The history of the Cold War is well-known to foreign policy analysis scholars, yet the United Nations’ role and its lost opportunities in the Cold War era remain largely undervalued, overlooked and misinterpreted. This paper attempts to sort out this missing puzzle and its current foreign policy implications.
After the failure of the League of Nations, the foundation of the United Nations as a result of the conclusion of the WWII was the second brave political endeavour to unite nation states into a collective security system with the initial dream of a community of nations defending human rights and promoting collective good. When the Cold War plagued the world with its bipolar conflicts, the United Nations was, to a large extent, excluded …show more content…
Before 1955, the United States thwarted the admission of countless Soviet followers while the Soviet Union, in turn, blocked pro-Western states. Moreover, the Cold War made collective action overwhelmingly difficult, as both the United States and the Soviet Union had permanent seats on the Security Council with veto power.
The young United Nations had been largely disadvantaged by the Cold War, but the idea is not true, albeit widespread, that it had been reduced to inactivity like a “sleeping beauty”. Among the efforts the UN had made, there were four significant achievements or changes that were attained during the Cold War, as highlighted in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, it is part of the UN’s contribution to prevent the Cold War from becoming “hot” worldwide. At many crossroads throughout the Cold War — such as the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan — the UN repeatedly provided a platform for the airing of grievances and resentments and further negotiation (O’Sullivan, 2015). Considering the two cataclysmic world wars before the birth of the UN, which claimed 75 million lives, one can argue that the UN system should be applauded for what had not happened since its foundation, as opposed to what …show more content…
790). The decolonized states, once permitted with entry into United Nations, had significantly influenced the power structure of the UN by their considerable size, particularly in the General Assembly. They later united and formed the Group of 77 in 1964 to gather and represent the Third World’s political control and ideological domination. The UN gradually washed away its bad image of being the “playground” of those big states. Expectedly, this new majority composed an agenda focusing the demands and beliefs of its members, thus discussing foreign aids and promoting economic development of Third World states rose to be important parts of the UN 's activity, which continues to be a prominent topic
After the failure of the League of Nations, the foundation of the United Nations as a result of the conclusion of the WWII was the second brave political endeavour to unite nation states into a collective security system with the initial dream of a community of nations defending human rights and promoting collective good. When the Cold War plagued the world with its bipolar conflicts, the United Nations was, to a large extent, excluded …show more content…
Before 1955, the United States thwarted the admission of countless Soviet followers while the Soviet Union, in turn, blocked pro-Western states. Moreover, the Cold War made collective action overwhelmingly difficult, as both the United States and the Soviet Union had permanent seats on the Security Council with veto power.
The young United Nations had been largely disadvantaged by the Cold War, but the idea is not true, albeit widespread, that it had been reduced to inactivity like a “sleeping beauty”. Among the efforts the UN had made, there were four significant achievements or changes that were attained during the Cold War, as highlighted in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, it is part of the UN’s contribution to prevent the Cold War from becoming “hot” worldwide. At many crossroads throughout the Cold War — such as the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan — the UN repeatedly provided a platform for the airing of grievances and resentments and further negotiation (O’Sullivan, 2015). Considering the two cataclysmic world wars before the birth of the UN, which claimed 75 million lives, one can argue that the UN system should be applauded for what had not happened since its foundation, as opposed to what …show more content…
790). The decolonized states, once permitted with entry into United Nations, had significantly influenced the power structure of the UN by their considerable size, particularly in the General Assembly. They later united and formed the Group of 77 in 1964 to gather and represent the Third World’s political control and ideological domination. The UN gradually washed away its bad image of being the “playground” of those big states. Expectedly, this new majority composed an agenda focusing the demands and beliefs of its members, thus discussing foreign aids and promoting economic development of Third World states rose to be important parts of the UN 's activity, which continues to be a prominent topic