Explain why was the United Nations created?

The trauma of World War II

World War II caused a profound global trauma, with about 60 million dead, massive destruction in Europe and Asia, and atrocities such as the Holocaust. The horror of the war, marked by the bombing of cities, the use of the nuclear weapon for the first time in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and large-scale violence, deeply shocks populations and world leaders. All of this leads states to say, "Never again!" Therefore, leaders decide that it is essential to find a solution to prevent such deadly conflicts from happening again. The idea of an organized and international system to prevent a new catastrophe of this kind begins to take root seriously.

Willingness to establish lasting peace

After the human catastrophe caused by World War II, all countries quickly understood that a solution needed to be found to prevent such horrors from happening again. The idea was to create an international organization dedicated to maintaining peace rather than continuing to multiply fragile bilateral agreements or temporary solutions. The clear objective was for countries to discuss and negotiate rather than settle their disputes with cannons. A kind of global pact of "never again." The aim was to prevent a Third World War at all costs. To achieve this, it was decided that regularly bringing all nations together around the same table would be much more effective than waiting for conflicts to arise to manage them on a case-by-case basis. This led to a strong desire to build an institution capable of preserving peace sustainably.

Development of international cooperation

After the terrible ordeal of the war, many countries realized that it was better to stick together than to remain isolated. The central idea was to build a kind of large international team capable of solving common problems together: the economy, health, education, everything that transcended borders. This avoided silly competitions, encouraged cooler trade exchanges, and set up a bunch of development projects. Because of this, specialized institutions like UNESCO, WHO, and UNICEF emerged, helping nations to move forward hand in hand to tackle major global challenges.

The collective management of international conflicts

The idea behind the creation of the UN was to say: in the face of an international conflict, we move together rather than each on our own. Basically, they wanted to prevent wars instead of having to manage them afterwards. When tensions rise between two countries, the UN provides a space to discuss and try to resolve problems through dialogue, particularly via the Security Council. It also allows, if necessary, for the organization of peacekeeping operations with Blue Helmets, in order to calm things down directly on the ground. The logic is quite simple: together, we are more credible and stronger in restoring calm than each separately in our corner. This collective approach also helps to isolate those who do not play by the rules or who deliberately cause trouble, as the international community can collectively decide to impose sanctions or diplomatic pressures.

The universal promotion of human rights

The central idea is that after World War II, countries wanted to ensure that certain human rights would be respected everywhere on Earth. A significant task. So, in 1948, they established a landmark text: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration clearly states that every individual deserves the same respect, regardless of their origin, religion, gender, or political beliefs. Following that, the UN regularly works to highlight abuses, defend victims, and encourage governments to respect and protect these fundamental rights on a daily basis. Their goal: to prevent the recurrence of the atrocities of the past.