General Chat

For sometime now I have often wondered, in the world we live in today, whether - The United Nations is able to meet its obligations in Article 1 of it's charter.

When I look at some of the current conflicts taking place around the world, including the recent shooting down of the Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, I cannot help but think, that it has become nothing more than a platform for, tit for tat altercations and political posturing, because, when situations arise, all they seem to do is talks the talk but don't walk the walk - what do you think, or am I just being cynical?

Article 1 of the the UN Charter states that the purposes of the United Nations are:-

1) To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;

2) To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;

3) To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and

4) To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

Well OFTG my OH was just saying the same this morning regarding the Malaysian plane why did the UN go in right away and get the Black Box and oversee investigations. No doubt someone much clever than me will have the answer and let me know :-S

Because there were men with machine guns guarding the wreckage, Nols.

Drunken men with machine guns is what I heard....even worse!

No they are NOT.

So many voices screaming for help in Gaza and absolutely nothing but hollow statements.

The UN has probably had its day, at least in its present form. There hasn't been an effective Secretary-General since goodness knows when, and indeed, I guess if you asked around, most people you speak to probably wouldn't be able to name the current incumbent.

The UN is not a world government nor is it an international rescue organisation equipped with Thunderbirds and pink limos. Crucially it is not the source of international law though many people think it is. Neither does it have any jurisdiction as a court.

The UN is just the sum of the members with the crucial proviso that 7 members can veto anything they don't like. Russia has a veto. All members can - and do - ignore the most basic articles of the UK such as the five freedoms. For all its faults the UN has done any amount of good work.

If the UN was a waste of time it would be ignored. That does not happen.

Some say countries such as India, Germany and Japan should be added to the Security Council. India has just elected a rabidly nationalist Hindu govt, Germany cares not a hoot for any other country except itself, Japan cannot even get on with its nearest neighbours.

NATO is a mutual defense organisation. Ukraine is not a member. Given that just the prospect of joining the EU in the far off future has started a near civil war in the Ukraine rushing in with both front feet to sort out the crash of MH17 looks a good option but would have been very unwise.

Now we have to wait for tonight's vote.

( crossed fingers )

If Hamas had not gone on and on and on firing rockets into and raiding Israel then it would not have got Gaza into its current predicament. Israel has made it clear that Hamas can have a truce any time it wants all it has to do is to stop firing rockets. Instead Hamas makes a series of absurd demands for the cease fire it so desperately needs.

I guess that it is not very well known in the UK that Hamas has next to no support from other Arab countries who see it as Iran's cat's paw. It has certainly been responsible for a lot of very ugly massacres in Syria.

:-0

fwiw there are no double consonants in Arabic

More than 1,000 dead and counting), almost a third of them children, 6,000 injured plus massive infrastructure destruction - the bloodshed, mayhem & horror continues sporadically in Gaza.

The BBC, along with other networks, plan to broadcast a financial appeal for the destitute & exasperated inhabitants.

Is money our only answer?