United Nations, an international organization was established immediately after World War II to maintain international peace and security. In 1945 there were 51 members; there are now 184. In the beginning, close cooperation among the members was hoped for, but becasue of the Cold War countries chose sides. Early UN peacekeeping efforts included the establishment of armed forces to stop (1950) the North Korean attack on South Korea; the mobilization of troops and peacekeeping forces for the Congo, Cyprus, and the Middle East. The UN has been used to help debate and defuse international conflict, and it has worked to aid economic and technological development in developing nations. The ending of the cold war, the UN has become increasingly important to keeping and maintaining international peace, most notably in Kuwait, with the authorization of the use of force against Iraq after its invasion, and Mozambique but less successfully in Cambodia, Bosnia, and elsewhere. Demand for peacekeeping forces has increased. The funds to pay for them have become harder to raise, and nations have not always been willing to contribute troops, particularly if the risks are high. If the United Nations is to fulfill its role, member nations must stay together.