Taken from : http://www.new.gov.sg
What is ASEAN?
The long form of ASEAN is actually called 'Association of Southeast Nations'. There are meanings to the ASEAN logo.ASEAN logo means a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic. The logo colors of blue, red, white and yellow are the primary colors emblem ASEAN countries. Blue represents peace and stability. Red stands for passion and dynamism, while white shows purity and yellow symbolizes prosperity.Ten rice stalks symbolize the Father's dream discovery of the tenth ASEAN countries in Southeast Asia united and friendly. The circle signifies the unity of ASEAN.
Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.
The motivations for the birth of ASEAN were so that its members’ governing elite could concentrate on nation building, the common fear of communism, reduced faith in or mistrust of external powers in the 1960s, and a desire for economic development.
ASEAN covers a land area of 4.46 million km², which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world's population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. In 2011, its combined nominal GDP had grown to more than US$ 2 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth largest economy in the world.
The objectives of ASEAN are focusing on economics in addition to security issues. In the years since 1967, most of Southeast Asia has been growing economically at quite a rapid pace, based on a greatly increased export industry which has relied on agricultural produce and manufactured items. The increases in Japanese labour costs meant that Southeast Asia became an attractive place for Japanese companies to relocate their basic manufacturing facilities and they were joined by Korean and European companies. Some investment was structured according to previous colonial links: for example, much British investment went to Malaysia while Dutch investment was focused on Indonesia, since companies from those countries had access to good quality information about those destinations. In any case, a new generation of workers across the region entered factories rather than stayed working in rice fields. They and their successors have helped in the enormous expansion of the middle classes in Southeast Asia and these are the people who are the consumers of imported goods and services.
They also want to promote the sustainable management of peatlands in SE Asia to sustain local livelihoods to reduce poverty, reduce risk of fire and associated haze and contribute to global environmental management, particularly biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
To demonstrate, implement and upscale integrated management of peatlands in SE Asia through mainstreaming and improved governance, strengthened capacity and awareness, enhanced multi-stakeholder partnerships, and innovative approaches to maintain and rehabilitate identified critical peatland sites.
To demonstrate, implement and upscale sustainable management and rehabilitation of peatlands in the South East Asian region through a regional framework for partnership, information sharing and capacity building; and providing guidelines for best management practices.
Taken from : http://www.aseanpeat.net/index.cfm?&menuid=26
Those involved in ASEAN are Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.
What is United Nations?
The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 193 countries.The blue that appears in the background of the insignia was chosen to be "the opposite of red, the war colour", generally taken to be Pantone 279, although the exact shade has never been officially specified by the United Nations. The original colour the group chose in 1945 was a gray blue that differs from the current United Nations flag. The globe used in the original design was an azimuthal projection focused on the North Pole with the United States, the host nation of the conference, at the centre. The projection that was used cut off portions of the Southern Hemisphere at the latitude of Argentina, which was acceptable at the time, as Argentina was not planned to be an original member of the United Nations. The projection was later altered so that no country will be at prominence within the flag. The new logo was now designed so that the globe is bisected in the centre by the Prime Meridian and the International Date Line.
The olive branches are a symbol for peace, and the world map represents all the people of the world.
In 1946, a UNO committee got the task of making a definite design, which was presented December 2, 1946, and adopted by the plenary session of the UNO on December 7, 1946. The earlier version had the globe 90 degrees turned eastward compared with the present flag, which has the Prime Meridian and the International Date Line forming the vertical diameter. According to press statements, the change was made to move North America away from the centre of the emblem.
White and blue are the official colours of the United Nations.
Taken from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_Nations
The United nations has 4 purposes which is to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us. At the UN, all the Member States — large and small, rich and poor, with differing political views and social systems — have a voice and a vote in this process.
Taken from : http://www.un.org/Overview/uninbrief/about.shtml
Functions of the United Nations are included as ;
1. Arms Control and Disarmament
2. Peace Control
UN peacekeepers are sent to various regions where armed conflict has recently ceased, in order to enforce the terms of peace agreements and to discourage the combatants from resuming hostilities. These forces are provided by member states of the UN; the UN does not maintain any independent military. All UN peacekeeping operations must be approved by the Security Council.
3. Humanitarian Assistance
In conjunction with other organizations, such as the Red Cross, the UN provides humanitarian services to disaster areas. These agencies include: World Food Programme and the High Commissioner for Refugees.
4. Human Rights
The Pursuit of human rights was one of the main reasons for setting up the United Nations, following the genocide of the Second World War.The UN Charter obliges all member nations to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights" and to take "joint and separate action" to that end. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all.
5. International Court of Justice
Includes war crimes tribunal
6. UN Security Council
Discusses global problems and can offer resolutions to try and deal with them
Taken from : http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/unitednations.htm
These are some of the countries involved. These countries are the main ones who are involved in United Nations.
USA 22.000%
Japan 12.530%
Germany 8.018%
United Kingdom 6.604%
France 6.123%
Italy 4.999%
Canada 3.207%
China 3.189%
Spain 3.177%
Mexico 2.356%
Taken from : http://www.wikipedia.com/
These are some examples of what they did.
