---
title: "The Failure of the United Nations"
description: "The United Nations (UN) has been upheld as a noble, shining beacon of international cooperation in the modern world. Founded in 1945, the United Nations…"
url: https://www.independentpress.com/article/the-failure-of-the-united-nations
date: 2026-04-07
categories: ["Politics","International"]
author: "Allie Pallotta  "
---

# The Failure of the United Nations

![The Failure of the United Nations](https://images.ctfassets.net/ewtdlsoyixc1/2bRnBSDmYE0yrwLOoQMmud/71d1178ecc2dbeb5623d1843d92ea515/The_Failure_of_the_United_Nations.jpg)

The United Nations (UN) has been upheld as a noble, shining beacon of international cooperation in the modern world. Founded in 1945, the United Nations emerged from the rubble of World War II with the aims to promote peace and security among member nations through the rule of law. It served as the successor to Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations and has gone on to define and govern the international order since its founding. As countries began to decolonize and join the UN, the UN slowly expanded and shifted its post-war security initiatives to support the sustainable development of these regions. While the UN has enabled immense growth and provided aid to developing countries, its effectiveness at managing conflicts has come under renewed scrutiny. 

As the UN was being formed, its principles and structure were carefully designed to prevent the rise of another fascist regime like the Nazis. However, one of the main criticisms the UN has faced is its inability to prevent and prosecute war crimes. Notably, during the Rwandan Civil War (1990-1994), Rwandan militias committed genocide on the country’s Tutsi population, killing hundreds of thousands of people. As the conflict took place, the UN failed to maintain order and withdrew its forces despite the increasing threat of ethnic violence. Moreover, in the aftermath of the war, UN investigations conducted through the Tribunal for Rwanda into the genocide and other crimes against humanity ultimately failed to recognize the Rwandan genocide and prosecute the responsible perpetrators.

Now, almost thirty years after the UN’s failure in Rwanda, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has given rise to similar concerns. In 2024, multiple agencies and organizations, including the International Criminal Court, declared that Israel was responsible for war crimes involving the destruction of religious and educational sites in the Gaza strip. However, despite this growing consensus, Israel has continued to deny the allegations, and any move on the UN or similar organizations’ behalf toward prosecution or sanctions on Israel have been noticeably absent. With hardly any action being taken, tensions in the region have become increasingly fraught.

The UN’s inaction in these cases can be attributed to disparities in representation within its system. Over the years, power has been consolidated into the hands of a few countries. The UN Security Council especially reflects the imbalanced dynamics of the UN. Veto power belongs to France, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, who are permanent members and also five of the world’s biggest nuclear powers. During voting procedures, these countries can exercise their power to void or block resolutions without the say of other members. Since its inception, the veto has been used to block or protect states from UN intervention, and, more recently, to veto resolutions addressing human rights violations. Use of the UN veto has drawn criticism for obstructing responses to humanitarian crises while advancing nations’ own strategic self-interest, making meaningful steps toward justice and accountability more difficult.

Aside from the security challenges, the UN has failed to properly address climate change that is affecting countries in the Global South. Following the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021, more industrialized countries pledged to provide billions of dollars’ worth of climate grants to assist countries in the Global South mitigate and address damages from climate change. However, according to research from Oxfam, not only have these pledges fallen short of the true amount of money owed, but nearly two-thirds of these pledges have been fulfilled via loans financed from the Global North to the Global South. Given how developing countries are disproportionately at a higher risk of climate disasters, these loans compound sustainability issues as they continue to indebt the Global South to richer countries in the Global North while failing to take accountability of the Global North’s disproportionate role in causing climate change.

With these failings of the UN, how are countries to respond, and where can the organization go from here? To start, finding ways to reduce the impunity of some of the most powerful UN member states would help. Earlier this year, the current U.S. administration asserted their withdrawal from UN agencies such as the Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, and the Paris Agreement by claiming that they do not support their interests or have done more harm to the international system. Following this withdrawal, the U.S. has reduced and/or halted its funding toward these organizations and agencies. While some argue that these measures will disrupt global initiatives and lead to adverse outcomes, the U.S.’s actions expose a potential solution in ensuring accountability: targeting funding mechanisms. Establishing an independent body that can implement financial punitive measures, such as sanctions and fines, on UN members for violations of international law could help prevent members from sidestepping their pledges and responsibilities and incentivize accountability. Similarly, imposing military sanctions and establishing a global police force that can readily respond to crises and violations of international law would help reduce bureaucratic red tape and aid in the defense of aggrieved nations.

In a time when global crises need international attention more than ever, the United Nations must be prepared to fully and adequately address these issues. The UN may not be as just or effective in its structure and governance as originally imagined in its founding, but it still holds power to change. By equalizing members’ influence and implementing more financial and military punitive measures, the UN and its member nations can begin to build a truly equal, fair, and sustainable world.