Chapter 6: Diplomacy: United Nations

Chapter 6: Diplomacy: United Nations

4b)  Solving international disputes are the most important work of the United Nations. Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

4c) Help in economic development is the key benefit for Singapore in joining the United Nations. How far do you agree? Explain.

The role played by the United Nations	Why is this an important role?
Solving international disputes = conflicts between nations An example of how disputes are solved in through the: Sub-factor/Example:   UN security Council à 5 permanent members + 10 non-permanent members à Role is to maintain peace and security in the world à provides a platform for world leaders to discuss disputes and problems between nations peacefully and to decide what cause of action is best to solve the problem including the use of force. Sub-factor/Example: Peacekeeping forces is another way in which international disputes can be resolved by having UN soldiers to ensure that peace is maintained in areas where there was previously war.	So what? Why is this an important role? Important role à Ensuring that if there is disputes there is an opportunity and platform for nations to discuss their differences à this ensures that peaceful discussion is done instead of going to war where many people can get hurt and the world economy can also be harmed. If the UN decides that force must be used à such as when a more powerful nation invades a weaker nation e.g. Iraq invading Kuwait in 1990, then the world governments can act in coordination through the UN to stop a nation like Iraq that has violated international law by invading another state à this will help resolve the conflict much sooner + deter other nations from breaking international laws as well. Peacekeeping duties of the UN is also part of the important role played by the UN in ensuring that conflicts are resolved in the long-term à Peacekeeping forces ensure that the sides having conflicts stop their conflict and heal their differences à The UN peacekeepers also help to rebuild these war-torn nations à this is part of the process of ensuring that the disputes are permanently resolved.
Supporting economic development of less developed states à The UN sends experts to help these nations develop economically and to industrialise.	So what? Why is this an important role? Less developed nations need help to strengthen their economies à The UN is one of the only sources of help they haveà without UN help, these nations will remain poor and their people will suffer à jobless and having little income since their economy is weak. e.g. When Singapore was first independent, the UN helped by sending Albert Winsemius , an economist to help Singapore’s industrialisation.
UN creates laws that govern international behaviour à UN creates laws that dictate how nations should behave towards one another à This ensures that the world is orderly à powerful nations do not take advantage of weaker nations.	So what? Why is this an important role? The UN’s laws ensure that nations do not in take advantage of one another à if this happens à Smaller and weaker nations will come under occupation by powerful nations or be taken advantage of openly à people in these weaker nations will suffer à hence UN’s laws prevent this from happening à therefore important role.
Weighing – Which of 3 the roles of the UN is the most important? The most important role the UN plays is the creation of international law by which all nations have to abide/follow. This is the most important role because it is international law that can be used to resolve disputes between nations and prevent disputes from occurring. If there is no international law created by the UN, more nations will be at odds with one another and more disputes will arise à this will not support economic growth in the world and hence there would be no need for the UN to carry out its role to support economic development à hence the most important role of the UN must be in their creation and enforcement of international law.