Eighty years ago this Thursday, amidst the devastation of World War II, fifty nations came together to sign the United Nations Charter. The aim was ambitious: to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
This week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that the Charter represents “a promise of peace, dignity and cooperation among nations.”
However, critics argue that the UN has been largely ineffective in preventing the numerous conflicts that have erupted and continue to rage across the globe.
Here’s a look back at the history and challenges surrounding the UN Charter.
The Charter, conceived during the early years of World War II, was signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945, and officially established the United Nations on October 24, 1945.
Spanning 19 chapters and 111 articles, it outlines fundamental principles of international relations, including the peaceful resolution of disputes, the sovereignty and equality of nations, humanitarian collaboration, and respect for human rights.
Chapter VII of the Charter grants the UN Security Council the authority to impose sanctions or even deploy military force in response to threats to global peace.
The Charter, which is notoriously difficult to amend, also established key UN bodies such as the Security Council (with its five permanent, veto-wielding members), the General Assembly, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice.
Today, the United Nations boasts 193 member states.
Despite its noble principles, the Charter has been repeatedly violated over the past eight decades.
Member states often disagree on issues like whether the principle of self-determination overrides non-interference in a nation’s internal affairs, or if the right to self-defense can justify acts of aggression.
A recent example involves Tehran, supported by China, accusing Washington of violating the Charter by striking Iranian nuclear sites. The United States defended its actions by invoking the right to “collective self-defense.”
Gissou Nia, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, points out that the international community has consistently failed to address the “crime of aggression,” citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and the US invasion of Iraq.
“Impunity breeds impunity,” she told *AFP*, “and countries use it to justify their own actions.”
Nia added that the definition of “self-defense” is a contentious issue under the UN Charter, requiring evidence of an imminent attack, and that the narrative surrounding it has become distorted.
While the UN Secretary-General Guterres and the General Assembly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as a clear violation of the Charter, the Security Council, where Russia holds veto power, did not.
Although the Charter allows for the expulsion of persistent violators, this has never occurred.
However, in 1974, the UN suspended South Africa from the General Assembly for its apartheid policies, a ban that lasted for two decades.