What is the League of Nations?

The League of Nations was an organization for international cooperation. It was

established on January 10, 1920, at the initiative of the victorious Allied powers at the
end of World War I and was formally disbanded on April 19, 1946. Although ultimately
it was unable to fulfill the hopes of its founders, its creation was an event of decisive
importance in the history of international relations.
When was the League of Nations established?
The League of Nations was established on January 10, 1920.
Where was the League of Nations located?
Headquarters for the League of Nations were located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Does the League of Nations still exist?
No, the League of Nations does not still exist. It was formally disbanded on April 19,
1946, and its powers and functions were transferred to the United Nations, which had
been established on October 24, 1945.
When did Germany join the League of Nations?
Germany was not an original member of the League of Nations when it was established
in 1920. Germany joined in 1926 and remained a member until Adolf Hitler withdrew
the country from the League in 1933.
Known as the “predecessor of the United Nations”, the League of Nations (1920 – 1946)
was an intergovernmental organization with the aim “to promote international
cooperation and to achieve international peace and security ”.

The creation of the League of Nations marked a new era of international relations:
governments from all parts of the world sat at one table to find peaceful solutions to
political problems and disputes. This was in stark contrast to how intergovernmental
relations were previously handled: in a net of (sometimes hidden, sometimes fragile)
alliances and often enough through the application of mere force.

But the world had just emerged from a devastating war that had caused millions of
victims, destroyed cities and left people everywhere struggling for survival. A different
approach was needed.

FOUNDATION OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

After a series of bilateral armistices had brought an end to the hostilities, the victorious
powers of World War I met at the Paris Conference in 1919 to negotiate comprehensive
peace agreements. They drafted and signed the Treaty of Versailles which officially
ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied and Associated Powers. Part I
of the Treaty was the Covenant of the League of Nations, the document that constituted
the League of Nations and laid out its purpose and activities.

The Covenant covered many aspects regarding the organization including the
conditions of membership, the appointment of a Secretary-General, the establishment
of the League of Nations Secretariat at Geneva, and its budget. Other articles within the
Covenant dealt with the subject matter of the League including disarmament, political
and social mandates as well as clarifying the obligations and rights of the Member
States in order to promote international cooperation.

The League of Nations could only begin to function, formally and officially, when the
Treaty of Versailles came into effect after its ratification by all parties. Thus, the League
of Nations officially started its activities on 10 January 1920.

The organization was open to all states, providing they fulfilled certain requirements and
obtained a 2/3 majority of votes in favor of their admission. In January 1920, 42 nations
were members of the League.

THE LEAGUE AT WORK

As laid out in the Covenant, the League of Nations consisted of three main organs: The
Assembly, where all member states were represented on equal footing; the Council
which was composed of permanent and non-permanent members; and the Secretariat
which performed the day-to-day work at the League’s headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland.

In addition, an International Court was established in the Hague, the Netherlands, to

solve disputes between nations in a peaceful manner. Lastly, the International Labour
Organization (ILO) was formed with the aim to improve working conditions for people
globally. While their beginnings were directly linked to the creation of the League of
Nations, both organizations worked independently of the League.

The League resolved several international disagreements peacefully, notably in its

earlier years: The disputes between Sweden and Finland, and between Greece and
Bulgaria were settled. Germany’s admission to the League in 1926 as a result of the
improved relationship between its government and the Allies of World War I created a
great optimism across Europe.

The League of Nations also achieved remarkable successes in the field of international
cooperation. Conferences, intergovernmental committees, and meetings of experts
were held in Geneva, in areas as diverse as health and social affairs, transport and
communications, economic and financial affairs and intellectual cooperation. This fruitful
work was validated by the ratification of more than one hundred conventions by the
Member States.

TRANSITION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

In the 1930s , the spirit of cooperation gradually yielded to a rising sense of nationalism.
Important members such as Germany, Italy, and Japan left the organization, and by the
time the Second World War broke out in 1939, many had abandoned the League of
Nations and had instead returned to the traditional system of defensive alliances and
power blocs. For the second time in less than three decades, cities, landscapes and
whole populations were razed to the ground.
At the end of the war, 43 states were still Members of the League of Nations, though for
all intents and purposes the organization had ceased to exist. What had prevailed was
the understanding among nations that a global partnership would be crucial to
protecting their peoples from yet another destructive war.

In 1945, 50 governments came together to form the United Nations: an organization

with remarkable similarities to the League of Nations but built on a more resilient
structure, with committed members, and equipped with more effective tools to prevent
or contain conflicts.

When the League of Nations officially ceased to exist in 1946, all its assets and
documents were transferred to the United Nations, including its buildings and grounds,
its library, and last but certainly not least, its archives and historical collections. The
legacy of the League of Nations is still present today: Geneva-based UN staff continues
to work inside the historical Palais des Nations where the League of Nations documents
are maintained until today. Appreciating the value of the League of Nations documents,
all files are currently being digitized in order to allow total access to the history of
multilateralism Opens in new window.

