History Main / UnitedNationsIsASuperpower

** There is also "The League of Galactics", which by context is taken about as seriously as the League of Nations would be were it still around.
--->'''Breya:''' [[https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2006-01-15 And how is that different from "standing idly by?"]]\\
'''President Mancala:''' Don't be ridiculous. If we were standing idly by, we would not be lodging a protest.\\
'''Breya:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Wow. We are fearsome.]]

* The United Nations isn't initially this in the lore of ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'', but eventually becomes such by the time of ''TabletopGame/DeadlandsLostColony'' thanks to the UN Expeditionary Forces (EXFOR) being one of the ''only'' powers left on the distant world of Banshee after WorldWarThree.

** ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has UNATCO, the "United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition", which while on the surface, seems to be a world police force hosted by the UN, is [[spoiler: pretty much the beginnings of a military for a one-state world.]] The UN itself apparently has much more power in the 2050s, since it appears to hold sway over politics in nations, as one character uses the term, "UN-governed nations." The UN's influence got to be so bad, that China left it sometime before the game, and is [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld arguably better off for it.]] Conversations and flavor text materials in the game suggest that much of this came about because citizen confidence in local sovereign states has severely waned in the wake of ecological and economic disasters, weakening those states, which in turn causes them to increasingly rely on the UN to maintain their influence, consolidating effective power there. This in turn reduces citizen confidence in those states further, leading to widespread discontentment and open civil war in first-world nations.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' has UNATCO, the "United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition", which while on the surface, seems to be a world police force hosted by the UN, is [[spoiler: pretty much the beginnings of a military for a one-state world.]] The UN itself apparently has much more power in the 2050s, since it appears to hold sway over politics in nations, as one character uses the term, "UN-governed nations." The UN's influence got to be so bad, that China left it sometime before the game, and is [[ChinaTakesOverTheWorld arguably better off for it.]] Conversations and flavor text materials in the game suggest that much of this came about because citizen confidence in local sovereign states has severely waned in the wake of ecological and economic disasters, weakening those states, which in turn causes them to increasingly rely on the UN to maintain their influence, consolidating effective power there. This in turn reduces citizen confidence in those states further, leading to widespread discontentment and open civil war in first-world nations.

*** ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' sees the formation of Task Force 29, a counter-terrorism organization that appears to be a precursor to UNATCO, though it's run by Interpol instead of the UN. However, the Interpol also appears to be under the direct control of the UN Security Council so it acts like a global police and even police openly endorsing hate crimes against augmented don't dare actually hinder an augged Interpol agent more than basic harrasment.

* In Creator/CharlesStross' ''Literature/TheEschatonSeries'', the UN, consisting of most of the microstates of the [[BalkanizeMe balkanized]] post-[[TheSingularity Singularity]] Earth, is an interesting mix of "quite powerful" and "not very powerful at all": it mostly leaves local governments on Earth alone, but it has scores of agents tasked with enforcing the laws of the Eschaton -- a far-future expression of the Singularity that flung human civilizations across space for reasons unclear, but which wants the laws of causality to be preserved at any cost. It also has a lot of pull for the mythical association with EarthThatWas (which they usually can't distinguish from Earth-That-Still-Is). This UN is ''not'' the same organization, but rather a development of the Internet Engineering Task Force (yes) that took on the responsibilities and form of the UN after the post-Singularity Earth had settled down (i.e. suitably modified for a world of ''tens of thousands'' of states rather than 193).
* Larry Niven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' has the UN develop into a planetary government.
* Similarly, in Niven's Svetz series (about a time-traveling agent who goes into the past to retrieve what he thinks are extinct animals but turn out to be mythical creatures), the Earth is ruled by the UN, a hereditary monarchy where [[RoyalInbreeding the Secretary General is an "inbred idiot"]].
* ''Shah Guido G'', a short story by Creator/IsaacAsimov, has the UN ultimately transform into a tyrannical, caste-based oppressive regime headed by a hereditary Sekjen ([[DontExplainTheJoke Secretary General, in other words]]), only to fall when one of the high castes arranges for the flying capital city of Atlantis to crash after seeing just how corrupt the society has become. The reason for the name of the story is in-universe a nickname by the oppressed masses for the last Sekjen, and out-universe a [[ShaggyDogStory reference]] to the [[WordOfGod Asimov-admitted]] point of the story being to [[{{Feghoot}} set the stage]] for a {{Pun}}.

* David Feintuch's ''Literature/SeafortSaga'' has the UN as the governing body of Earth and its colonies. Oddly enough, its society is akin to Napoleonic-era Britain: Swearing in public can lead to legal trouble, the Church is an important factor of life, and there are legal duels.

