“A Love-Hate Affair”

1. “A Love-Hate Affair” • What has been the relationship between Bush and the U.N.? What is the reason for this? • List 3 criticisms of the U.N. • Who pays the U.N.’s bills? How is payment determined? What three countries pay the most? • List 8 achievements of the U.N. • Why might the U.N. have good reason to resent the United States? • What recent problems have hurt the U.N.’s reputation and led to call for reform?

2. “Ali G” Visits the United Nations

3. Founding of the United Nations • U.N. founded at the end of World War II by the Allied Powers that won the war • Created under United States leadership • Replaced the weak League of Nations • U.S. had never joined this organization • Failed to prevent WWII • Charter signed in San Francisco by 51 original members nations on October 24, 1945

4. Purposes of the United Nations • To maintain peace and stability throughout the world • To develop friendly relations among nations • To cooperate in solving international problems • To promote respect for human rights and freedoms • To be a center (location) for helping nations achieve these aims

5. United Nations Headquarters … A center for nations to achieve these aims.

6. Principles of the United Nations • Sovereign Equality – Each member in the General Assembly has one vote • Members must: • try to settle their differences through peaceful means • avoid the threat or use of force against any other state • commit themselves to world peace through “international cooperation” and collective security”

7. Collective Security • Aggression against one state is aggression against all and should be defeated by the collective action of all

8. The United Nations IS/IS NOT… • IS: • A multilateral organization • An association of independent states (SOVEREIGN) • Charter forbids U.N. from interfering in the domestic affairs of any country* • IS NOT: • A World Government • Does not have the power to tax or make laws • Does not have an independent military force • Only has the power provided by its members

9. The Organs of the United Nations • General Assembly • Security Council • Secretariat • Economic and Social Council • International Court of Justice • Trusteeship Council • Organs of the United Nations

10. Security Council Stuff • Permanent Members (U.S., Great Britain, France, Russia, China) • NOT necessarily the wealthiest or most powerful countries in the world • These were the winners in WWII • Power in the Security Council • Some members have more power than others • Security Council make-up does not reflect geopolitical power in today’s globalized world • Call to increase the size of the Security Council w/o expanding the veto power

11. Final Key Thoughts • Multilateralism • Idealism and cooperation • Not just the national interests of individual nations • Difference between Peacekeeping and Peacemaking • Peacemaking - bring warring parties toward peace or to prevent political and armed conflicts from escalating • Peacekeeping – Neutral military forces to enforce truces or cease-fires • Humanitarian Interventions • Prevent human rights violations • Relieve human suffering