Best Practices in Public Works Programs:
When people think of the United Nations, they often consider only the peacekeeping missions and the, sometimes controversial, roles the UN has played in world politics. But, the central role of the United Nations is not only peacekeeping. The central role of the United Nations is indeed the promotion of peace and security, but also development and human rights. The role of the UN in developing programs to better life for suffering peoples around the world was recognized on 10 December 2001, when the UN and its Secretary-General were awarded the centennial Nobel Peace Prizeö (UN.org ôImage and realityö). Specifically, the UN has had particular success in establishing ôbest practicesö in area of public works programs in developing countries.
In examining this particular area of UN work, it is first useful to look at an overview of the United Nations, its history and purpose and the agencies that, together, make up the UN system. The second half of this study will then consider the problem that public works programs seek to solve, the key agencies charged with program implementation, and a case study that presents details of successful public works programs. After considering all these elements together, it is then accurate to assert that the United Nations, as experts in the world arena of challenging the issue of poverty, has indeed established ôbest practicesö in the implementation of public works programs in developing nations around the world.
While the bruises of World War II were still fresh on the cheeks of the world, on 24 October 1945, 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security established the first United Nations. Today, membership totals 191 countries to include nearly every nation in the world (UN.org ôHow the UN worksö).
The document that formally established the United Nations is called the UN Ch...