* Creator/OlafStapledon's ''Literature/LastAndFirstMen,'' which was written between the World Wars, has the ''League of Nations'' transform over time into a purely cosmopolitan world government as a very early section of the book's "Future History." Although it's mentioned that the League is eventually usurped by both the Americans and Chinese before the two merge into a genuine OneWorldOrder.
* In Chris Moriarty's ''Spin'' series the bulk of human-controlled space is run by the UN. Weirdly subverted, however, in that Earth is not unified and its nation-states still bicker and fight just as much as they do in the 21st century.
* ''[[Literature/TimeMachineSeries The Rings of Saturn]]'': It's mentioned that in the future the United Nations is an OneWorldOrder, but a benevolent one.

* In Creator/IanDouglas's ''Literature/SemperMars'', the UN has grown in power and influence to the point where it's almost a OneWorldOrder. Several nations (including the US, Japan, and Russia) still resist the UN's more and more forceful demands that they join the European-dominated organization. This gets to the point where UN-assigned overseers sent to the American excavation site in Cydonia, Mars, keep acting as if they're in charge of the mission, even though their official role is "observers only". Halfway through the novel, [[spoiler:the UN declares war on the "rogue" states over the findings on Mars]]. There is also a lot of pressure on the US to give up its Southwest for a new Latino nation called Aztlan. When the Americans understandably refuse, they're accused of being selfish and refusing to integrate with the world.
* In James S.A. Corey's ''[[Literature/TheExpanse Expanse]]'' series, the United Nations appears to be the governing body of Earth, though the specifics and background are kept vague. At the very least, the UN is responsible for Earth's off-world colonies, as well as off-world peacekeeping and general planetary defense, through the UN Navy. They're also involved in a SpaceColdWar with the virtually independent Mars Congressional Republic.
* In Creator/MikhailAkhmanov's ''[[Literature/ArrivalsFromTheDark Invasion]]'', the UN is still, technically, the same entity it is today, except for the existence of the United Space Forces, a supranational military force answerable to the UN Security Council, which is dominated by the three global superpowers (North America, Europe, Russia), who are determined to keep the other nations (including China, India, and the Muslim world) out of space. The USF is, typically, a monolithic entity, although there are occasional attempts by their sponsoring nations to use the USF for their own political goals. The three admirals in charge of the force usually try to resist, even though each of them comes from one of the three powers. The admirals are determined to keep the USF separate from Earth politics, knowing that Earth's safety depends on the USF remaining unified. The sequel ''Retaliation'' reveals that, several decades after the failed [[HumanAlien Faata]] invasion, the UN is reformed into the World Parliament, an attempt at creating a OneWorldOrder. The Security Council becomes the Solar System Security Committee. The USF remains largely unchanged, except for expanding its operations beyond the Solar System thanks to ImportedAlienPhlebotinum and increasing the number of the fleets to account for the expanding volume of space under human control. The World Parliament is later reformed into the [[TheFederation Earth Federation]], which also includes the other worlds settled by humans.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

--->"[[https://www.achlockmercenary.com/2006-01-15 And how is that different from "standing idly by?"]]"\\
"Don't be ridiculous. If we we were standing idly by, we wouldn't be lodging a protest."\\
"Wow. We are fearsome."

** In ''Rocket Ship Galileo'', peace is enforced by the guided rockets of the U.N. World Patrol.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has the [[OneWorldOrder World Government]], an organization founded over 800 years ago by an alliance of 20 countries (whose rulers would become the [[AristocratsAreEvil World Nobles]] along with their descendants) and currently spanning over 170 nations across the planet. Backed by the military might of the Marines and the [[{{privateer}} Seven Warlords]], there are few places beyond the World Government's reach. While it is meant to be a coalition of nations with no power over each other, [[spoiler:secretly it is ruled by a being known as [[ShadowDictator Im]], whose EstablishingCharacterMoment is nonchalantly sitting on the Empty Throne as the Five Elders bow to them]].

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has the [[OneWorldOrder World Government]], an organization founded over 800 years ago by an alliance of 20 countries (whose rulers would become the [[AristocratsAreEvil World Nobles]] along with their descendants) and currently spanning over 170 nations across the planet. Backed by the military might of the Marines and the [[PsychoForHire Seven Warlords]], there are few places beyond the World Government's reach. While it is meant to be a coalition of nations with no power over each other, [[spoiler:secretly it is ruled by a being known as [[ShadowDictator Im]], whose EstablishingCharacterMoment is nonchalantly sitting on the Empty Throne as the Five Elders bow to them]].

