Achieve Quote by Richard A. Falk
“There was a deliberate decision after the failure of the League of Nations to make the next attempt to establish a global political actor sensitive to geopolitical realities. The underlying idea was to provide major states, defined in 1945 by reference to the winners in the Second World War (now an anachronism), with assurance that they could take part in the UN without jeopardising their national interests. In this regard, the UN has succeeded, as none of the big countries has withdrawn, and the Organisation has managed to achieve virtually universal membership of all sovereign states.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The United Nations and the Post‑War World, 1995
The quote explains that after the League of Nations failed, the UN was deliberately designed to accommodate major powers while preserving universal membership, reflecting geopolitical realities.
In simple terms: UN was built to include big powers and keep all nations in.
Key Takeaway
Understand the balance between power politics and global inclusion.
Themes
politics
geopolitics
institutional design
power balance
history
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- Diplomatic negotiations
- UN reform
- global governance
- policy analysis
Key Concepts
International relations
realism
institutional theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does power influence UN decisions?
- Can the UN evolve beyond its original power structure?
A Different Perspective
The design may perpetuate inequality among states.
![“As well as the [League of Nations] delegates themselves and their suites, there were innumerable campaigners of one sort and another, male and female, clerical and lay, young and old; all with some notion to publicise, some pet solution to offer, some organisation to promote. They gathered in…” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_league-of-nations_as-well-as-the-league-of-nations-delegat_1201683.jpg)
