ABSTRACT
The United Nations (UN) has been involved in a broad array of peace and security issues. Majorities in the General Assembly pushed decolonization by peaceful means, leading to the independence of Asian and African states. Maintaining peace and security was and is the primary purpose of the UN. But how the UN undertakes this task has changed over time in ways never envisaged by the founders. For the most part, the Security Council has relied on the Charter’s peaceful settlement mechanisms in responding to the many situations placed on its agenda. The UN has sought to play a variety of roles in promoting peaceful settlement of many disputes. The Uniting for Peace Resolution discussed earlier was used to authorize continuance of UN forces once the Soviet Union returned to its seat and exercised its veto. The UN provided the framework for legitimizing US efforts to defend the Republic of Korea and mobilizing other states’ assistance.
