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The
Development of the United Nations (I):
The Foundation of the United Nations (1941-1945)
In
the following text excerpt, Günther Unser and Michaela Wimmer sketch out the
period of foundation of the United Nations during the Second World War:
"The two world wars bought unspeakable sorrow upon humanity, and cost more
than 100 million lives during a period of half a century. The founding fathers
of the United Nations and authors of the
Charter fulfilled
the deep wish for peace and the conviction that a lasting and peaceful world
order could be guaranteed following the end of the Second World War by way of a
joint approach (...).
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In
August 1941 ... US American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Bermuda to determine post-war aims.
Although a treaty of alliance between Moscow and London had been signed
following the German attack on the Soviet Union, this meeting took place
without a the presence of a Soviet representative.
The results of these discussions were recorded in a joint statement entitled
the 'Atlantic Charter'. In this declaration, both states recognised the
right of self-determination of the nations to free world trade and economic
cooperation, the renunciation of violence and the formation of a general
security system as well as many other things. |
At the
end of the Charter, they emphasised that "until the formation of a further
and lasting system of international security", the disarmament of
aggressive states is necessary”, which suggested in advance the foundation of
a new international organisation. Both Roosevelt and Churchill showed little
interest at first in sharing the main responsibility for international peace
with other nations. This first changed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
and the USA's entry into the war. The knowledge grew that a lasting peaceful
order would require a coalition of states along a boarder basis, and in
particular the inclusion of the Soviet Union.
On 1st
January 1942, a total of 26 allied states agreed under the leadership of
the USA the USSR, Great Britain and China Total, to continue to fight
against the Axis powers - and in particular the German Reich, Italy and
Japan - using all the means at their disposal until complete victory was
attained in the 'Declaration of the United Nations'. At the same time they
provided a formal statement supporting the principals of the
Anglo-American Atlantic Charter concerning a post-war order and hence the
formation of a 'lasting system of international security'. A further 21
states annexed themselves to this declaration during the course of the
war.
The plans for an international organisation soon began to take shape,
particularly due to the initiative of the Americans. For instance, the USA
were the first to put forward a draft of the statutes in 1943. In October
1943, the foreign ministers from the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and
China agreed at a conference in Moscow to form a general international
peace and security organisation as soon as possible.
Although in the sense of universality, all sovereign and peaceful states
would be able to become members of this organisation, (which initially
excluded the 'enemy states' in the Second World War'), the four powers had
already secured their decisive influence within the concept. Their wanted
to secure the retention of peace with their own troops as a 'world police
force', whereby all other states should disarm monitored by a neutral
commission. This concept was bolstered at the conference in Teheran in
November 1943. Experts from the four major powers also took over preparing
the fundamentals and structure of the world organisation to be created, in
which the weaknesses of the League of Nations were to be avoided.
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Milestones
on the Way to the UNO:
1941: Churchill and Roosevelt announce the Atlantic Charter in
which the initial beginnings of a new order for peace and cooperation
are embedded.
01/01/1942: The name “United Nations” appears for the first
time in the declaration made by the Allies during the Second World
War, in which 26 states pledge themselves to continue the fight
against the Axis powers. 25 more countries join the alliance by the
end of the war.
30/10/1943: First Foreign Minister Conference by the Allies in
Moscow. The USA, Great Britain, the USSR and China declare that a
general international organisation of all peace-loving states is to be
created to retain world peace and international security.
01/12/1943: At the conference in Teheran, Roosevelt, Churchill
and Stalin declare that they and the United nations are responsible
for creating lasting freedom.
Sept. 1944: In Dumbarton Oaks, USA, representative of the USA,
Great Britain, the USSR and China prepare the basic outline of a
charter for the United Nations.
Feb. 1945: In Jalta, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin agree on
the special status of the major powers in the Security Council (veto
right).
April–June 1945: Representatives from 50 League member
nations draw up the United Nations Charter at the United Nations
Conference in San Francisco.
26/06/1945: The Charter is signed by the 50 founding states
(Poland is declared 51st founding state later).
24/10/1945: The United Nations Charter comes into force
following ratification by the majority of the founder members.
[taken from: Auswärtiges Amt, ABC der
Vereinten Nationen, Berlin 20004, P. 47] |
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Roosevelt,
Churchill and Stalin finally agree on the final points of dispute at the
conference in Jalta in February 1945. This concerned the system of voting in the
Security Council, the future organisation's most powerful committee. On the
instigation of the USSR, the permanent Security Council members - the USSR, the
USA, Great Britain, France and China - were granted a veto right concerning all
important questions. This would to be paralysing to the work of the organisation
for a long period of time. However, without this concession, no general
agreement would have been possible.
Prior to the end of the war, the four main powers invited all those states who
had signed the United Nations Declaration up until that point to the San
Francisco Opera House to present their draught of the statutes. At this
conference, which lasted from April to June 1945, the participating states made
over 1000 modifications. However, although the 'world police concept' of the
original version failed to persevere, the smaller and medium sized states failed
to succeed in disaffirming the privileged status of the major powers.
Irrespective of this, the conference participants accepted the Charter
unanimously on 26th June 1945. Poland, who was unable to participate beforehand,
signed as the 51st founding member. The organisation received the name ‘United
Nations Organisation’ or UNO, and came into power on 24th October 1945 after
the required number of states had ratified the agreement."
[Günther Unser/Michaela Wimmer, Die
Vereinten Nationen. Zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit, Bundeszentrale für
politische Bildung, Bonn 1995, P. 25-31]
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