On the U.N.: My Evolving View of the United Nations

I started following the UN and everything that international body does back in middle school in the late 1990s, growing up in Ghana. Fast forward to the 2010s, I found myself in the United States, and not just any state, but New York, where the UN headquarters is located. I actually visited the UN more than once.

But as time goes on, my admiration for that body has dropped, as fast as a hot potato.

You see, the UN was formed right after World War II in 1945. It established the five permanent members of the Security Council. In reality, those five nations are the only ones that really matter, just imagine that, five out of 200+ nations in the world. What a way to create an imbalance of global power.

By the way, those five permanent member states are China, Russia, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Take note, not one country from the continent of Africa. A continent with over a billion people has zero representation at the most powerful table on the global stage. All African nations are lumped into the General Assembly: all talk, no power. It's like being barked at by a toothless dog.

The sad part? Every year in September, some of these African countries, as poor as they are, spend so much money to send their heads of state to the UN for a few days of nothing but unproductive meetings.

I lost trust in the UN because over the years, it has been ineffective in managing global conflicts, especially in the Middle East. And this piece is not to simply bash the UN. But right now, we’re witnessing mass starvation in Gaza, and the UN is not doing nearly enough to alleviate it. This is the 21st century, and that level of barbarity over there without power from the UN is unacceptable.

Most people in America view the UN as highly ineffective and wouldn’t mind if it were abolished altogether. Still, many around the world continue to have faith in it. And honestly, I will be forgiving, if they can step up and do what is right for the small and least fortunate nations.

What do you think about the UN?

I remain your pal,
Ronnie