Nations authorized the withdrawal of aid workers
and security forces from what had become a failed
mission.
Other Accomplishments In addition to these mili-
tary activities, there were many other major accom-
plishments by the United Nations during the 1990’s.
In 1991, the organization helped end a sixteen-year
civil war in Angola. Later that year, the United Na-
tions moved peace forward by mediating between
warring factions in El Salvador. The U.N. Con-
ference on Environment and Development, also
known as the Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Ja-
neiro in June, 1992, although the United States did
not accept the outcome. In 1993, the United Nations
supervised an independence referendum in Eritrea
that resulted in that country’s independence. In
1994, the organization ensured free and fair elec-
tions in South Africa as that country moved from mi-
nority white rule to majority rule. The same year, it
also monitored elections in Mozambique. Also in
1994, the first International Conference on Popula-
tion and Development was held in Cairo. In 1996,
the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was put
forward by the General Assembly. In 1997, the Mine
Ban Treaty (Ottawa Treaty) was created and went
into effect in 1999, although the United States re-
fused to sign the treaty. Negotiations regarding East
Timor allowed the United Nations to organize a ref-
erendum on independence in 1999.
Impact The United Nations continued to contrib-
ute to world peace and cooperation during the
1990’s. Its decisive action in the lead-up to the Gulf
War was one of the high points of U.S.-U.N. coopera-
tion. Also, the growth of membership by more than
15 percent made the United Nations much more in-
clusive. Resolution to long-standing disputes such as
those in South Africa and East Timor was made eas-
ier through its efforts.
Further Reading
Gorman, Robert F.Great Debates at the United Na-
tion: An Encyclopedia of Fifty Key Issues, 1945-2000.
Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001. In-
cluded among the debates are those on seven
critical events of the 1990’s, including the Persian
Gulf War.
O’Sullivan, Christopher D.The United Nations: A Con-
cise Histor y.Huntington, N.Y.: Krieger, 2005. Cov-
ers the first sixty years of the United Nations.
Ryan, Stephen.The United Nations and International
Politics. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. In-
cludes material on the United Nations’ role in
Rwanda, Somalia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Donald A. WattSee also Bosnia conflict; Bush, George H. W.;
Clinton, Bill; Cold War, end of; Dayton Accords; For-
eign policy of Canada; Foreign policy of the United
States; Gulf War; Haiti intervention; Kosovo conflict;
Kyoto Protocol; Schwarzkopf, Norman; Somalia
conflict; Terrorism. Updike, John
Identification American writer
Born March 18, 1932; Shillington, Pennsylvania
With the publication of eleven major books in the 1990’s,
including the final novel in the Rabbit tetralogy focusing
on the life and death of Harr y “Rabbit” Angstrom, UpdikeThe Nineties in America Updike, John 883
John Updike.(©Davis Freeman)