NEW YORK, Jun 26 (Alliance News): Eighty years after it was signed in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations Charter remains a landmark document promising peace, human dignity, and international cooperation.
Yet, as conflict continues to rage across multiple regions and veto powers stall key interventions, the global community is increasingly questioning whether the UN is fulfilling the purpose it was created for.
On June 26, 1945, delegates from 50 nations signed the Charter in San Francisco, committing to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The UN officially came into existence later that year, on October 24, 1945.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the Charter’s 80th anniversary this week, reiterating its vision as a “promise of peace, dignity, and cooperation among nations.”
But critics say those promises ring hollow in a world where war, aggression, and impunity remain unchecked—even by the organization tasked with preventing them.
Structured across 19 chapters and 111 articles, the Charter outlines the framework for peaceful conflict resolution, state sovereignty, human rights, and humanitarian cooperation. Importantly, Chapter VII empowers the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force in the face of threats to international peace.
However, the Council’s credibility is often undermined by geopolitical divisions and the veto powers held by its five permanent members—China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
These vetoes frequently paralyze the UN’s capacity to respond decisively to international crises.
A glaring recent example is the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites—justified by Washington as “collective self-defence.” Tehran, with support from China, accused the U.S. of violating the UN Charter. Yet, no unified action or condemnation followed from the Security Council.
Analysts argue that such selective enforcement undermines the institution. “For self-defence, you really have to show evidence of an imminent attack,” said Gissou Nia, a fellow at the Atlantic Council. “The narrative has really gotten away from us.”
She noted that the UN has also failed to tackle the “crime of aggression” effectively, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the 2003 U.S.-led war in Iraq as examples where no accountability was enforced.
Although the General Assembly condemned Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, no similar action came from the Security Council due to Russia’s veto. Moreover, while the Charter allows for persistent violators to be expelled from the UN, this clause has never been exercised.
The only comparable action was the suspension of South Africa from the General Assembly in 1974 due to apartheid, a ban that lasted until the early 1990s.
Today, the United Nations has 193 member states. But for many observers, its effectiveness hinges not on the ideals of its founding document, but on the political will—or lack thereof—of its most powerful members.
