The United Nations at 60 years of age

[Cowperson]

An opinion piece at BBC.com on the UN turning 60 . . . .

Relevant or irrelevant? More influential or less influential? Important or unimportant?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4363348.stm

Cowperson

[arsenal]

With out some serious reform, the UN is in trouble of repeating the League of Nations mistakes.

Countries that have permanent position on the security council are too busy worrying about their own country. Instead of thinking what is good for the entire world. The UN is a global council, and the countries should be working together.
I don't see that right now.

If countries ignore UN placed sanctions, and make back-door deals with countries under sanctions, then what is the point of sanctions in the first place?

The UN needs to put more effort into action and a more pro-active stance on world issues, instead of re-acting after months or years, and trying to catch up.

[Azure]

And something needs to be done with the Oil-for-Food scandel.

[Agamemnon]

With out some serious reform, the UN is in trouble of repeating the League of Nations mistakes.

You're right about that... hopefully the member-states agree and decide to reform the UN.

I wonder, sometimes, that people put TOO much emphasis on what the 'UN' should be doing. The 'UN' is the sum of it's parts, not an entity unto itself. The UN does not decide to do _anything_. It implements decisions made by it's members. It is a bureaucratic, administrative instrument for the World's Nations to use as they will.

If the UN reforms, it's because it's membership wants it. If it doesn't... you get the picture.

The UN needs to put more effort into action and a more pro-active stance on world issues, instead of re-acting after months or years, and trying to catch up.

Right... through and as a result of it's member-states. The UN itself, as I said above, cannot resolve to do _anything_ without guidance from the World's National leaderships.

That's why it's so dang hard to get anything done. I'm sure Kofi and the UN are as frustrated at lack of reform as the rest, but it's not up to them to vote on it.