The United Nations was formed in 1945 as a successor to the League of Nations and the original 51 member states now number 193.
It's an association of states for international peace, security and cooperation and the organization has played a role in many areas such as refugees, development assistance, disaster relief, cultural cooperation and peacekeeping.
The UN is based in New York and the principle institutions are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council.
The International Court of Justice is based in The Hague, Netherlands.
The World health Organization (WHO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) are UN agencies.
The UN Charter sets out four main purposes. To…
- Maintain worldwide peace and security
- Develop relations between nations
- Foster cooperation between nations in order to solve economic, social cultural, or humanitarian international problems and
- Provide a forum for bringing countries together to meet the UN’s purposes and goals.
The Security Council
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States.
Ten non permanent members are elected for a two year term.
The five permanent members have the power of veto.
This enables them to prevent the adoption of any ‘substantive’ resolution.
The Security Council is divided.
Member countries with extreme agendas and extremist leaders are inclined to disrupt the proceedings.
In 2019 the United Nations has a difficult task.
Armed conflicts are spread across the world.
26 are rated as critical or serious.
In 2016 ten thousand children were killed or maimed in war.
Child soldiers are another matter.
Millions of people struggle to escape the violence.
In June 2016 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stated that there were 65.3 million refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people around the world.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence.
S/he has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Most likely, s/he cannot return home or are afraid to do so.
War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
Two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.
Finding a safe-haven isn’t easy.
In the Pluto period of the Aquarian Age cooperation is the most important game in town.
It is more important now than at any other time in history.
International cooperation is the only protection against the destructive power of nuclear energy.
Cooperation is the only way that the sometimes extreme attitudes of the 12 zodiac signs can come together and meet on common ground.
In 2019 the United Nations has massive problems to deal with.
A lack of international cooperation is just one.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge