By Hira Amjad

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945 that provides a forum for its members to express their views and to take action on the major issues confronting humanity, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights and gender equality. The UN has 193 member states, and two observer states, the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

The objectives of the UN are defined by its charter, which was adopted on 25 June 1945 and entered into force on 24 October 1945. The charter states that the UN aims to maintain international peace and security and take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace. It also includes the objective to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.

Furthermore, one of the fundamental objectives is to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

The UN has had many successes and failures in fulfilling its objectives. Some of the successes include Providing humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and pandemics, such as the UN World Food Programme, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace. Then, supporting the decolonization of many countries and territories and promoting the right to self-determination of all peoples, such as the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, which was established in 1961 and continues to monitor the situation of 17 non-self-governing territories, has been a significant landmark. Promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 and is considered the cornerstone of international human rights law, has also been a significant success.

Furthermore, the UN has also Advanced the cause of disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which was opened for signature in 1968 and had 191 parties, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996 and had 185 signatories—furthermore, fostering international cooperation on environmental issues, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was adopted in 1992 and had 197 parties, and the Paris Agreement, which was signed in 2016 and aimed to limit global warming to well below two °C above pre-industrial levels has also been successful.
The United Nations has also Supported the development of international law and justice, such as the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the UN and settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions, and the International Criminal Court, which is an independent institution that prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

Apart from success stories. There are some of the failures include:
Failing to prevent or stop some of the worst atrocities and genocides in history, such as the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, and the Darfur crisis in 2003;
Failing to resolve some of the most protracted and violent conflicts in the world, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Syrian civil war, and the Yemeni crisis;
Failing to reform its own structure and governance to reflect the changing realities and needs of the world, such as the composition and veto power of the Security Council, the representation and accountability of the General Assembly, and the transparency and efficiency of the Secretariat;
Failing to uphold its own principles and values, such as the respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the protection of civilians, in some of its operations and activities, such as the sexual abuse and exploitation by some UN peacekeepers, the cholera outbreak caused by some UN personnel in Haiti, and the lack of action on the human rights violations in Myanmar, China, and other countries.
One of the most challenging and longstanding conflicts that the UN has failed to resolve is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has its roots in the colonial act of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 when Britain promised the Zionist movement a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, where the Arab natives made up more than 90 per cent of the population. Since then, the conflict has been marked by wars, violence, displacement, occupation, settlements, and human rights violations, with no lasting peace or justice for either side.
The reasons for the failure of the UN in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are complex and multifaceted, but some of the main factors include:
The lack of political will and consensus among the key actors, especially the parties to the conflict and the members of the Security Council, to implement the existing resolutions and agreements, such as the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, the end of the Israeli occupation and settlements, and the recognition of the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood;
The lack of impartiality and credibility of the UN as a mediator and facilitator of the peace process due to the perceived bias and influence of some of its members, especially the United States, which has often used its veto power to block or weaken resolutions that are critical of Israel or supportive of the Palestinians;
The lack of accountability and enforcement of the UN resolutions and decisions due to the absence of effective mechanisms and sanctions to ensure compliance and respect for international law and human rights by both parties and the impunity and immunity enjoyed by some of the perpetrators of violations and crimes;
The lack of representation and participation of the Palestinian people and civil society in the UN:
The recent clashes between Hammas and Israel have once again reassured the significance and failure of the United Nations in bringing peace and development to Palestine. There are serious war crimes and human rights violations on the part of Israel against Palestinians. Therefore, the United Nations must rise up to its objectives and resolve the conflict on the merit of international law and justice.