It is often argued that the only consistent and unifying factor of governance throughout human history has been war. In our contemporary society and in almost all civilizations that preceded it, war has been about governance just as governance has been about war, both as a diplomatic last resort and as a means of implementing territorial and imperial expansion. However, when applied internationally, the question arises: by which authority is the right to govern granted? If war is a means to achieve this authority, is it through blind, tumultuous and violent struggle for power, or is it founded on a universal moral absolute? In other words, do we claim that governance is determined by arbitrary power or absolute right? Indeed, this is precisely the problem that various world powers and political theorists have sought to address, particularly in the fields of international relations and just war theory. – that is, whether a nation is ever morally justified in declaring war. If so, we must determine what the rules and requirements are for engaging in war, how a country must behave during war, and, most importantly, how to maintain peace before and after war. Various treaties, charters and organizations have been established over time in an attempt to address these issues. One of the most important of these is the United Nations, an organization aimed primarily at maintaining peace throughout the world through the promulgation of a formal charter. In this essay I will briefly examine the effectiveness of this organization and its charter with respect to maintaining international peace. Although the United Nations has a variety of functions, its most general characteristic is to maintain glory. of paper… of peace today seems unachievable to the point of absurdity” (Hanhimaki 71). Unfortunately, in light of the above information, it is very difficult to disagree. Works Cited Hanhimaki, Jussi M. The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.Lango, John W. “Preventive Wars, Just War Principles, and the United Nations.” The Journal of Ethics 9.1 (2005): 247-268. JSTOR. Network. 15 June 2011.United Nations. “Charter of the United Nations”. United Nations.org. United Nations, 24 October 1945. Web. 16 June 2011.---. “History of the United Nations”. United Nations.org. United Nations, 2005. Web. 16 June 2011.---. “The UN in brief”. United Nations.org. United Nations, 2009. Web. 16 June 2011.---. “United Nations Security Council: Joining in 2011.” United Nations.org. United Nations, 2011. Web. 16 June. 2011.