9781422285442

The United Nations Leadership and Challenges in a Global World

The Birth of the UN, Decolonization, and Building Strong Nations

Series Advisor Dr. Bruce Russett, Dean Acheson Professor of International Relations, Yale University

The United Nations Leadership and Challenges in a Global World The Birth of the UN, Decolonization, and Building Strong Nations

The United Nations: Leadership and Challenges in a Global World

T i t l e L i s t

• The Birth of the UN, Decolonization, and Building Strong Nations

• The History, Structure, and Reach of the UN

• The UN Security Council and the Center of Power

• Humanitarian Relief and Lending a Hand

• International Security and Keeping the Peace

• International Law and Playing by the Rules

• Antiterrorism Policy and Fighting Fear

• Cultural Globalization and Celebrating Diversity

• Economic Globalization and Sustainable Development

• Human Rights and Protecting Individuals

The United Nations Leadership and Challenges in a Global World

The Birth of the UN, Decolonization, and Building Strong Nations

Sheila Nelson

Series Advisor Bruce Russett

Mason Crest Publishers Philadelphia

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Copyright @ 2016 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3427-3 ISBN: 978-1-4222-3430-3 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8544-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file

Design by Sherry Williams and Tilman Reitzle, Oxygen Design Group. Cover photos: Fotolia/Nobilior (top); UN Photo (bottom).

Contents Introduction . 6 1. The Beginnings of the United Nations . 9 2. The Trusteeship System . 21 3. Non-Self-Governing Territories . 35 4. The International Decades for the Eradication of Colonialism. 51 5. Territories Helped by the Decolonization Process. 61 Time Line. 78 Further Research . 80 Series Glossary . 81 Index . 84 Picture Credits . 87 Biographies. 88 Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text, while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxedmaterial within themain text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. SeriesGlossary of KeyTerms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout the series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field. KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Introduction by Dr. Bruce Russett

T he United Nations was founded in 1945 by the victors of WorldWar II. They hoped the new organization could learn from the mistakes of the League of Nations that followedWorldWar I—and prevent another war. The United Nations has not been able to bring worldwide peace; that would be an unrealistic hope. But it has contributed in important ways to the world’s experience of more than sixty years without a new world war. Despite its flaws, the United Nations has contributed to peace. Like any big organization, the United Nations is composed of many separate units with different jobs. These units make three different kinds of contributions. The most obvious to students in North America and other democracies are those that can have a direct and immediate impact for peace. Especially prominent is the Security Council, which is the only UN unit that can authorize the use of military force against countries and can require all UN members to cooperate in isolating an aggressor country’s economy. In the Security Council, each of the big powers—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—can veto any proposed action. That’s because the founders of United Nations recognized that if the Council tried to take any military action against the strong opposition of a big power it would result in war. As a result, the United Nations was often sidelined during the Cold War era. Since the end of the Cold War in 1990, however, the Council has authorized many military actions, some directed against specific aggressors but most intended as more neutral peacekeeping efforts. Most of its peacekeeping efforts have been to end civil wars rather than wars between countries. Not all have succeeded, but many have. The United Nations Secretary-General also has had an important role in mediating some conflicts. UN units that promote trade and economic development make a different kind of contribution.Some help to establish free markets for greater prosperity, or like the UN Development Programme, provide economic and

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The United Nations

technical assistance to reduce poverty in poor countries.Some are especially concerned with environmental problems or health issues. For example, the World Health Organization and UNICEF deserve great credit for eliminating the deadly disease of smallpox from the world. Poor countries especially support the United Nations for this reason. Since many wars, within and between countries, stem from economic deprivation, these efforts make an important indirect contribution to peace. Still other units make a third contribution: they promote human rights. The High Commission for Refugees, for example, has worked to ease the distress of millions of refugees who have fled their countries to escape from war and political persecution.A special unit of the Secretary-General’s office has supervised and assisted free elections in more than ninety countries. It tries to establish stable and democratic governments in newly independent countries or in countries where the people have defeated a dictatorial government.Other units promote the rights of women, children, and religious and ethnic minorities. The General Assembly provides a useful setting for debate on these and other issues. These three kinds of action—to end violence, to reduce poverty, and to promote social and political justice—all make a contribution to peace. True peace requires all three, working together. The UN does not always succeed: like individuals, it makes mistakes . . . and it often learns from its mistakes. Despite the United Nations’ occasional stumbles, over the years it has grown and moved for-ward.These books will show you how.

