THE UNITED NATIONS

Internationalists like Bentham and Kant imagined the

possibility of a world government, nothing of the sort
exists today;

There is no one organization where states are

accountable to.

No organization can militarily compel a state to obey

predetermined global rules.

There is some regularity in the behavior of states though;

it becomes a global concern when they don't.

Global governance refers to various intersecting

processes that create global order.
 A transnational corporation is an enterprise
There are many that is involved with the international
sources of global production of goods or services, foreign
governance--treaties investments, or income and asset
management in more than one country.
and charters of
organizations. Transnational corporations share many
qualities with multinational corporations, with
the subtle difference being that multinational
NGO's though not corporations consist of a centralized
management structure, whereas
having formal state transnational corporations generally are
power, can lobby decentralized, with many bases in various
countries where the corporation operates.
individual states to
behave in a certain Non-Governmental Organizations are
way. organizations which are independent of
government involvement.

Transnational NGOs are a subgroup of organizations

corporations can founded by citizens, which include clubs and
associations that provide services to their
likewise have effects members and others.
on world governance.
NGOs are usually nonprofit organizations, and
many of them are active in humanitarianism
or the social sciences.
International Organization is an organization established
by a treaty or other instrument governed by international
law and possessing its own international legal personality,
such as the United Nations, the World Health
Organization and NATO.

One major fallacies of IO's is that they’re merely

amalgamations of various state interests.

In the 1960s and the 1970s scholars believed IO's are just
talk shops.

IO's however can take on lives of their own

Powers of International Organizations
(Micahel N. Barnett, Martha Finnemore)

IO's have the power of classifications; they can invent

and apply categories such as “refugees.”

IO's can fix meanings such as in the concepts of

“security” as referring to safety from military violence as
well as from environmental harm.

IO's have the power to diffuse norms, which are

accepted codes of conduct that may not be strict law,
but nevertheless produce regularity in behavior.
IO powers can be sources of great good like promote
human rights or great harm, such as in the IMF's “one-
size-fits-all” approach when its economists make
recommendations to developing nations.
The UNited Nations

Brief History

idea for the UN, elaborated in

declarations signed at the
wartime Allied conferences in
Moscow and Tehran in 1943.

US Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt

suggested the name "United
Nations"

first official use of the term

occurred on January 1, 1942
with the Declaration by the
United Nations.
• During WW II, the Allies used the term "United Nations"
to refer to their alliance.

• From August to October 1944, representatives of the

U.S., United Kingdom, France, USSR, and China met to
elaborate the plans at the Dumbarton Oaks Estate in
Washington, D.C.

• Those and later talks produced proposals outlining the

purposes of the organization, its membership and
organs, as well as arrangements to maintain
international peace and security and international
economic and social cooperation.

• These proposals were discussed and debated by

governments and private citizens worldwide.
• came into existence on October 24, 1945, after the
Charter had been ratified by the five permanent
members of the Security Council - China, France, USSR,
UK, and the United States - and by a majority of the
other 46 signatories.

• The U.S. Senate, by a vote of 89 to 2, gave its consent

to the ratification of the UN Charter on July 28, 1945.

• In December 1945, the Senate and the House of

Representatives, by unanimous votes, requested that
the UN make its headquarters in the U.S.

• The offer was accepted, UN headquarters building was

constructed in New York City in 1949 and 1950 beside
the East River on land purchased by an 8.5 million dollar
donation from John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
• The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental
organization tasked with

• maintaining international peace and security,

• developing friendly relations among nations,
• achieving international co-operation, and
• being a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

• It was established after World War II, with the aim of

preventing future wars, and succeeded the
ineffective League of Nations.

• Its headquarters, which are subject to extraterritoriality,

are in Manhattan, New York City, and it has other main
offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and The Hague.
• UN HQ officially opened on
January 9, 1951. The land is
now considered
international territory.

• Under special agreement

with the U.S., certain
diplomatic privileges and
immunities have been
granted, but generally the
laws of New York City, New
York State, and the U.S.
apply.
CHAPTER II: MEMBERSHIP
Article 3

• The original Members of the United Nations shall be

the states which, having participated in the United
Nations Conference on International Organization
at San Francisco, or having previously signed the
Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942,
sign the present Charter and ratify it in accordance
with Article 110.
Article 4

• Membership in the United Nations is open to all

other peace-loving states which accept the
obligations contained in the present Charter and, in
the judgment of the Organization, are able and
willing to carry out these obligations.

• The admission of any such state to membership in

the United Nations will be effected by a decision of
the General Assembly upon the recommendation
of the Security Council.

• Currently are 193 members.

