The UN project

The UN project is about portraying the 193 leaders of the nations under the United Nations.

Let’s make peace – today!

This day, October 24, marks 79 years since the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust inspired the creation of The United Nations – the UN. And the ongoing  UN project were born.

Never again war, people said to each other, and the idea of a common meeting place where world leaders could talk about a peaceful future took shape with a physical address in New York.

Today, the UN is made up of 193 countries, and in addition to having peace as the purpose of diplomatic gatherings, two additional pillars have been added to the organization since World War II: human rights and sustainable development.

Without focusing on all three areas at the same time, peace will never be achieved is the thought behind. The challenges were defined:

Dialogue versus war,
democracy versus dictatorship,
education versus ignorance,
equality versus inequality,
health versus disease,
transparency versus corruption…
and the overriding common denominator:
climate change.

Fundamental principle of the UN

The fact that countries as different in almost every measurable parameter as Denmark and Saudi Arabia can sit at the same table is only possible because a fundamental principle of the UN is that no one can force anyone to do anything.

All UN members – rich or poor, large or small – each have one vote and each country can express its views on any issue. Important issues are decided by a two-thirds majority.

That is the strength and that is the weakness.

It is also the answer to why the UN cannot force the brutal rulers of Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Russia, Poland etc. to do anything. Two thirds of the 193 heads of state can agree to condemn… violently, but not “do anything”.

Meet the superboss of UN today

Going to hell

The world may seem to be going to hell because more and more cleptocrats, autocrats and theocrats rule the world.

But I still like the idea of The UN very much. That we should be able to sit at the same table and criticize as well as inspire each other, and who knows what our common world would have looked like if the UN had not been created?

An important tool for the UN’s work is statistics, which makes it possible to measure and compare developments in the individual member states. And many things are being measured that I had no idea about.

In the coming period, I will make up for my own ignorance about most of the united nations. Therefore each week I will choose a member nation represented by its real leader (which will probably give me a headache from time to time) and highlight seven comparable themes that are close to my heart. The seven parameters are:

  • Form of government
  • Population
  • Access to clean water
  • CO2-emission  — tons per capita
  • Freedom of the press
  • Literacy rate
  • Pregnancy-related mortality
Nation number 193

Who do I choose first?

The journey begins today with the face of UN-secretary general António Guterres. Monday I’ll be moving on to “portraying” the least populated nation and from there onwards to the most populated nation.

The name of country presented monday means “Eight who stand together”. Can You guess?

Let´s make peace ... today!