Delivering Around the Clock: Facts about the United Nations Every day, around the clock, the United Nations and its family of agencies are working to improve people’s lives throughout the world. With little fanfare or media attention, the UN delivers everything from emergency relief to vaccinations to counter‐terrorism training; it resolves conflicts and keeps the peace in the world’s most dangerous places; and it supports elections and new institutions that can usher in democracy. These priorities are fundamentally American priorities. By working through the UN to share the burden, the U.S. is also getting real value for its money. Here’s a snapshot of what the UN does:
Delivers Peace and Democracy
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UN Peacekeeping Operations have over 120,000 troops and personnel deployed to 14 peacekeeping missions such as in Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire and Haiti, making it the second largest deployed military force in the world. These forces deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict, assist in implementing peace agreements, stabilize conflict areas after a ceasefire, help nations transition to stable governments, and in the last decade alone, have disarmed more than 400,000 ex‐combatants. The UN Development Program (UNDP) and UN peacekeeping support, on average, one free and democratic election every two weeks somewhere in the world. In recent months, they have provided electoral assistance in South Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iraq, Nepal, Afghanistan, Burundi, Liberia, the DRC and East Timor, giving over 80 million people the chance to exercise their democratic rights.
Expands the Reach of U.S. Counter‐Terrorism Efforts
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In the wake of September 11, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1373, which criminalizes terrorism‐related activities, requires every country to freeze the financial assets of terrorists and their supporters, and forbids providing funding and safe haven to terrorists. The UN’s Al‐Qaida‐Taliban Sanctions Committee imposes assets freezes, travel bans, and arms embargo on specific individuals and entities associated with Al Qaida, Osama bin Laden, or the Taliban, as designated by the Security Council. And the UN Counter Terrorism Committee and expert body have assisted almost 60 member states to improve their ability to combat terrorism.
Curbs the Spread of Nuclear Weapons
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The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency implements international nuclear cooperation agreements, including monitoring nuclear safeguard agreements in more than 150 states. In 2003, the IAEA verification efforts unmasked Libya’s hidden nuclear weapons program; Libya has since actively cooperated with IAEA to renounce the program. IAEA continues to monitor Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions.
Provides Vital Humanitarian Assistance •
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The UN’s humanitarian and reconstruction projects in Afghanistan have helped the country emerge from years of war and underdevelopment by assisting over 5 million refugees to return to their homes; providing food, shelter and health for over 9 million people; and building thousands of new schools for 6 million children. In Haiti, UN peacekeepers have reduced urban violence and cracked down on the most notorious gangs; UN police and the Haitian National Police that it has trained are patrolling IDP camps 24 hours a day. UNDP has employed 200,000 people in its “Cash for Work,” a program which pays Haitians to remove debris, support reconstruction efforts, and deliver aid to the homeless at the Haitian minimum wage. 40% of those working within the program are women. In Pakistan, in the weeks after the floods in the summer of 2010, UNICEF provided safe drinking water for approximately 700,000 people and established 24 medical camps with its partners to provide services to 1 million people. The World Health Organization (WHO) sent large shipments of medicines and supplies to treat diarrhea, respiratory infections, wounds, and other health conditions.
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In 2009, the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, provided food, shelter, medical aid, and education to more than 10 million people, mostly women and children. The UN World Food Program (WFP) annually ships 5.1 million tons of food to 113 million of the world’s hungry, including school lunch programs in 72 countries.
Prevents and Eliminates Worldwide Diseases
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UNICEF supplies vaccines to more than 40% of the world’s children. Over the last 30 years, UNICEF and WHO have been responsible for increasing the rate of vaccination of preventable diseases from 5% to 75% worldwide. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) investigates 200 to 250 disease outbreaks. In 2003, WHO helped stop the spread of SARS before it could reach and infect tens of thousands of people. In 1980, WHO eradicated smallpox, becoming the only entity to ever eliminate a major worldwide disease.