Article 5

• A Member of the United Nations against which

preventive or enforcement action has been taken by
the Security Council may be suspended from the
exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by
the General Assembly upon the recommendation of
the Security Council. The exercise of these rights and
privileges may be restored by the Security Council.

Article 6

• A Member of the United Nations which has persistently

violated the Principles contained in the present
Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the
General Assembly upon the recommendation of the
Security Council.
The official languages of the UN are the six languages that are used
in UN meetings, and in which all official UN documents are written.
In alphabetical order, they are:

• Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic)

• Chinese(Written character: Simplified Chinese)
• English (British English with Oxford spelling)
• French
• Russian
• Spanish

New proposed languages:

• Bengali
• Hindi
• Malay
• Portuguese
• Swahili
• Turkish
• The General Assembly (GA) is the main deliberative,
policymaking and representative organ of the UN.
• Established in 1945 , the General Assembly occupies a
central position as the chief deliberative,
policymaking and representative organ of the United
Nations.

• Comprising all 193 Members of the United Nations, it

provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of
the full spectrum of international issues covered by the
Charter.

• It also plays a significant role in the process of

standard-setting and the codification of international
law.

• Each country has one vote. Some Member States in

arrear of payment may be granted the right to vote.
• The Assembly has adopted its own rules of procedure
and elects its President and 21 Vice-Presidents for
each session.

• Decisions on important questions, such as those on

peace and security, admission of new members and
budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority.

• Decisions on other questions are by simple majority.

• The Assembly meets from September to December

each year, and thereafter from January to August, as
required.
• The Security Council has primary responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security.

• It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote.

Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member
States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
• The Security Council takes the lead in determining the
existence of a threat to the peace or act of
aggression.

• It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by

peaceful means and recommends methods of
adjustment or terms of settlement.

• In some cases, the Security Council can resort to

imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force
to maintain or restore international peace and
security.
• The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of
the six main organs of the United Nations.

• The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the

United Nations system to advance the three
dimensions of sustainable development – economic,
social and environmental.
• It is the central platform for fostering debate and
innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways
forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve
internationally agreed goals.

• It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN

conferences and summits.
• In setting up an
International Trusteeship
System, the Charter
established the
Trusteeship Council as
one of the main organs
of the United Nations.

• The UN assigned to it the task of supervising the

administration of Trust Territories placed under the
Trusteeship System.

• The main goals of the System were to promote the

advancement of the inhabitants of Trust Territories and
their progressive development towards self-
government or independence.
• The Trusteeship Council is made up of the five
permanent members of the Security Council -- China,
France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom
and the United States.

• The aims of the Trusteeship System have been fulfilled

to the extent that all Trust Territories have attained self-
government or independence, either as separate
States or by joining neighbouring independent
countries.
• Under the Charter, the Trusteeship Council is
authorized to examine and discuss reports from the
Administering Authority on the political, economic,
social and educational advancement of the peoples
of Trust Territories and, in consultation with the
Administering Authority, to examine petitions from and
undertake periodic and other special missions to Trust
Territories. 

• The Trusteeship Council suspended its operations on 1

November 1994, a month after the independence of
Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory.
• The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in
The Hague, is the principal judicial organ of the United
Nations.

• It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, sharing

the building with the Hague Academy of International
Law, a private centre for the study of international law.
• The ICJ's primary purpose is to adjudicate disputes
among states. The court has heard cases related to
war crimes, illegal state interference, ethnic cleansing,
and other issues.

• The ICJ can also be called upon by other UN organs

to provide advisory opinions.

• It is the only organ that is not located in New York.

• The ICJ is composed of 15 judges who serve 9-year

terms and are appointed by the General Assembly;
every sitting judge must be from a different nation.
• The UN Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General,
assisted by the Deputy Secretary-General and a staff
of international civil servants worldwide.
• It provides studies, information, and facilities needed
by UN bodies for their meetings.

• It also carries out tasks as directed by the Security

Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and
Social Council, and other UN bodies.

• The Secretary-General acts as the de facto

spokesperson and leader of the UN. The position is
defined in the UN Charter as the organization's "chief
administrative officer“
• Article 99 of the charter states that the Secretary-
General can bring to the Security Council's attention

• "any matter which in his opinion may threaten the

maintenance of international peace and security",

• a phrase that Secretaries-General since Trygve

Lie have interpreted as giving the position broad
scope for action on the world stage.

• The office has evolved into a dual role of an

administrator of the UN organization and a diplomat
and mediator addressing disputes between member
states and finding consensus to global issues
• Secretaries-General serve for five-year terms that
can be renewed indefinitely, although none so far
has held office for more than two terms; most have
served two terms.

