just in 20 years, the Second World War, raised its monstrous head, with the declaration of war on September 3, 1939. The group of Nations, described as the Axis – led primarily by Germany, Italy and Japan, challenged the Allied Group headed by the US, Britain, France, Russia and China.
The city structures were bombed until the rubble jumped. Lives were erased in their thousands in a jiffy.
Leaders of the Peace loving world took to action. They were prodded by the popular adage: “The glory of summer’s warmth is best appreciated when you are shivering in the bitter wintry cold”.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President US, was determined to bring into being a human era of lasting peace, fulfilling the earnest yearnings of the war-torn souls of the victimised world.
He was the first world leader to utilise the expression United Nations. Assisted by Winston Churchill of Britain, General Charles de Gaulle of France, Joseph Stalin of Russian and Chiang Kai-Shek of China and President Roosevelt set the peace effort in motion.
In San Francisco, US, at a conference held from April-June, 1945 the draft of the ‘United Nations Charter’ was formulated by the representatives of 50 countries. The official signing of the Charter took place in San Francisco on June 26, 1945. The draft was signed by the representatives of 51 Nations.
Prestigious history
The American Authorities brought a classical chair from a Museum, for the signatories to use when they signed the document. The chair had a prestigious history. It had been used by the great American Patriot Webster. But as things turned out, many of the delegates could not use the historical chair, as they were too plump. Anyway, it added a slightly humorous touch to the August ceremony. The charter took effect, officially on October 24, 1945. The original membership of 51 has now increased to 193.
Six principal organs activate the UN system. They are The General Assembly (UNGA), Security Council; the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.
(A special word is needed about the trusteeship council. Its function has been to guide newly Independent Nations to set up democratic administrations. It has functioned so well, that it is no longer needed. Its operations were suspended in 1994.)
UNGA provides a platform for this Great Human Institution, to take a selfie (as it were) of itself. At this forum, leaders present their individual perceptions of the world and its fluctuating fortunes, enabling the people at large to obtain a complex profile of their planetary home. When you take an objective view of this UNGA phenomenon, you will realise with an utterly surprising jolt, that there was never a previous occasion in history, where all the leaders could address from one common platform.
The decisions arrived at the Security Council have to be accepted by all the members of the UN. It is composed of the veto powers as permanent members and another 10 members, elected periodically. There are elected by the General Assembly for 2-year terms. The Big Five permanent members can exercise the veto, which can negate decisions, even if all have agreed to uphold them.
Of the six principal organs that form the core of the UN system, the Secretariat is the foremost. The Secretary-General of the UN is the centrally important ‘element’ of the whole of the UN system. He is both the heart and the brain of the United Nations. He had the capacity to guide the UN system, to ensure that the total organisation succeeds.
The Secretaries General include Trygvi Lee (Norway), Dag Hammarskjold (Sweden), U Thant (Burma – the only Buddhist Secretary-General so far), Kurt Waldheim (Austria), Javier Perez de Cuellar (Peru), Boutros Boutros–Ghali (Egypt), Kofi Annan (Ghana - he passed away at 80 on August 18), Ban Ki-moon (South Korea) and Antonio Guterres (Portugal) who is the incumbent Secretary-General.
All these Secretaries – Generals have steadily upheld the noble principles of the UN, even in the face of de-stabilizing challenges.
If one were to look, in an unbiased, objective and unprejudiced hindsight, at the 73-year history of the United Nations system, one cannot help but aver, with all the strength one can muster, that the UN phenomenon has saved mankind and the environment it inhabits.
Dignity and self-esteem
The UN system has been able to endow upon, even the smallest member-nations, a sense of dignity and self-esteem by making available to them assistance, privileges and guidance, with no regard what so ever about their relative size and statures.
One of the widest-spread benefits that the UN has been able to provide mankind, is the inculcation of the discipline of discussion, dialogue negotiation, colloquium, conferencing, seminar workshop participation while eschewing aggressive confrontations.
If the UN only operated some such Agencies as the WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNEP, the World Bank and the food and Agriculture Organisation, even that activity by itself would have amply, justified the existence of the UN.
However, over the last 73 years, the UN has pre-eminently succeeded in keeping the world safe from any massive conflagration that would have led to the terrible devastation of a Third World War, which could have annihilated even a good part of the human race.
During its 73 year-existence, the UN has introduced to the human community a handful of global statesmen, who have succeeded in guiding the destinies of mankind towards peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence. These personalities are the Secretaries-General of the UN.
Recently, when former Secretary-General Kofi Annan passed away, lavish tributes were paid to him, upholding his distinguished personality traits.
In a recent expression of views, the well-known social critic, San Bremmer, making a glowing reference to the incumbent UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had this to say:
“......UN Leadership still makes a difference. The current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has won well-deserved praise for a willingness to speak plainly, on tough issues even if it aggravates powerful member states.”
This way, the multifaceted benefits of the UN system, include the stature of outstanding personalities who guide the destinies of the UN system.
Even in the early days of the UN, harsh words of criticism, were aimed at the UN system, by some disgruntled individuals.
Carlos, a diplomat of the Philippines in the early days of the UN, articulated his displeasure, in this statement: At the UN, when a conflict arises between one underprivileged nation and another underprivileged nation, the conflict disappears. When a conflict flares up between a privileged nation and an underprivileged nation, the underprivileged nation disappears. When a conflict arises between one privileged nation and another privileged nation at the UN, the UN disappears.
Abba Eban, a former diplomat of Israel, had said that it closes when it rains.
Such sayings may have an archaic value, but do not reflect reality. The UN is presently very advanced. It is ready to serve. What is clearly wanting is, (according to authorities), a keen attention to the provision of support by those whose patronage fuels the bewilderingly variegated agenda of the UN. In the meantime, here in our own corner of the UN world, we must encourage the young to be fully equipped with all the information they can get about the UN. This is because the UN is their future.
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