New York: The ongoing shadow war between Israel and Iran erupted into direct confrontation on Tuesday night when Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. As tensions flare in the Middle East, questions are once again being raised about the effectiveness of the United Nations, which has failed to prevent this latest conflict from escalating.
This is the seventh time in history that the UN has been unable to stop a major war. The UN, formed in 1945 to promote peace, finds itself once again criticised for its inability to prevent violence, as both Iran and Israel brace for further confrontation. The conflict now threatens to draw in other nations in the region, with ripple effects potentially reaching far beyond West Asia.
UN’s History of Failures
The failure to prevent the Israel-Iran conflict follows a pattern of past UN inaction. Most recently, the UN was unable to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022 and still rages on today. In fact, eight countries are currently involved in wars, including permanent UN Security Council member Russia, highlighting the limitations of the international body.
Since its founding, the UN has faced multiple criticisms for failing to act swiftly and decisively to halt conflicts. In total, more than 4 million people have lost their lives in wars that the UN could not prevent. Historical examples underscore this recurring issue:
- Vietnam War (1955–1975): Ten years after the formation of the UN, the United States launched an attack on Vietnam, leading to a prolonged conflict. Despite the UN’s efforts, the war claimed the lives of nearly 2 million people, mostly Vietnamese civilians.
- Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988): The UN failed to stop the conflict between Iraq and Iran, which raged for eight years and led to an estimated 1 million deaths.
- Rwandan Genocide (1994): Despite being on the ground for peace talks, the UN was unable to prevent the mass killings of 800,000 people during the Rwandan genocide.
- Gulf War (1991): The sovereignty of Kuwait sparked a conflict between the United States-led coalition and Iraq. The war claimed 50,000 lives, with Iraq suffering the greatest losses.
A Flawed System?
The UN’s total budget for 2024 stands at $3.59 billion, funded largely by donations from its 193 member states. Despite its sizeable budget and 37,000 employees working to promote peace globally, the organisation’s failure to prevent wars raises concerns about its structure and policies.
At the heart of the issue lies the UN’s decision-making process, dominated by the five permanent members of the Security Council—America, Russia, France, Britain, and China. These countries hold veto power, which allows any one of them to block resolutions, effectively paralysing UN actions.
Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali highlighted the flaws of this system in his autobiography Unvanquished, arguing that the veto power undermines the UN’s ability to act. According to Ghali, the permanent members have little incentive to change the system as it reinforces their global dominance.
A Troubled Future for the UN
With wars continuing in Ukraine, Israel, and Iran, the UN’s credibility as a global peacekeeping body is once again under scrutiny. The veto system, designed to prevent unilateral decisions by powerful nations, is increasingly seen as an obstacle to meaningful action.
As the Israel-Iran conflict escalates, the UN faces mounting pressure to reform its policies or risk becoming increasingly irrelevant in a world where global conflicts are intensifying.