THE UNITED NATIONS
OUR ONLY HOPE FOR PEACE?
WHAT IS THE UNITED NATIONS?




The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1945 with 51
original Member States. The League of Nations is its predecessor.
The purpose of the United Nations is to bring all nations of the world together
to work for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human
dignity and the well-being of all people.
There are currently 192 Members of the United Nations. They meet in the
General Assembly, which is the closest thing to a world parliament.
Each country, large or small, rich or poor, has a single vote, however, none of
the decisions taken by the Assembly are binding. Nevertheless, the Assembly’s
decisions become resolutions that carry the weight of the world governmental
opinion.
Structure of the United Nations




The creation of the United Nations was an exercise in compromise and
negotiations. The lessons learned from the failure of the League of Nations
were applied to the new organization. The key issue was how to accommodate
the realities of national self-interest of both large and small powers.
What was required was a formula that would give the major powers a greater
role in the direction of the UN while still recognizing the need for all countries
to have their voices heard.
The solution was to divide the UN into two parts: a GENERAL ASSEMBLY in
which each country had one vote, and a SECURITY COUNCIL controlled by
the major powers.
In addition, the Secretariat, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship
Council, and the International Court of Justice were created to address other
areas of concern to the international body.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY



The General Assembly is the forum for all member states. It holds an annual
session in September, but meets throughout the year for emergency debates.
The Assembly is the meeting place where world leaders or their representatives,
from nations large and small, present their positions on various issues.
The General Assembly divides its responsibilities among six standing committees:
1. Disarmament and International Security Committee
2. Economic and Financial Committee
3. Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
4. Special Political and Decolonization Committee
5. Administrative and Budgetary Committee.
6. Legal Committee
THE SECURITY COUNCIL




This is where the real power of the United Nations lies.
The Council is made of two groups:
1. 5 Permanent Members-China, France, Britain, U.S. and Russia, each
of which has veto power over any UN decisions.
2. 10 Non-permanent members elected for 2 year terms who aid
the permanent members come to decisions.
Matters of Peace and Security were originally placed exclusively in the hands of
the Security Council. Since the Korean War, the General Assembly has also
been empowered to address these issues.
Permanent members of the Security Council have direct control over UN
intervention in any conflict.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL




ECOSOC, with a membership of fifty-four nations elected by the General
Assembly, is the branch of the UN entrusted with the fulfillment of the UN’s
international economic, social, cultural, educational, and health responsibilities.
The work of the Economic and Social Council is in many ways the most
important and enduring of all the UN’s achievements.
The Council co-ordinates the programs of many humanitarian and technological
organizations.
Some committees set under ECOSOC are:
- Science and Technology Committee
-United Nations Commission on Human Rights
-United Nations International Drug Control Program
-World Health Organization
TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL


This Council provides for an international Trusteeship to protect the
interests of those territories that are not fully self-governing.
The council consists of , the U.S., China, France, Russia and Britain
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE




The International Court of Justice forms an integral part of the United
Nations Charter and all UN members are automatically parties to the
Statute of the Court.
The Court upholds the UN Charter and enforces International law as
agreed upon by the UN Member States.
The Court is composed of independent judges who possess the
necessary qualifications to preside over the high courts of their home
countries or who are recognized for their expertise in international law.
These fifteen judges (no duplicate countries) are elected by the
Security Council and the General Assembly.
THE SECRETARIAT





The chief executive officer of the United Nations is the Secretary General.
Described as the most important public service job in the world, the
Secretary-General is the top-ranking administrator and diplomat in the UN.
The Secretary General reports on international problems and progress to the
General Assembly, asks the Security Council to deal with matters that
threaten international peace and security, and acts as a mediator in
international disputes.
The Secretary-General must maintain complete independence free of any
influence by any member of the UN.
The Candidate for Secretary-General must be acceptable to the different
blocs in the UN and cannot be too closely identified with either superpower.
PURPOSES OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations was formed and exists for the following
purposes:
1. To maintain international peace and settle disputes.
2. To develop the principle of equal rights and selfdetermination of peoples.
3. To solve international social, economic, and
humanitarian problems and promote human rights and
fundamental freedoms.
4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to
achieve these common goals.
PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations was built upon and adheres to the following
principles:
1. The Organization is based on the “sovereign equality” of all
members.
2. All members are expected to fulfill “in good faith” all UN
obligations.
3. All members should settle their international disputes by
peaceful means so that “international peace, security and justice
are not endangered”.
4. All members are to refrain from the threat or use of force
against any state.
UN PRINCIPLES Cont’d
5. All members are to assist the UN in any actions taken and are
not to assist any state against which the UN is acting.
6. The Organization seeks to ensure that non-member states act
in accordance with these principles to promote peace and
security.
7. Nothing in the Charter authorizes the UN “to intervene in
matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state”.
HAS THE UNITED NATIONS DONE WHAT
IT SET OUT TO DO?