Principal Organs of the UN

The United Nations is an international organization that strives to maintain world peace and ensure
security for all mankind. It also strives to foster friendly relations among nations.
You can read all about the UN, its formation, and its functioning here.
The UN functions through its 6 principal organs. They are:

1. General Assembly
2. Security Council
3. Secretariat
4. Economic and Social Council
5. Trusteeship Council
6. International Court of Justice

The details of each of the organs are described below.

General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the chief policy-making and representative body of
the UN.

 It is the only UN body where all the UN members are represented. So, all 193 member
countries are represented here.
 The GA is headed by a President who is elected for a one-year tenure.
 The GA is headquartered in New York, USA.
 The UNGA meets once a year in September.
  This annual GA session happens in the General Assembly Hall in New York.
 The Assembly also meets at other times of the year depending on the tasks.
 The UNGA can make recommendations to countries on matters within its competence.

 Functions of the UNGA:



 Consider and approve the UN budget and establish the financial assessments of
member countries;
 Elect the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and the members of
other UN organs and councils and, on the recommendation of the UNSC, appoint the
Secretary-General;
 Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for
maintaining international security and peace, including disarmament;
 Discuss any question relating to international peace and security;
 Discuss any question within the scope of the UN Charter;
 Conduct studies and make recommendations to encourage global political
cooperation, the codification and development of international law, the realization of
human rights & fundamental freedoms, and international collaboration in the social,
economic, cultural, humanitarian, health and educational fields;
 Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might
hamper the friendly relations between nations;
 Consider reports from the various UN organs.

 Voting in the UNGA:

1. Every member has one vote in the GA.

2. Most questions are decided by a simple majority, however, budgetary questions,
election to the UNSC, and ECOSOC require a 2/3rd majority vote.
3. In recent times, the UNGA has been striving to make decisions based on consensus
among all member countries.

For more on the United Nations General Assembly, click on the linked article.

Security Council
The primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security in the world lies with the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC).

1. The UNSC has 15 member states, five of whom are permanent members.
2. The 10 non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of two
years each, on a regional basis.

 Out of the 10 temporary members, five are from Asia or Africa, two are from Latin
America, one from Eastern Europe, and two from Western Europe or other regions.
 The five permanent member countries are the USA, the UK, France, Russia, and
China.
  Decisions are taken by the Council by vote, that is if 9 out of the 15 members vote
‘yes’. However, if any of the permanent members vote ‘no’, that is, use their veto
power, then the resolution is not passed.
 Each of the permanent members possesses the Veto Power to any resolution of the
UNSC.

 This is seen as the most undemocratic feature of the UN.

 But, during the formation of the UN, the USA refused to be a part of the UN
unless it was given the power to veto.
 The League of Nations was an ineffective organization partly because of the
absence of the US. Hence, this condition of the US was accepted.
 Critics of the permanent members’ veto power also opine that it is this feature
that prevents many conflicts from being resolved.
3. The members of the UNSC must carry out the decisions taken by the Council; they are
legally binding.
4. The UNSC is headquartered in New York.

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

The ECOSOC is the main body responsible for coordination, policy dialogue, policy review and
recommendations on social, economic, and environmental issues, and also the implementation of
internationally agreed development goals.

1. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized
agencies in the economic, social, and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and
expert bodies.
2. It is the UN’s pivotal platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable
development.
3. The ECOSOC has 54 members that are elected by the General Assembly.
4. Voting is by a simple majority and each member has one vote in the ECOSOC.
5. The work of the UN’s specialized agencies like the FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF, the ILO, etc.
are coordinated by the ECOSOC.
6. The ECOSOC presidency is for one year, and it is headquartered in New York.

Know more about the ECOSOC in the linked article.

Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 under the UN Charter to administer the 11 Trust
Territories after the Second World War.

1. These were former colonies or dependent territories.

2. Since the Council was created, many territories have become independent and are self-
governing.
3. The last Trust Territory to become independent was Palau in 1994.
4. Hence, the Trusteeship Council suspended operations in 1994 and decided to meet as and
when the occasion arises.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The ICJ is the chief judicial organ of the United Nations.

1. The ICJ’s seat is at The Hague, the Netherlands. (It is the only UN principal organ not
located in New York, USA.)
2. All 193 UN members are automatically a party to the ICJ.
3. ICJ’s functions:

 To settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by

States.
 To give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized
international organs and agencies.
Read more on the ICJ and India’s relations with it here.

Secretariat
The Secretariat comprises the UN Secretary-General and the thousands of staff who work at the UN
HQ in New York.

1. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the UN.

 The Secretary-General is appointed by the GA on the recommendation by the

UNSC.
 He/she has a five-year renewable tenure.
 The current and the ninth Secretary-General is a Portuguese national, António
Guterres.
 The Secretary-General can bring to the attention of the UNSC any issue which can
be a threat to international peace and security.
2. The staff who work at the Secretariat are hired internationally and also locally depending
upon the job.
3. They work at stations all over the world.
4. Their work ranges from peacekeeping operations, surveying economic and social trends,
mediating in international disputes, conducting international conferences to laying the
groundwork for international agreements.
5. The Secretariat has five regional commissions:

1. ECA – Economic Commission for Africa

2. ECE – Economic Commission for Europe
3. ECLAC – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
4. ESCAP – Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
5. ESCWA – Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia