How effective is the United Nations in international affairs, particularly in disarmament and peace keeping missions? The answer is, not effective at all. It has proved virtually ineffective to prevent endemic skirmishes between neighboring nation-states and among international nation-states.

Here is another question: Is the United Nations necessary in spite of its failures? The answer is yes, and the reason is because there is no other international forum of comparable importance and almost global representation. The United Nations is effective only if its member nation-states obey its edicts and participate within set parameters.

Members continue to employ the United Nations as a useful conduit in diplomatic issues and debate at government levels, and although this is the case, the United Nations has no practical power or influence in matters dealing with war and peace.

What is the reason for its ineffective role? It is because of the egoism of member power nations- the United States, the Soviet Union, China, Japan, Italy, France, and so on- that deprives it of the power to operate decisively. The veto power held by members of the Security Council hinders the United Nations in fulfilling it role and gives license for powerful countries to invade weaker ones with impunity. Furthermore, the Second United Nations Special Session on Disarmament held in June, 1982, is a pathetic failure as witnessed with the proliferation of arms trades around the world.

No matter what critics espouse about the United Nations, it must be strengthened from within no matter how dismal its record for peacekeeping and other such issues. Today, the United Nations must regain the trust of the international community, and the only way to achieve this is to demand reform from top to bottom. Its members must abandon pride and work together to bring about peace. There is still hope for the United Nations, an institution that, even with its impropriety and failures, world leaders continue to address debate and discuss issues affecting their nation-state and its role in the international community.