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Introduction

U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt and UK prime minister Winston Churchill meet on board the HMS Prince of Wales in August of 1941 for a religious service; the gather- ing was part of the Atlantic Conference during which the two leaders discussed World War II and the possibility of a postwar organization to help prevent future wars.

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The United Nations

Chapter one

The Beginnings of the United Nations

As World War II raged in Europe and Asia, leaders of the Allied countries met often to talk about war strategies—and to figure out how to make sure a similar war never happened again. During these meetings, they decided to form an organization of nations, an organization that would work for peace and help the peoples of the world live better lives.The Allied leaders felt a large group of countries actively working to bring about peace and world development would be able to prevent future world wars and the spreading power of tyrannical dictators such as Adolf Hitler. Wo r d s t o U n d e r s ta n d decolonization : the act of granting a colony its independence. economic sanctions : coercive measures—such as refusing to import a nation’s products—adopted to force a nation violating international law to stop its actions. tyrannical : characterized by oppressive power. unanimous : relating to a situation in which all members agree. wielded : used something, especially power or authority.

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Chapter One

The Declaration by United Nations, an effort during World War II by the Allied powers to establish a unified front, was signed on January 1, 1942. It was one of the first usages of the term “united nations.”

In 1945, delegates from fifty countries met in San Francisco, California, and drew up a charter for the United Nations (UN). The Charter listed the purposes of the organization as: 1. To maintain international peace and security. 2. To develop friendly relationships among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. 3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems. Representatives from fifty-one countries (the fifty who had met in San Francisco, plus Poland, who had not been able to attend the convention) signed the Charter, showing their approval and support. On October 24, 1945, the United Nations officially began its existence after the five permanent Security Council members—the United States, United Kingdom,USSR (now Russia), France, and China—ratified its charter.

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The United Nations

PREAMBLE OF THE UN CHARTER

We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, And for these Ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, Have Resolved to Combine our Efforts to Accomplish these Aims Accordingly, our respectiveGovernments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

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Delegates to the League of Nations at its first meeting on November 15, 1920, in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The United Nations

The League of Nations The United Nations was not the first international organization. AfterWorld War I, forty-two countries formed a similar group, called the League of Nations. The League of Nations had been the idea of American president WoodrowWilson,and its goals were very much like those of the later United Nations.The League wanted to prevent another war and make the world a better place for all people. Unfortunately, the League had a number of problems from its founding in 1919. One problem was that the United States never joined the orga- nization, preferring to focus on national interests, in spite of the fact the idea behind the League of Nations came from an American leader. With one of the major world powers missing, the League never had the power it could have wielded . Another problem was that so many countries wanted to avoid war at any cost. Although this looked like a good thing, it meant that the countries of the League of Nations, such as the United Kingdom and France, preferred to avoid confrontations with tyrants rather than enforce economic sanctions against, for example, the growing threat of Nazi Germany. Probably the most serious problem facing the League of Nations was that any decision made by the League Council had to be approved by all the members. Since the Council was made up of nine to fifteen mem- bers—at different times— unanimous decisions were nearly impossible, meaning very little was actually accomplished. World War II began in 1939, and the League of Nations had not been able to prevent it.The member countries knew the League had failed in its purpose, and the League Assembly and Council did not meet at all during the war.The United Nations replaced the League of Nations, carrying over many of the same goals and purposes. The new organization began its first official meetings in January of 1946, and the League of Nations was disbanded in April of the same year.

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Chapter One

U.S. ambassador to Poland, Arthur Bliss Lane (center), in Poland, viewing the destruction in that country in 1945 after the end of World War II.

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The United Nations