80 Accomplishments in 80 Years
In our last two issues we listed 32 UN accomplishments in the organization's first 32 years. Here is the third installment.
80 Accomplishments in 80 Years,Part Three, 1979-1995
During this period the UN resolved several civil wars, eradicated smallpox and launched the global campaign to end polio, and organized global action to combat climate change.
1979 The UN General Assembly adopts the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a landmark document affirming the fundamental rights of women and girls.
1980 Small pox is eradicated after a 12-year vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
1981 The UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief is adopted by the UN General Assembly.
1984 The International Court of Justice rules on a fishing-rights dispute between the U.S. and Canada, one of the 197 rulings since 1947.
1987 The UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, known as the Torture Convention, goes into effect.
1987 The Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to phase out the production of ozone substances that deplete the atmosphere’s ozone layer, goes into effect.
1988 WHO launches the Global Polio Eradication Imitative, which eventually reduced cases by 99%.
1988 The UN brokers a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq War, bringing that long conflict to an end.
1988 The UN plays a key role in the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; the UN Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan monitors the process
1989-94 The UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) oversees elections in Namibia, contributing to its independence (1989-90) and plays a similar role in South Africa (1994).
1991 The UN mediates the end of long-running civil wars in Angola and the end of civil wars in El Salvador (1992), Mozambique (1994), and Guatemala (1996).
1992 The UN Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit, Rio De Janeiro, adopts Agenda 21, a comprehensive agenda for sustainable development.
1992 The UN establishes the first war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
1992-94 The UN Transition Authority in Cambodia helps restore peace and facilitate democracy.
1994 The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force, providing a framework for international cooperation to prevent “dangerous” human intervention with the earth’s climate.
1995 The Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, adopts a Declaration and Framework for Action, the key global policy document on gender equality.
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