UNOThe pacifist

INTRODUCTION• The League of Nations (predecessor to the United Nations), established after WWI, was set up with a primary goal of keeping peace.

Purpose of the UN

• Maintain international peace & security

• Achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural, & humanitarian problems

• Promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

• Be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining common goals

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Human Rights Council• Refugees• High Commission for Refugees

UN facts• 192 member states

• Un headquarters is situated in New York

• The US has always been by far the largest single contributor to the UN budget.

• In June 2004 the US owed the UN just over $1 billion – almost half the total $2.5 billion owed to the UN by its members

• The budget for the UN's main operations is $2.5 billion a year.• • In theory, any member state that owes more than its two previous years’ assessments cannot vote in

the General Assembly.

• The UN Secretariat worldwide employs some 15,000 people from 170 different countries

• Six official languages are used at the UN: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

• The current secretary general is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea.

Aims /Objectives of the UN• To keep peace throughout the world.

• To develop friendly relations between nations.

• To work together to help people live better lives, to eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world, to stop environmental destruction and to encourage respect for each other's rights and freedoms.

• To be a centre for helping nations achieve these aims.

Principles of the UN• All Member States have sovereign equality.

• All Member States must obey the Charter. • Countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful

means.

• Countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force.

• The UN may not interfere in the domestic affairs of any country.

• Countries should try to assist the United Nations.

The Principal organs of the UN- General Assembly

- Security Council

- Economic and Social Council

- International Court of Justice

- Secretariat

- Trusteeship Council

General Assembly• It occupies the central position as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations

• A forum for multilateral discussion on international issues between 192 Members of the United Nations

• It plays a significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law.

• The Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.

General Assembly

Security Council• 5 permanent members:

China, France, Russia, UK and the United States

• 10 rotating members

• Responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Security Council’s functionings• to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead

to international friction;

• to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;

• to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;

• to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;

• to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;

• to take military action against an aggressor;

• to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";

• to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.

Security Council

Educational and Social Council• ECOSOC coordinates economic, social, and related work of

the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions.

• ECOSOC consults with academics, business sector representatives and more than 2,100 registered non-governmental organizations.

• It is responsible for: promoting higher standards of living, full employment,

and economic and social progress;

identifying solutions to international economic, social and health problems;

facilitating international cultural and educational

cooperation; and

encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Economic & Social Council

International Court of Justice

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).

• It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.

• The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

• The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

• The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

• Its official languages are English and French.

International Court of Justice - The Hague(HOLLAND)

Secretariat (& Secretary-General)• Secretariat is the

“business”

• Secretary-General acts as a diplomat, advocate, civil servant, and CEO

• Spokesman for the interests of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable

• H.E. Ban Ki-moon of Korea (2007)

SECRETARIATE

Trusteeship Council

• Responsible for supervising the administration of Trust Territories placed under the Trusteeship System.

• Major goals :to promote the advancement of the

inhabitants of Trust Territories and their progressive development

towards self-government or independence.

• The aims of the Trusteeship System have been fulfilled to such an extent that all Trust Territories have attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighbouring independent countries.

• The Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994, with the independence of Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory, on 1 October 1994.

Trusteeship Council

UN European HQ – Geneva

• Former HQ of the League of Nations

UN Office at Vienna

• UNHCR, Space, Drugs

UN Office at Nairobi

• UNEP, UNHABITAT

UN Priorities:Conflict Resolution

• Peaceful Settlement of Differences• International Court of Justice• Economic Sanctions• Peacekeeping Force• Regular Military Force

–Must be made available by all member states on an individual basis

UN Priorities:Sustainable Development

• “Programs that improve people’s quality of life without impairing future generations’ ability to improve their quality of life”

• UN Conference on Human Environment

• The Earth Summit

• United Nations Environment Program

UN Millennium Development Goals

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger2. Achieve universal primary education3. Promote gender equality and empower

women4. Reduce child mortality5. Improve maternal health6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other

diseases7. Ensure environmental sustainability8. Develop a global partnership for

development

COMPILED BY: Abhishek Singh

SST PROJECT2013-2014