|
Date |
Country |
Problem |
United Nations response |
Outcome |
|
1946 |
Iran |
Iran
complained to UN that USSR troops
stationed there since the war, were interfering with internal Iranian
matters. |
Due
to complexities of Cold War, UN did nothing. |
Iranians
and USSR sorted the issue out for
themselves. May 1946, USSR withdrew its troops from Iran. |
|
1946- 48 |
Greece |
Greek
Communists attacked the government in an attempt to overthrow it. |
UN
investigated Greek complaint that several communist Balkan states were
assisting Greek communists. UN Special Committee set up. |
UN
failed to stop fighting in Greece. This only ended in 1949 when the
Yugoslavs stopped sending weapons to the Greek communists. |
|
1947 |
Kashmir |
Who owns Kashmir? A dispute
between India and Pakistan. |
Security
Council arranged a ceasefire between the two and monitored the situation. |
Ceasefire
kept for 16 years but UN failed to persuade either side to withdraw
military forces from Kashmir. |
|
1947- 49 |
Indonesia |
Indonesia
declared itself independent of Dutch rule. Dutch sent in troops to sort
out a 'domestic matter'. |
1947,
the Security Council ordered a ceasefire between the two. Both agreed to
this. |
The
UN sponsored Indonesia's call for independence. 1949, Dutch agreed to
this. |
|
1947- 49 |
Palestine |
From
1920 to 1947, Palestinians and Jews had been clashing in British governed
Palestine. In 1947, Britain asked the UN to take over. |
UN
set up a special committee and agreed that a separate Jewish state should
be created. Arab nations made their anger known but such was sympathy for
Jews post-1945, that Israel was created lead by Ben Gurion. |
The
creation of Israel lead to war in 1948 when the Arab nations surrounding
Israel attacked her. UN arranged for a 4 week truce but it did not last.
The UN did get a longer lasting truce but could not get the involved
nations to sign a peace treaty. |
|
1950-53 |
Korea |
North
Korea suddenly attacked South Korea. |
Condemned
by UN and a military force created to push North Korea out of the South. |
The
UN force attacked Northern forces but its action provoked a response from
China. Stalemate by 1953 when ceasefire signed. Still in force today. |
|
1956 |
Hungary |
USSR sent troops into Hungary - part of
the Warsaw Pact. |
Security
Council called on USSR to withdraw. |
USSR
vetoed Security Council resolution. UN powerless to do more. |
|
1956 |
Suez/Sinia |
War
between Egypt and Israel. |
Security
Council ordered Israel to withdraw from Egypt. |
GB
and France vetoed this. This issue was then handled by the General
Assembly. The UNEF was established which remained on the border until
1967. |
|
1958 |
Lebanon |
Anti-government rebellion in Lebanon.
Government claim it was funded and orchestrated by Syria. Asked United
Nations for help. |
UN
created 100-man team to monitor border activities. |
Team
monitored border for 6 months. Reported little activity. Lebanon accepted
this UN report. UN left December 1958. |
|
1960- 64 |
Congo |
1960
Belgium granted the Congo its independence. The Congo army mutinied
against its white officers and 100,000 Belgium's living in the Congo were
seen as being at risk. Belgium sent its own troops in. |
The
Congo's government called on the UN for help. 10,000 UN troops sent to the
Congo. |
UN
managed to get stability in Congo by 1964. But France and USSR angered at
role of UN and many felt that Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General, had
exceeded his authority. |
|
1962 |
Indonesia |
Ownership issue: who owned West Irian?
