The United Nations in the Late Twentieth Century

Abstract

The article describes the origin and development of the United Nations Organization, whose main initial feature is the stalemate of its Security Council as a direct consequence of the cold war. The authors points out the factors that led to the basic change in the Organization's range of activities, and the contradictions that brought about to the crisis of the last decade, both in terms of finance and goals. The different proposals for institucional reform are mentioned, with a special emphasis on thoseput forward Maurice Bertrand. These appear in a growingly interdependence environment, thus increasing both the perception and objective need for global management. The end of the cold war means greater possibilities for actions undertaken by the UN Security Council, in the field of peacekeeping and security, as shown iby its attitude during the recent Iraqi-Kuwaitie crisi. In the early 90s the work on these questions has steadily risen (higher number of peacekeeping operations). Furthermore, UN receives new and pressing requirements from different member states, prompting the Organization into unprecedented actions. These needs owe to the general state of transition in the present internacional system.