The Role of the UN in International Relations (Essay Sample)

The Role of the UN in International Relations
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The Role of the UN in International Relations
Positive international affairs encourage genial social and economic interactions among countries. Policies affecting travel, tourism, trade, business, and immigration are dependent on global politics as determined by existing regulations. More importantly, international organizations play a crucial role in enhancing and stabilizing world politics. As a multilateral agency, the United Nations (UN) brings the world closer through shared ideals of human rights and security. The organization essentially operates on the principle of sovereign equality of all member states, providing an impartial platform for addressing various global issues. While many countries have made remarkable political and socio-economic progress, the world still faces multiple threats that necessitate collective commitment and action. The UN promotes international relations through peacekeeping, human rights advocacy, and upholding intercontinental laws.
The UN’s primary mandate is ensuring global peace and security through collective strategies aimed at transitioning countries from conflict to stability. While multiple non-UN security interventions have emerged in the 21st century, UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs) are still considerably more effective in curbing civilian threats (Bara & Hultman, 2020). For instance, the UN is more competent in handling coercions from foreign terrorists than other international and domestic diplomatic entities. Notably, UN-led pacification mechanisms often entail burden-sharing for effectiveness, which facilitates mediation and security missions (Sandler, 2017). Members pledge to provide amenities and services in the forms of troop, financial, and infrastructure supplies.
In addition to maintaining peace and security, the UN promotes international relationships through human rights advocacy. The organization expresses its intentions of protecting civil liberties through its founding Charter and other subsequent provisions (United Nations, 2021). Departments like the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) address and promote discord for issues relating to human rights violations globally. The UN also utilizes legal instruments to safeguard the liberties of individuals and countries. For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is the foundation of regulations and diplomatic advances pertaining to human rights (United Nations, 2021). The UN’s participation in protecting human rights strengthens the global faith in inalienable freedoms and universal dignity, which, in turn, facilitates healthy geopolitics.
Further, the UN’s role in international relations involves upholding international law. In its preamble, the agency commits to promoting justice and respect for the rights and compulsions arising from treaties and transitional regulations (United Nations, 2021). The UN recognizes that international law is established to ensure the fair engagement of and resource sharing among countries. The UN also abides by the stipulated international policies when intervening in domestic and regional conflicts among neighboring nations (United Nations, 2021). For example, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the organization’s primary judicial organ tasked with mediating conflicting countries per international law. Other key organs like courts and tribunals adhere strictly to trans