Lynn+N.

= The Purpose of the United Nations =

Lynn Nguyen The United Nations was created in 1945 after World War II. The major conflicts of WWII prompted countries to form alliances and prevent another war from happening again. It has four main goals: to keep peace throughout the world; create friendly ties between nations; help nations work together to reduce hunger, poverty, disease, and illiteracy; and act as the meeting place for international cooperation (“UN at a Glance”). Some current actions of the UN include inspecting weapons in Iraq, prosecuting war criminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and helping refugees in Africa. The UN is forbidden from intervening in a country’s domestic affairs, however. If the UN detects a potential dispute between countries, it will first send non-military enforcement. If those measures are ineffective, then military troops will be implemented instead (“United Nations”). So far, from its inception, the UN has mediated about 170 peace negotiations that have ended regional conflicts (“UN at a Glance”).



Works Cited "United Nations." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.

“UN at a Glance.” United Nations. The United Nations, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.