Indonesia or Dutch? |
UN
persuaded Dutch to transfer West Irian to Indonesia. |
UN
took care of West Irian for 7 months in lead up to a smooth transfer to
Indonesia. |
|
1962 |
Yemen |
Civil War. Saudi Arabia backed the Royalists
and Egypt the Republicans. Royalists appealed to United
Nations for help. |
UN
not involved as Egypt and Saudis agreed to leave Yemen. UN monitored both
nations withdrawal from the country. |
UN
stayed in Yemen until September 1964. It then withdrew. |
|
1963 |
Cyprus |
Cyprus
gained independence from GB in 1960. Civil war between Greek and Turks on
the island. |
6000
man force sent to Cyprus by UN to act as a buffer between both sides |
UN
force kept peace for 10 years but violence occurred in 1974 |
|
1965-66 |
Dominican Republic |
Civil
war after the overthrow of the president in 1965. |
UN
sent observers to monitor the situation. |
UN
stayed until 1966 when withdrawn. Peace keeping done by OAS.* |
|
1966- 80 |
Zimbabwe
(Rhodesia)
|
1966,
a minority white government declared UDI from Britain. Black majority
prevented from having voting rights. |
Security
Council condemned Rhodesia and imposed economic sanctions. |
UN
sanctions failed to work as the then apartheid South Africa supplied
Rhodesia. 1980 white rule overthrown by 'Patriotic Front'. |
|
1967-2002 |
Kashmir |
Who owns Kashmir?
A dispute between India and Pakistan. |
UN
set up a monitoring body and ordered both nations back to the 1947
ceasefire line. |
Both
agreed to peace talks in USSR and UN supervised a withdrawal to 1947 line.
But renewed violence in 2002. made worse as both nations possess nuclear
weapons. UN no success to date. |
|
1967 |
Middle East |
Israel
launched strikes against Arab nations leading to 6' Day War'. |
Security
Council called for ceasefire and drew up Resolution 242. |
Resolution
242 was signed by all involved in the war but the Arabs and Israelis
interpreted it differently. UN did succeed in getting an exchange of
prisoners. |
|
1973 |
Middle East |
Egypt
attacked Israel on Yom Kippur starting another Middle East war. |
UN
passed Resolution 338. Called for peace and for talks to be based on
Resolution 242. |
UN
conference - to search for peace - called in Geneva but achieved nothing.
A 7,000 UN force was established between Israel and Egypt after USA
pressure. In 1977, UN openly criticised Israel for creating settlements in
occupied territories. |
|
1974 |
Cyprus |
Greek
Cypriots tried to unite Cyprus to Greece. Turk Cypriots seized northern
Cyprus in response. |
UN
arranged for a cease fire. UN set up bases along the island's dividing
line. |
2,500
UN troops guard this line to date. Peace maintained since 1974. |
|
1975 |
East Timor |
East
Timor occupied by Indonesia and declared it part of Indonesia. |
UN
called on Indonesia to withdraw but could not enforce its resolution. |
Many
examples of human rights violations by Indonesia in East Timor. UN could
do nothing. But international pressure lead to East Timor becoming an
independent state in 2002. |
|
1979-88 |
Afghanistan |
USSR
invaded and occupied. |
Security
Council called on USSR to withdraw. |
USSR
vetoed Security Council resolution. UN unable to do anything. |
|
1980-88 |
Iraq
v Iran |
Long
running dispute between the two ended with Iraq invading Iran. |
Security
Council resolution called for a ceasefire between the two. |
Resolution
ignored. War continued for 8 years. UN supervised a ceasefire in 1988. |
|
1982-85 |
Lebanon
|
Israel
invaded Lebanon to drive out PLO. |
UN
organised the PLO's leaving of Beirut. |
UN
could not stop Beirut from descending into civil war but maintained men in
southern Lebanon - on Israeli border. |
|
1982 |
Falkland Islands
|
Argentina
invaded and occupied Falklands - British territory. |
Security
Council demanded that Argentina withdrew it forces. Ignored. |
Britain
retook the islands by force. |
|
1989 |
Namibia |
South
Africa illegally possessed Namibia. |
UN
persuaded South Africa, Angola and Cuba to accept UN supervised elections
prior to independence. |
In
1989, UN forces arrived to supervise lead up to independence. But Un could
not stop violence that left 2,000 dead. Namibia became independent in
1990. |
