United Nations. Fit for Purpose. Discuss
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Somewhere very sunny !
Age: 51
Posts: 321
United Nations. Fit for Purpose. Discuss
What have the UN actually done ? A lot of hot air but no action?
North Korea gets away with multiple breaches
Russia gets away with invading a sovereign country
The list goes on and on.
I've seen them in action....or lack of in East Timor. What a waste of money
North Korea gets away with multiple breaches
Russia gets away with invading a sovereign country
The list goes on and on.
I've seen them in action....or lack of in East Timor. What a waste of money
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lemonia. Best Greek in the world
Posts: 1,733
Not a lot.
Look at the following UNICEF Board members. All entitled to fly around the world First Class....Africa
Algeria
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Liberia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Eastern Europe
Estonia
Poland
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Asia
Bangladesh
China
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Republic of Korea
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Latin America and Caribbean
Argentina
Costa Rica
Cuba
Grenada
Paraguay
Look at the following UNICEF Board members. All entitled to fly around the world First Class....Africa
Algeria
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Liberia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Eastern Europe
Estonia
Poland
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Asia
Bangladesh
China
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Republic of Korea
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Latin America and Caribbean
Argentina
Costa Rica
Cuba
Grenada
Paraguay
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 449
Originally Posted by Ancient Observer
Not a lot.
Look at the following UNICEF Board members. All entitled to fly around the world First Class....Africa
Algeria
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Liberia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Eastern Europe
Estonia
Poland
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Asia
Bangladesh
China
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Republic of Korea
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Latin America and Caribbean
Argentina
Costa Rica
Cuba
Grenada
Paraguay
Look at the following UNICEF Board members. All entitled to fly around the world First Class....Africa
Algeria
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Liberia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Eastern Europe
Estonia
Poland
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Asia
Bangladesh
China
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Republic of Korea
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Latin America and Caribbean
Argentina
Costa Rica
Cuba
Grenada
Paraguay
Western Europe and Others
Australia
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Italy
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Richard Burtonville, South Wales.
Posts: 2,148
Originally Posted by Avionker
One assumes that you inadvertently omitted the following members?
Western Europe and Others
Australia
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Italy
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Western Europe and Others
Australia
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Italy
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
CG
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 408
I agree with much of the criticism. But UN is not about what it is NOT but what it IS. And when you look at the General Assembly votes you can see a clear judgement. This is the entire world speaking. And it has had weight versus the most ruthless and brutal characters before. Over time it can change things. It is better to have the UN than to be left without anything like it.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Age: 65
Posts: 60
https://www.history.com/topics/world...united-nations
Since its inception, the United Nations has performed numerous humanitarian, environmental and peace-keeping undertakings, including:
Since its inception, the United Nations has performed numerous humanitarian, environmental and peace-keeping undertakings, including:
- Providing food to 90 million people in over 75 countries
- Assisting more than 34 million refugees
- Authorizing 71 international peacekeeping missions
- Working with 140 nations to minimize climate change
- Assisting about 50 countries per year with their elections
- Providing vaccinations for 58 percent of children in the world
- Helping about 30 million women a year with maternal health efforts
- Protecting human rights with 80 treaties and declarations
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Texas
Age: 63
Posts: 5,976
I am with golfbanana and Less Hair on this: the UN has some strengths, but it is not all things to all people, and it should not be.
Too much power located in too few hands is not something that is good (as various EU opponents will remind you)
As a collective security organization, the UN has some utility, but it is constrained by the veto without which the Powers of the world would never have joined.
It surely has its faults and inefficiencies, but I find the OP's tone to be too dismissive and suffering from a lack of perspective.
And, as with any collection of bureaucrats, the never ending requirement for vigilance and transparency is needed. That means that it will be criticized, but that's a good thing.
Too much power located in too few hands is not something that is good (as various EU opponents will remind you)
As a collective security organization, the UN has some utility, but it is constrained by the veto without which the Powers of the world would never have joined.
It surely has its faults and inefficiencies, but I find the OP's tone to be too dismissive and suffering from a lack of perspective.
It is better to have the UN than to be left without anything like it.
