The United Nations: Managing Unrealistic Expectations

Abstract

Born out of the ashes of two destructive world wars, the nascent United Nations (UN) survived the bitter Cold War era, briefly thrived in the post-Cold War period, and—despite the advent of new challenges, actors, and institutions in the post-9/11 age—remains primus inter pares among international organizations. Indeed, in spite of threats from within and without in the twenty-first century, the UN—as arena, agent, and actor—continues to contribute to the global discourse on peace and security, development, and human rights. The adoption of Security Council resolution 1540 on non-proliferation and non-state actors, the successful negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Sustainable Development Goals, the climate change agreements, the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council, as well as the special procedures and investigations on human rights are indicative of this trend. However, the implementation of these norms and agreements remain uneven at best and non-existent at worst. Moreover, the trend of countries pursuing “nation first” policies that threaten multilateralism and global governance is likely to further impair the UN’s operational role. This chapter examines the UN’s efforts in ensuring its continued relevance by managing global discontinuities, disruptions, and preventing its own destruction.