• The Charter provides for the Secretary-General to

be appointed by the General Assembly upon the
nomination of the Security Council.

• Therefore, the selection is subject to the veto of any

of the five permanent members of the Security
Council.
• In practice, the Secretary-General cannot be a
national of any of the Permanent Members of the
Security Council.

• An accepted practice of regional (continental)

rotation has also been adopted in the selection of
successive candidates.

• The ability of candidates to converse in both English

and French is also considered an unofficial
qualification for the office.
• Most Secretaries-General are compromise-
candidates from middle powers and with little prior
fame.

• High-profile candidates are often touted for the job,

but are almost always rejected as unpalatable to
some.

• For instance, figures like Charles de Gaulle, Dwight

Eisenhower, and Sir Anthony Eden were considered
for the first Secretary-General position, but were
rejected in favor of the uncontroversial Norwegian
Trygve Lie.
Gladwyn Jeb Oct 45-Feb 46, UK
Trygve Lie, 1946-1952, Norway
Dag Hammarskjöld (1953-61), Sweden
U Thant, (1961-19710, Burma
Kurt Waldheim (1972-81), Austria
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1982-91), Peru
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-96), Egypt
Kofi Annan (1997-2006), Ghana
Ban Ki-Moon (2007-2016), South Korea
Antonio Guterres (1917-) Portugal
• The World Health Organization
(WHO) is a specialized agency
of the United Nations
responsible for international
public health.

• its main objective is "the

attainment by all peoples of
the highest possible level of
health.“

• It is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland, with six semi-
autonomous regional offices
and 150 field offices
worldwide.
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)

a specialized agency of the United Nations 
aimed at promoting world peace and 
security through international cooperation 
in education, the sciences, and culture.

has 193 member states and 11 associate 
members, as well as partners in the 
nongovernmental, intergovernmental, and 
private sector.

headquartered in Paris, France, UNESCO 
has 53 regional field offices and 199 
national commissions that facilitate its 
global mandate.
• The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) is a UN agency
mandated to aid and protect
refugees, forcibly displaced
communities, and stateless
people, and to assist in their
voluntary repatriation, local
integration or resettlement to a
third country.

• It is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland, with over 17,300
staff working in 135 countries.
• The United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP) is responsible for
coordinating responses to
environmental issues within
the United Nations system.

• was established by Maurice

Strong, its first director, after
the United Nations
Conference on the Human
Environment in Stockholm in
June 1972.
• Its mandate is to provide leadership,
deliver science and develop solutions
on a wide range of issues, including
climate change, the management of
marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and
green economic development.

• The organization also develops

international environmental
agreements, publishes and promotes
environmental science and helps
national governments achieve
environmental targets.
• The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United
Nations (FAO)

• is a specialized agency of the

United Nations that leads
international efforts to defeat
hunger and improve nutrition
and food security.

• Its Latin motto, fiat panis,

translates to "let there be
bread". It was founded in
October 1945.
UNICEF, also known as the United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund,

is a United Nations agency responsible for providing

humanitarian and developmental aid to children
worldwide

UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and

disease prevention, administering treatment for children
and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal
nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and
providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
• The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly
the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a
UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and
maternal health worldwide.

• Its work includes developing national healthcare

strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth
control, and leading campaigns against child
marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and
female genital mutilation.
• The International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA)

• is an international organization
that seeks to promote the
peaceful use of nuclear
energy, and to inhibit its use for
any military purpose, including
nuclear weapons.
• The International Labour
Organization (ILO)

• is a United Nations agency

whose mandate is to
advance social and
economic justice through
setting international labour
standards.
• The World Food Programme[a] (WFP) is the food-
assistance branch of the United Nations.

• It is the world's largest humanitarian organization, the

largest one focused on hunger and food security, and
the largest provider of school meals.
• The United Nations
Development Programme
(UNDP) is the United
Nations' global
development network.

• It promotes technical and

investment cooperation
among nations and
advocates for change
and connects countries to
knowledge, experience
and resources to help
people build a better life
for themselves.
• The UNDP provides expert advice, training and
grants support to developing countries, with
increasing emphasis on assistance to the least
developed countries.

• UNDP works with nations on their own solutions to

global and national development challenges. As
they develop local capacity, they draw on the
people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.

• However UNDP offers to help only if the different

nations request it to do so.
• United Nations
Commission on
Human Rights
(UNCHR) was a
functional commission
within the overall
framework of the
United Nations from
1946 until it was
replaced by the
United Nations Human
Rights Council in 2006.
• It was a subsidiary body of the UN
Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC), and was also assisted in its
work by the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (UNOHCHR).

• It was the UN's principal mechanism

and international forum concerned
with the promotion and protection of
human rights.
END