* ''Fanfic/{{HERZ}}'': In this history, set in the year 2027, the UN is de facto '''the'' hegemonic superpower. It's gradually developing into an OneWorldOrder as the nation-states keep losing power and influence and it has its own army, including {{Humongous Mecha}}s to deal with emergencies.

** The reboot series starting with ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' reverts XCOM to a special operations group, with research and manufacturing capacity. But in the sequel ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', set in a VichyEarth scenario after canonically losing in Enemy Unknown, XCOM veterans end up leading a global resistance against the alien regime, and the victory cinematic has rebel fighters raising an XCOM flag rather than any national banner and establishing an interim global military dictatorship after the invading forces are defeated.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has the [[OneWorldOrder World Government]], an organization founded over 800 years ago by an alliance of 20 countries (whose rulers would become the [[AristocratsAreEvil World Nobles]] along with their descendants) and currently spanning over 170 nations across the planet. Backed by the military might of the Marines and the [[PsychoForHire Seven Warlords]], there are few places beyond the World Government's reach. While it is meant to be a coalition of nations with no power over each other, [[spoiler:secretly it is ruled by a being known as [[TheHighKing Im]], whose EstablishingCharacterMoment is nonchalantly sitting on the Empty Throne as the Five Elders bow to them.]]

* In most games of the ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' series, controlling a majority of votes in the UN makes you the unquestioned ruler of the world. Even in its more mundane dealings, it rules unopposed - nobody has veto power, if the majority of states agree to an embargo on Attila the Hun nobody can ignore it, and if a luxury resource gets banned nobody can gain any Happiness from having it.

* In ''Literature/{{Inferno|2013}}'', the ''World Health Organization'' has the power to summon a specs-op group aboard a C-130 to rescue their head from bioterrorists. A WHO chief staff, Dr. Bernhard Schwartzländer, once brought this up as a specific example of what the WHO [[DanBrowned doesn't]] do... before [[HypocriticalHumor adding]] "We are not like [[InterpolSpecialAgent Interpol]]".

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', the UN starts off like its real-world counterpart: lacking influence and mostly dealing with humanitarian efforts. Once the power blocs begin to work together, a joint military force is formed under the auspices of the UN. Eventually, the superpowers reform the UN into the Earth Sphere Federation.
** The Earth Federation of the original Universal Century timeline formed out of the UN as well, with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' explaining the details. The Federation was originally supposed to be decentralized but on the eve of the Federation's formation, the first president was assassinated in a FalseFlagOperation by Earth-supremacist hardliners who pinned it on space colonists as an excuse to deny them representation in the Federation Assembly and institute an Earth-centric government. It took nearly eighty years for the situation to boil over but [[TheWarOfEarthlyAggression once it did]], the result was [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam a devastating war]] that killed off half of humanity and was followed by [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam decad]][[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ es of]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack on-an]][[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 d-off]] ForeverWar between the Federation and various insurgent groups. By [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam 153 years after its formation]], the Federation is a VestigialEmpire in all but name, yet still manages to hold on for another fifty years before finally dissolving.

* In ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', TheSyndicate runs the U.N., which makes it a very powerful organization probably more so than actual nations. PANDORA is basically their own army.

* ''Shah Guido G'', a short story by Creator/IsaacAsimov, has the UN ultimately transform into a tyrannical, caste-based oppressive regime headed by a hereditary Sekjen ([[DontExplainTheJoke Secretary General, in other words]]), only to fall when one of the high castes arranges for the flying capital city of Atlantis to crash after seeing just how corrupt the society has become. The reason for the name of the story is in-universe a nickname by the oppressed masses for the last Sekjen, and out-universe a [[ShaggyDogStory reference]] to the [[WordOfGod Asimov-admitted]] point of the story being to [[{{Feghoot}} set the stage]] for an IncrediblyLamePun.

* In the Wiki/SCPFoundation universe, the Global Occult Coalition is backed by the United Nations and is considered to be one of the Foundation's most powerful competitors.

** By the time the [[Timeline/UGSFSeries United Government]] is established 50 years later, this ''appears'' to have been changed to a more traditional example, but both Neucom and General Resource are still in control of the government - just in a much less overt way.

** The reboot series starting with ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' reverts XCOM to a special operations group, with research and manufacturing capacity. But in ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', set in a VichyEarth scenario, XCOM veterans end up leading a global resistance against the alien regime, and the victory cinematic has rebel fighters raising an XCOM flag rather than any national banner.