What the UN does for peace

Preserving world peace is a central purpose of the United Nations. Under the Charter, member states agree to settle disputes by peaceful means and refrain from threatening or using force against other states.

UN efforts have produced dramatic results. The UN helped defuse the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Middle East crisis in 1973. In 1988 a UN-sponsored peace settlement ended the Iran-Iraq war. In the 1990s, the UN was instrumental in restoring sovereignty to Kuwait and played a major role in ending civil wars in Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mozambique.

US peacemaking brings hostile parties to agreement through diplomatic means. The Security Council may recommend ways to avoid conflict or restore or secure peace – through negotiation, for example, or undertake mediation, or recourse to the International Court or Justice. In the event of fighting the UN tries to secure a ceasefire. It may to keep opposing forces apart. Peacekeeping operations may last for a few months or continue for many years.

1. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

To preserve peace; to set out basic principles; to maintain peace; conflict resolution; most pressing problems; two-thirds majority; mediation; under the charter; to resume; according to the charter/under the charter; subjects of particular concern; to settle disputes by peaceful means; to secure ceasefire; to maintain the truce; to commit to.

2. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases and reproduce the sentences from the text with this active vocabulary.

Насущные проблемы; сохранить мир; сохранять перемирие; установить основные принципы; обеспечивать прекращение огня; посредничество; по уставу; урегулировать конфликты мирными средствами; вопросы, вызывающие особую озабоченность; поддерживать мир; взять обязательство; разрешение конфликтов; большинство в 2/3; в соответствии с уставом; возобновить.

3. Read the article again and answer the questions using the active vocabulary.

1). When was UN established and for what purpose?

2) What does the UN Charter set out?

3) What are the main organs of the UN?

4) What are the functions of the General assembly and how does it take its decisions?

5) What responsibilities does the Security Council have?

6) How many members are there in the Security Council?

7) What are some of the instruments the UN uses to preserve peace?

Questions for discussion

1) Do you think the United Nations fulfills its mission today?

2) What recent actions or peacekeeping operations of the UN can you remember? Were they successful?

3) Do you think that the role of the UN is really very important in the modern world? Substantiate your point of view.

4) Do you think the UN peacekeeping forces could substitute for NATO or EU forces in the future?

Read the article and look up the unknown words and phrases in the dictionary.