Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

UN Assembly

My husband and I are home for the afternoon, at least partially. He is listening to the United Nations General Assembly. Kofi Annan said, "Only global action through the UN will resolve world's greatest challenges."
I had to laugh. When was the last time that happened? I know there were many resolutions passed, but could they ever enforce them!
It is still a good thing that there is a meeting of the world's nations even though it doesn't serve much. I think private efforts like Save the Children etc. work better than anything United Nations tries to do. Even Unesco does not help the children in the countries considered black sheep by the general rule.
In 2002, if I am not mistaken, UN put out a list of accomplishments in Afghanistan. That list was probably meant for Kabul only and not the entire country. I just read a Scot's walk through Afghanistan in the winter of 2002 and the tribal rules, bloody vendettas, and all the human rights violations were going on throughout the country while the UN was blowing its victory horn. The book is, "The Places in Between" by Rory Stewart, to be exact.
I am not against the UN, quite the contrary. The existence of such an assembly is a hope for the future; however, let's not take it as a cure-all.
Probably no power can control so many different varieties of being that exist in the world. Some nations, some beliefs, and some accustomed primitive methods accept no interference from the outside world.
UN is there in name only and as a signal to everyone to show that we care. As to being an actual power, it is a joke. Maybe in time it will strengthen and that is our greatest hope for world peace.