The United Nations

One way of looking at the world which is not strictly realist, in so far as it does not prioritize the nation-state per Se, not liberal in the specific sense of the word, because its focus is not on individuals, and certainly not Marxist, because it does not locate the economy at the base of its analysis, is what we might loosely describe as a ‘federalist’, or perhaps ‘functionalist’ analysis. Such an approach concerns itself primarily with the interconnectedness of nation-states which takes place at a distinct, super national level. A strong version of federalism might advocate a singular world government, while a weaker version, albeit still largely state-centered, would put its faith primarily in bodies such as the United Nations. It is at this level that the question of human rights is most commonly discussed. We now turn to the United Nations in more detail, before discussing its involvement in human rights regulation.

A brief history of the United Nations

The United Nations was founded shortly after the end of the Second World War in ‘1945, as a replacement for the defunct League of Nations, The League of Nations had been set up in 1919 by the allied victors of the First World War — the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy, and Japan but it was never a successful venture. Although the idea for the League came from US President Woodrow Wilson, in ‘1920 the USA voted not to be a member, and the Soviet Union did not join until 1934, so for a long time the organization was practically powerless. Japan, Germany and Italy all withdrew in the 1930s to form an anti- Soviet alliance, and the Soviet Union was expelled in 1939. Thus, in 1945 the League was disbanded and, on 24 October, the United Nations was established in its place.

Fifty-one nation-states originally came together to form the membership of the United Nations. Its initial charter included a commitment to tackle poverty, war and unemployment worldwide, as well...