To what extent did the end of the Cold War provide an impetus for the United Nations to re-establish itself at the heart of multi-lateral action

Running Head : THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND THE UNITED NATIONS : AN

The End of the Cold War and the United Nations : An Impetus for the Reestablishment of Multilateralism

Abstract

The end of the Cold War ushered in many significant changes in the international system . Many of these changes are seen to provide an impetus for the reestablishment of multilateralism and the collective security approach to the maintenance of international peace and security , under the aegis of the United Nations . The multilateral movement gathered momentum over the first few years

of the post-Cold War era and saw a number of peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations across the World . However , a careful inspection of these missions , and other instances when any action failed to materialize reveals that much of the impetus gained from the end of the Cold War conflict was lost due . Several factors contributed to this outcome , not least a lack of political will on the part of the United Nations and the Member States . The essay concludes by looking at the present situation and arguing that a similar opportunity as the one in 1991 has presented itself , leaving the United Nations in particular , and multilateralism in general , with a chance to redeem itself

Introduction : The UN during the Cold War

The end of the Second World War and the institution of the United Nations in 1945 were landmark events in the history of the world . While the conclusion of the War marked the demise of European imperialism (though the decolonisation process would continue till 1966 , it also signalled a change in the norms of international society . Based on the principles of collective security , as elaborated in the Charter of the United Nations , these emergent norms sanctified (international territorial boundaries , promising to usher in a new era of international history . However , the optimism and confidence which surrounded the formation of the United Nations - as a forward-looking model of international cooperation - was soon disturbed by the Soviet Union 's entry into the nuclear club in 1949 . This was the beginning of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR , which mired international politics , as well as the UN , in an ideological conflict for the next four and a half decades

Though the specifics of how the Cold War was fought fall outside the ambit of this , it is important to note its effects on the functioning of the UN . The composition of the UN Security Council - the organ charged with the maintenance of international peace and security - becomes salient here : as permanent members , both the United States and Soviet Union exercised the power of the veto (a single veto from any permanent being enough to sink a Security Council resolution , according to their geopolitical interests (see UN General Assembly , 2004 ,

br 13-19 . This crippled the development of the UN , while consequently stunting the evolution of multilateralism

Changes at the End of the Cold War : Impetus to UN Multilateralism

The end of the Cold War , in...