The United Nations
A Common Instrument For Peace

By Laxmi Bahadur Vaidya

AFTER the First World War the League of Nations was established for peace, security and stability in the world. But it could not get success in its achievement. Then after the end of the Second World War the nations of the World agreed to institute a World Organisation to resolve the mutual dispute peacefully and also to attain security as well as to put stability to mankind everywhere around the globe.

Winston Churchill, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain and President Franklin Roosevelt of the USA jointly made an announcement of the Atlantic Charter which focused on the establishment of universal peace, freedom from fear and want, abandonment of the use of force, disarmament, equality of nations, collective cooperation and prohibition of acquring territories through conquest. In addition, other issues included equal success to the trade and the raw materials of the World needed for economic prosperity.

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference held in October 1944 laid down the framework of the UN relating to its composition, functions and principal organs. The conference acknowledged to create a General Assembly comprising all-member states, a Security Council of elevan members with the main responsibility for the maintenance of world peace and security, an economic and social council, an internatinoal court of justice and permanent secretariat.

On June 25, 1945 the San Francisco Conference held. Representatives of 50 nations attended the historical conference and the UN Charter was voted and unanimously adopted. The Charter was signed and ratified on Oct. 24, 1945 by all the member states including the five permanent members China, Russia, Britain, France and the USA. The nations that had participated in the San Francisco Conference became the original members. Thus the UN came into existence.

The UN is a voluntary cooperation of sovereign states which is a product of historical necessity. The World Body has functioned as "a centre for harmonising the actions of nation". Fifty-five years have elapsed since the UN was founded to safeguard peace, security and stability in the world. The World body has proved to be a very useful and indispensable organisation for dialogue, debate, discussion, consultation, negotiation among its member nations for the preservation of World peace.

With the various specialised agencies the UN is functioning in a very wide areas. Some of the Key areas are to raise people’s nutritional and living-standards ending hunger and providing shelter to the needy. It also aimed to secure better health by expanding health services and eradicating major diseases. To achieve lasting peace through social justice and the improvement of working conditions, to promote cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology and culture, the UN has been carrying its out programmes. World-wide protection of the environment, protection of human rights as well as contribution to democratisation processes are other vital areas for improving the lives of people all over the world.

In 1945 the founding fathers of the UN were primarily concerned about reducing confrontation among nations. Now, there is a seachange in the world in different fields. Most of the present crisis are associated with the internal conflicts that occur within states. Moreover, several new challenges have cropped up in the World such as sustainable social and economic development, humanitarian relief and prevention of hostilities. Similarly, there are other challenges such as population explosion, poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, world-wide scourge of HIV/AIDS, drugs and girls trafficking, child labour as well as terrorism. In this context the World Organisation has an prominent role to play to address these problems and challenges.

Development and environment are closely related issues which depend largely on behaviour and activities of individuals. For this reasons the priority attention must be given to fight against the degradation and depletion of common home, the earth because the present pattern of production and consumption are not ecologically sustainable.

For the prosperity and welfare of mankind peace is indispensable. That is why Nepal firmly believes that without peace there can be no development.

Even though the cold war is now over, the world is not a safer place to live in. On the contrary, wars and civil unrest continue unabated in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, notably Colombia, and South East Asia, particularly Indonesia thereby threatening peace and stability in the world.

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, at least 100,000 people have died in armed conflicts in the past year. Currently about 38,000 UN troops and civilians police have been deployed in 15 peace-keeping operations throughout the world.

Being an active member since 1955, Nepal has also participated in different activities of the World Organisation to promote peace, security and stability in the world. At the call of the UN she has contributed by sending her police and army personnel as well as civilians to keep and monitor peace in different troubled parts of the world. Nearly 35,000 Nepalese troops have served under the US flag in peace-keeping operations. And also nearly 3 dozen Nepalese peace-keepers have sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace in the World.

Nepal’s foreign policy is based on the principles of peaceful co-existence among nations, non-alignment and the charter of the UN. The country has abiding faith in the aims and principles of the World Body and firmly follows its ideals. She has always stood for justice and advocated for disarmament, spoken for global consequenses and peaceful resolution of the international disputes. Besides she has been consistently pleading in various regional and global forums for the mobilisation of international aid for the socio-economic development of the developing and least developed countries as well as for the unrestricted access of developing and land-locked nations’ products to the developed countries’ markets.

The UN has no substitute as a common forum where international norms are accepted and promulgated and where all voices can be heared especially those of the poor and vulnerable, In this international forum various countries, great or small, rich or poor, can be united on quality basis with their efforts to maintain, promote and secure peace for all.

During the last 55 years the UN has been discharging its onerous responsibilities with single-minded endeavour to maintain international peace and security as well as in development activities to improve the quality of life of the poor people in the world. Additionally, the world body has engaged consistently to uphold the lofty ideals of justice, tolerance, sacrifice, understanding and equality among its member status. Despite several constraints with some exceptions, the UN has successfully made a great contribution to peace and prosperity in the world. Also the World Organisation has had to bear a great deal of criticism during its 55 year history.

A comprehensive restructuring and reform of the Security Council has become an imperative to make the Council more representative and legitimate as well as more effective due to the profound and impressive changes that have taken place in the world.

For this reason the UN needs to be strengthened and rendered more dynamic and more democratic in its endeavours to establish peace and help in development activities particularly in the poor regions of the world. Undoubtedly, it is the UN which is the main instrument for realising our common goals.

THE main aim of the Nepali Congress Party was to install a democratic government with Constitutional Monarchy. Fully convinced that the general masses from within Nepal would extend their support, the Congress held its conferance at Bairgania. That conference decided to launch an armed revolt in Nepal. In the meantime, King Tribhuvan took the Indian ambassador for Nepal into confidence and took political asylum in the Indian Embassy. This incident was like a bolt from the blue for the Ranas. In short, the Rana Regime collapsed and a democratic government was formed consisting of the Ranas and the Congress leaders.

The Nepali Congress leaders of the cabinet and the Ranas headed by Mohan Shumshere could not come to understanding and the Prime Minister was placed in an awkward position. King Tribhuvan and the Nepali Congress wanted to get rid of Mohan Shumsher as soon as possible. After, realising the gravity of the situation Mohan Shumsher resigned from the premiership.

The Nepali Congress, which became successful in getting rid of the Rana regime, however, started losing popularity in the country. It failed to feel the pulse of the people who were eager for sweeping changes. The party comprised of leading members trained in India, the "C" Class Ranas, students and retired army personnel but had no clear—cut policy and programmes. The Gorkha Dal, the Communist Party and some so-called pure nationalists began to find faults in the policy of the Nepali Congress. Dr. Kunwar Indrajit Simha who was dead against the Rana-Congress compromise revolted in the Western Terai but was put down.

The Nepali Congress Party had an uphill task to appease all sections of the people and the party workers in particular. Some of the party workers wanted to have higher ranks in the party. Some of them went to the extent of requesting the King to have direct rule of the palace in place of the Nepali Congress Government.