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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at podium, addresses the 58th General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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INDEPTH: THE UNITED NATIONS
Introduction
CBC News Online | March 15, 2006
In January 1942, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first person to use the
term "United Nations." Roosevelt helped create the "Declaration by United Nations" during the war when
26 nations pledged to continue fighting the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, Italy and their allies).
After the war, delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco in 1945 to stabilize international
relations and to keep the peace. They drew up the United Nations Charter. The UN
came into existence on Oct. 24, 1945 when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union,
the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of the delegates. Poland would sign the Charter later on and become one of the 51 original member states.
In the years since its inception, it has broadened its reach to include 130 agencies including: UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
According to its charter, the UN has four purposes:
- to maintain international peace and security
- to develop friendly relations among nations
- to co-operate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights
- to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations
The United Nations is not a world government and does not make laws. But it does provide the means to solve international conflicts and formulates policies in areas such as health, education or human rights.
The UN has expanded to include 191 countries. Members must abide by the Charter. At the UN, all member states have a voice and a vote in this process.
The organization has six main bodies. Five of them – the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat – are based at UN headquarters in New York. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague in the Netherlands.
The General Assembly
The Assembly holds its annual regular session from September to December. When necessary, it may resume its session or hold special emergency sessions in urgent situations. When the Assembly is not meeting, its work is carried out by its six main committees, other subsidiary bodies and the UN Secretariat. It's one member, one vote.
The Assembly represents a moral authority and can not make any nation do its bidding. Members
make decisions on such issues as international peace and security, admitting new members and the UN budget. These are decided by two-thirds majority. Other matters are decided by simple majority.
The Security Council
The Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and it may
convene at any time. Under the Charter, member states are obligated to carry out the Council's decisions.
There are 15 members, but five of these – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States – are permanent members. The other 10 are elected by the General
Assembly for two-year terms.
Decisions of the Security Council require nine "yes" votes. The Council can impose economic sanctions or
order an arms embargo. Very rarely has the Council authorized member states to use "all
necessary means," such as military action.
The Economic and Social Council
This body co-ordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN family of organizations. The Council plays the main role in fostering international co-operation for development. It also consults with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The Council has 54 members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. It meets throughout
the year and holds a major session in July, during which a special meeting of ministers discusses major
economic, social and humanitarian issues. The Council's subsidiary bodies, such as the Commission
for Human Rights or the Status of Women, report back to it.
The Trusteeship Council
The Council has helped prepare 11 Trust Territories for self-government or independence. Its work began in the mid-1950s when it oversaw the transition of Togoland in Africa (ruled by the British) as it became the country of Ghana. Other countries that came into being under the council's supervision include Togo, Cameroon, Tanzania, Rwanda, Papua New Guinea and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The council's work was effectively done with the establishment of Palau in the Pacific in 1994.
The Council now consists of the five permanent members of the Security Council. It has amended its rules of procedure to allow it to meet if other regions decide they need transitional support to independence.
The Secretariat
This body carries out the administrative work of the United Nations as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other parts of the UN. The head of the Secretariat is the Secretary General.
The Secretariat has a staff of 8,900, who are drawn from around the world. It also operates offices outside of New York City – in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago, Vienna and other offices all over the world.
The International Court of Justice
This is also known as the World Court and is the main judicial body of the UN. The General Assembly
and the Security Council elect 15 judges from different countries.
Judges preside over issues of war crimes, border disputes, trade tiffs and other international problems
that might arise between UN members.
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| LEAGUE OF NATIONS: |
The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an organization created during the
First World War. The league was established under the Treaty of Versailles to promote international co-operation and peace and security. The league stopped operating after failing to prevent the Second World War.
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