Post-Cold War United Nations

kofi annan, secretary-general 1997 2006

after cold war, un saw radical expansion in peacekeeping duties, taking on more missions in ten years had in previous 4 decades. between 1988 , 2000, number of adopted security council resolutions more doubled, , peacekeeping budget increased more tenfold. un negotiated end salvadoran civil war, launched successful peacekeeping mission in namibia, , oversaw democratic elections in post-apartheid south africa , post-khmer rouge cambodia. in 1991, un authorized us-led coalition repulsed iraqi invasion of kuwait. brian urquhart, under-secretary-general 1971 1985, later described hopes raised these successes false renaissance organization, given more troubled missions followed.

though un charter had been written prevent aggression 1 nation against another, in 1990s un faced number of simultaneous, serious crises within nations such somalia, haiti, mozambique, , former yugoslavia. un mission in somalia viewed failure after withdrawal following casualties in battle of mogadishu, , un mission bosnia faced worldwide ridicule indecisive , confused mission in face of ethnic cleansing. in 1994, un assistance mission rwanda failed intervene in rwandan genocide amid indecision in security council.

beginning in last decades of cold war, american , european critics of un condemned organization perceived mismanagement , corruption. in 1984, president, ronald reagan, withdrew nation s funding unesco (the united nations educational, scientific , cultural organization, founded 1946) on allegations of mismanagement, followed britain , singapore. boutros boutros-ghali, secretary-general 1992 1996, initiated reform of secretariat, reducing size of organization somewhat. successor, kofi annan (1997–2006), initiated further management reforms in face of threats united states withhold un dues.

in late 1990s , 2000s, international interventions authorized un took wider variety of forms. un mission in sierra leone civil war of 1991–2002 supplemented british royal marines, , invasion of afghanistan in 2001 overseen nato.in 2003, united states invaded iraq despite failing pass un security council resolution authorization, prompting new round of questioning of organization s effectiveness. under eighth secretary-general, ban ki-moon, un has intervened peacekeepers in crises including war in darfur in sudan , kivu conflict in democratic republic of congo , sent observers , chemical weapons inspectors syrian civil war. in 2013, internal review of un actions in final battles of sri lankan civil war in 2009 concluded organization had suffered systemic failure . 1 hundred , 1 un personnel died in 2010 haiti earthquake, worst loss of life in organization s history.

the millennium summit held in 2000 discuss un s role in 21st century. 3 day meeting largest gathering of world leaders in history, , culminated in adoption member states of millennium development goals (mdgs), commitment achieve international development in areas such poverty reduction, gender equality, , public health. progress towards these goals, met 2015, uneven. 2005 world summit reaffirmed un s focus on promoting development, peacekeeping, human rights, , global security. sustainable development goals launched in 2015 succeed millennium development goals.

in addition addressing global challenges, un has sought improve accountability , democratic legitimacy engaging more civil society , fostering global constituency. in effort enhance transparency, in 2016 organization held first public debate between candidates secretary-general. on january 1, 2017, portuguese diplomat antónio guterres, served un high commissioner refugees, became ninth secretary-general. guterres has highlighted several key goals administration, including emphasis on diplomacy preventing conflicts, more effective peacekeeping efforts, , streamlining organization more responsive , versatile global needs.