The United Nations and Contemporary International Peace and Security: Challenges, Effectiveness and Reform in the Twenty-First Century
Prem Singh
Associate Professor, Government Maulana Azad Memorial Degree college, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Since 1945, the United Nations (UN) has been the main international body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. The organization has been established after the Second World War, and it has been very instrumental in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance and promotion of international cooperation. But the transformation of the international political landscape, growing geopolitical competition and the rise of new non-traditional security challenges have led to questions about the United Nations ability to meet its mandate. This study critically analyzes the role of UN in the twenty first century for maintaining peace and international security. It explores its achievements in the fields of peacekeeping, collective security, conflict resolution and humanitarian action, and investigations into the institutional, political and operational obstacles to its effectiveness. The study uses a qualitative research approach that relies on secondary data obtained from books, peer-reviewed journal articles, the official reports of the United Nations and policy documents. The theoretical framework of the paper is based on the concepts of Liberal Institutionalism and Realism, which suggests that the United Nations remains to be the foundation of multilateral diplomacy and global governance, however, the effectiveness of the UN is becoming more subject to the competing strategic interests of the great powers, especially within the Security Council. The paper calls for meaningful institutional changes such as strengthening the United Nations' capacity to tackle today's security issues, and calls for the restructuring of the Security Council, better peacekeeping mechanisms, better financial sustainability, and increased international cooperation. In spite of its constraints, the United Nations is an invaluable force for peace, stability and collective security in a complex global order.
Keywords: United Nations, International Peace, Collective Security, Peacekeeping, Security Council.
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