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Manchester, England
Age: 56
Posts: 879
Originally Posted by Ancient Observer
At least we are free to criticise our Governments and their actions. We won't be imprisoned for 15 years for what a government considers to be fake news.
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Perth, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Age: 70
Posts: 846
Originally Posted by Impress to inflate
What have the UN actually done ? A lot of hot air but no action?
...................................
Russia gets away with invading a sovereign country
...................................
Russia gets away with invading a sovereign country
Something that NATO is not doing, perhaps?
I think that I remember Khofi Annan once saying words to the effect "until there is a genuine desire for peace on BOTH sides then there is no point at all in the UN committing peace-keeping forces".
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,523
The U N is what it is It is not what some people would wish and believe it to be
It is not a 'Universal Foreign Legion'. It has no forces, save those which are allocated to it by member States.Its mandates are dependant on the Permanent Members being in agreement.
Above all else, it is a 'forum of last resort' - an essential 'talking shop' in a world which has become inceasingly self-centred and subject to the arrogance of a minority.
In the same way that "Flight Safety is expensive ... until you compare it to the cost of an accident", so, the U N is expensive ..... until .... international disputes need somewhere to talk.
It is not a 'Universal Foreign Legion'. It has no forces, save those which are allocated to it by member States.Its mandates are dependant on the Permanent Members being in agreement.
Above all else, it is a 'forum of last resort' - an essential 'talking shop' in a world which has become inceasingly self-centred and subject to the arrogance of a minority.
In the same way that "Flight Safety is expensive ... until you compare it to the cost of an accident", so, the U N is expensive ..... until .... international disputes need somewhere to talk.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Now officially on Life's scrap heap, now being an Age Pensioner and not liking it one little bit! I'd rather be flying but in the meantime still continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
Age: 67
Posts: 2,797
.Its mandates are dependant on the Permanent Members being in agreement.
In my opinion; No.
I actually consider the UN nothing more than a WOFTAM.
I'm also sure that others will disagree. Feel free to do so.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: With the Wizard
Posts: 58
WARNING: AVIATION CONTENT
Not denying that many of the UN Specialised agencies do good work and even on this forum most would recognise the value of much of the work of ICAO; however...
East Timor, as it was early this century and UNOPS commissioned a new procedure for the NDB, using the current position as the older charts showed the position incorrectly. New procedure designed and check flown and presented to the aviation lead of UNOPS in Dili along with data and a brief on procedures for it to be promulgated. "It will only be available for use by UNOPS aircraft" the design team were told. Reason: UN had paid for it so why should others benefit.
Fast forward a couple of years to 31 Jan 03 and an IL62 crashed a few km short of Bacau flying a dodgy GNSS procedure designed in haste in the cockpit after a couple of failed attempts at an NDB using the old plates BUT the NDB position used in the dodgy design was take from the old plates and not the correct position as shown on the plates commissioned by UNOPS.
The investigators were provided with information on the attitude and significant safety lapse by UNOPS.
And in Kabul in 2008, every UN agency had it's own logistics set up - absolute waste of resources and the cause of much if the traffic chaos.
Gne
Not denying that many of the UN Specialised agencies do good work and even on this forum most would recognise the value of much of the work of ICAO; however...
East Timor, as it was early this century and UNOPS commissioned a new procedure for the NDB, using the current position as the older charts showed the position incorrectly. New procedure designed and check flown and presented to the aviation lead of UNOPS in Dili along with data and a brief on procedures for it to be promulgated. "It will only be available for use by UNOPS aircraft" the design team were told. Reason: UN had paid for it so why should others benefit.
Fast forward a couple of years to 31 Jan 03 and an IL62 crashed a few km short of Bacau flying a dodgy GNSS procedure designed in haste in the cockpit after a couple of failed attempts at an NDB using the old plates BUT the NDB position used in the dodgy design was take from the old plates and not the correct position as shown on the plates commissioned by UNOPS.
The investigators were provided with information on the attitude and significant safety lapse by UNOPS.
And in Kabul in 2008, every UN agency had it's own logistics set up - absolute waste of resources and the cause of much if the traffic chaos.
Gne
