The

United Nations
Organisation
 United Nation 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
 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.
 The Security Council has the
responsibility to…
• 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 recommend the admission of new Members;
• 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.
 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.
 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.
•
International Court
The International Court of Justice (ICJ)
of Justice
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.
 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.