Wednesday, July 28, 2011
THEN
On July 28, 1945, by a vote of 89-2, the United States Senate ratifies the charter that would establish the United Nations. This political milestone signifies a shift in the minds of Americans from isolationism to acceptance of an increasingly proactive, international role for the United States. This is in sharp contrast to former President Woodrow Wilson’s failure to achieve Senate approval of the charter for the League of Nations, at the close of World War I. The U.N. is officially founded on October 24, 1945, after 51 countries ratify its charter. As one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council—along with the U.K., France, China, and Russia—the U.N. is dependent on U.S. approval for its most major security decisions.
NOW
Recently, the United Nation announced that its final negotiating conference for the international Arms Trade Treaty is scheduled for 2012. However, despite support from President Barack Obama, there is growing opposition to the treaty in the U.S. Senate. The treaty—which will establish international rules governing the trafficking of arms—is currently opposed by 55 U.S. Senators on the grounds that it will infringe on American’s right to bear arms as guaranteed in the Second Amendment. With the United States being a leading global arms exporter, opposition to the treaty in the Senate is particularly problematic for the U.N.’s goal of decreasing deadly international violence. In order for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty to become law in the United States, it must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. Supporters of the treaty include Amnesty International and ControlArms.
