Changing The Charter: The United Nations Prepares For The Twenty-First Century

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, established in 1974, had never proposed an amendment to the UN Charter before its decision on March 10, 1995, to recommend deletion of the “enemy states” clauses. This action came, not coincidentally, during a year when the United Nations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary—a time for retrospective and prospective assessment. Amid the hoopla of the anniversary festivities, UN members engaged in serious reflection on ways and means of enhancing the effectiveness of the Organization as it confronts the challenges of a changing world.