UN action for peace
In Africa
UN peace efforts have taken many forms over the years, including the long campaign against apartheid in South Africa, active support for Namibian independence, a number of electoral support missions and 25 peacekeeping operations. The most recent operation was established in South Sudan (2011). Of course, the UN had already been on the ground in Sudan, to address what the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator had called the worst non-natural humanitarian crisis in the world. And in 2005, acting on findings of widespread human rights violations, the Security Council referred the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.The UN has also undertaken wide-ranging diplomatic efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes region, and it is helping to prepare for a referendum on the future of Western Sahara. Elsewhere in Africa, UN field missions continue their peace-building activities in several countries.
In Asia and the Pacific
Since 2002, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has worked to promote national reconciliation and to fulfil the tasks entrusted to the United Nations in the 2001 Bonn Agreement — including the areas of human rights, the rule of law and gender — as well as managing all UN humanitarian, relief, recovery and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, in coordination with the Afghan government.UNAMA integrates all UN activities in Afghanistan, including those of 20 UN agencies, working together with their Afghan government counterparts and with national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
When a peacekeeping mission in Tajikistan completed its work in 2000, a UN office was opened to provide the political framework and leadership for various peace-building activities. And UN military observers continue to monitor the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
In East Timor, UN-brokered talks between Indonesia and Portugal culminated in a May 1999 agreement which paved the way for a popular consultation on the status of the territory. UN-supervised voter registration led to an August 1999 ballot in which 78 per cent of East Timorese voted for independence — leading to the establishment of the independent state of Timor-Leste in 2002. A mission remains in the country to assist in consolidating stability, democratic governance and national reconciliation.
In Europe
A United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus continues to supervise the ceasefire lines, maintain the buffer zone and undertake humanitarian activities on that divided island. Its presence provides a conducive environment for the diplomatic efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Adviser, aimed at promoting negotiations and achieving a comprehensive settlement.The UN worked strenuously towards resolving the conflict in the former Yugoslavia while providing relief assistance to millions of people. From 1992 to 1995, UN peacekeepers helped bring peace and security to Croatia, protect civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ensure that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was not drawn into the war. Following the 1995 Dayton-Paris peace agreements, four UN missions helped secure the peace.
Today, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) continues to work with the people of Kosovo to create a functioning, democratic society. Established in 1999 following the end of NATO air bombings and the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces, UNMIK brings together efforts by the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations under the umbrella of the UN.
In the Americas
UN peacemaking and peacekeeping have been instrumental in resolving protracted conflicts in Central America. In 1989, in Nicaragua, the peace effort led to voluntary demobilization of the resistance movement, whose members turned in their weapons to the UN. In 1990, a UN mission observed Nicaragua's elections — the first UN-observed elections in an independent country. In El Salvador, peace talks mediated by the Secretary-General ended 12 years of fighting and a UN peacekeeping mission verified implementation of all agreements. And in Guatemala, UN-assisted negotiations ended a 35-year civil war.In the Middle East
UN concern over the Arab-Israeli conflict spans nearly six decades and five full-fledged wars. The UN has defined principles for a just and lasting peace, including two benchmark Security Council resolutions — 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) — which remain the basis for an overall settlement.The UN has supported other initiatives aimed at solving underlying political problems, and has dispatched various peacekeeping operations to the region. The UN's first military observer group was set up in 1948 and maintains its presence in the area to this day. The UN's first peacekeeping force was also set up there, during the Suez crisis of 1956. Two peacekeeping forces are currently in the region. One, established in 1974, maintains an area of separation on the Golan Heights between Israeli and Syrian troops. The other, established in 1978, contributes to stability in southern Lebanon. Following the 2006 crisis, this mission has been monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supported the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces and helped to deliver humanitarian assistance.
On the diplomatic front, the United Nations actively participates in efforts to reach a negotiated solution as a member of the “Quartet” — comprising the UN, the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation. In 2003, a “Road Map” to a permanent two-State solution, presented by the Quartet, was accepted by both parties but has not yet been implemented. Meanwhile, the UN continues, through the actions of the Security Council and other bodies, as well as of the Secretary-General and his Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, to promote a peaceful resolution of the situation.
In Iraq, following the 2003 war, the Security Council established the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Its aim is to assist with the political process and coordinate humanitarian assistance.
The end of occupation and the formal restoration of Iraqi sovereignty in 2004 marked a new phase in Iraq’s transitional process, leading to the 2005 elections. With the support of UNAMI, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the UN Electoral Assistance Division, and despite the constant threat of violence, Iraqis turned out to exercise their political rights, leading to the inauguration of a new Government in 2006.
On 19 August 2003, the UN headquarters in Baghdad was the target of a terrorist attack that resulted in 22 deaths, including the head of mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and more than 150 injured.
Taken from : http://www.un.org/Overview/uninbrief/peace.shtml
Seri Nursyahidah [12]
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