What are the main roles that the United Nations plays in international Essay

What are the main roles that the United Nations plays in international politics To what extent is it successful, and how should that success be gauged - Essay Example Economic instability and imperialistic tendencies led to WWI and WWII, a fact not lost on the founding nations of the UN. The Security Council, the most influential component of the UN is responsible for preserving international security. Comprised of 15 member nations, five of which, the UK, US, Russia, China and France are permanent members, the Security Council convenes whenever it considers a threat to world peace exists. The UN General Assembly, all member nations, gathers at regular intervals to deliberate international problems (â€Å"The United Nations†, 2007). Recent and continuing issues addressed by the UN include alleviating world hunger and disease, reducing child deaths, protecting the civil rights, language and culture of indigenous peoples of the world and confronting global warming, AIDS, the genocide in Sudan, victims of natural disasters and war crimes among many other topics (UN News Service, 2007). No one can debate that the formation of the UN has provided relief and stabilisation for millions of the world’s population over the past 60 years. However, many rightfully question the ability of this international organisation to successfully manage present and future adverse scenarios. The power of the UN to stop imperialist actions was put in serious doubt when it could not stop the US from invading a sovereign country that did not initiate military conflict. The genocide in Darfur, Sudan was ignored until just recently and many thousands of children worldwide die from starvation every day. In addition, globalization has gone far beyond the scope of what could have been imagined in 1945. â€Å"Globalization has also created new vulnerabilities to old threats. Criminal networks take advantage of the most advanced technologies to traffic around the world in drugs, arms, precious metals and stones even people† (â€Å"We the