Forget Syria: 5 cases where the U.N. wasn't impotent

The U.N.'s condemnation of Syria won't force Bashar al-Assad to end his bloody crackdown. But that doesn't mean the U.N. is always toothless

UN peacekeepers from Indonesia patrol the streets of Phnom Penh in 1993: The U.N. mission ended Cambodia's two-decade long war and help set up democratic elections.
(Image credit: REUTERS)

It's easy to see why impatient critics are bemoaning the United Nations. The U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Thursday condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for human rights abuses, and backing Arab League efforts to end the country's deadly attacks on anti-Assad rebels and protesters. But the measure is non-binding — it "lacks bite," says Bloomberg. Couple that with Russia and China's veto of a stronger Security Council resolution aiming to force Assad to surrender power, and it's clear why commentators are calling the U.N. irrelevant. But the U.N. isn't always ineffective. Here, a sampling of five cases where the much-maligned international body truly made a difference:

1. Libya

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