Page 209 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

The Past: Developing Expertise and Providing a Safety Net while
Growing Up in a Period of Global Confrontation

Concerning the past, it is important to understand the political and
security environment of the past 50 years. The UN was conceived in the midst
of our planet's most devastating war and our century's second global conflict. It
was weaned and “took its first steps” during the emergence of the nuclear and
outer space age. It had a difficult adolescence during which time the process of
decolonization got under way. Suffice it to say, the Organization has had its
share of growing pains.

Much has been said of the effects that the Cold war had on the Organiza-
tion. While the Cold War prevented the UN from being utilized to its fullest
potential as a centre of agreed actions, it nevertheless provided an important
forum in a time of global confrontation. During this period the first United Na-
tions peace-keeping operations were conceived and deployed; the UN
undertook numerous and diverse humanitarian and development programmes
that continue to provide a safety net to assist those in dire situations and con-
tribute towards long-term solutions; the process of decolonization began in
which the UN was instrumental; and the UN developed unique and crucial
expertise that has made the Organization a warehouse of advanced social tech-
nology. Also, during this period, significant progress was made in the
modification of international law and treaty-making, and vital arms control and
disarmament agreements were concluded, such as the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which earlier this year was extended indefi-
nitely.

The Present: Making Progress During a Period of Global Change

As for the present, the end of the Cold War has brought in its wake a
renewed vigour to the United Nations. Member States are now able to
undertake numerous activities in the promotion of peace, security and well-
being that previously had been dismissed as “wishful thinking”. The conditions
that both permit and cause UN activities to be undertaken in the first place are
no less significant than UN activities themselves.

However, the growing interdependence of States and peoples and the
technological progress that permit global cooperation to an unprecedented
degree do not lead automatically to a safer world. Problems that used to have a
localized effect or peace and security increasingly have a regional or interna-

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