Understanding the United Nations

1
Understanding the United Nations
2
Learning Objectives

• Understand the different branches of the United
  Nations and UN system.
• Understanding the Security Council
• Who is the Secretary General?
• Why has the UN grown in importance?

3
A Brief History of the United Nations and Its
Principal Organs

• The United Nations was established to preserve
  peace between states after the Second World War.
• The UN was designed to address deficiencies of
  its predecessor, The League of Nations.
• No clear division of responsibility between the
  main executive committee (League Council) and the
  League Assembly that included all the members.
• Decisions required unanimity.
• No mechanisms for coordinating military or
  economic sanctions.

4
UN Structure

• The UN has six main organs.
• General Assembly
• The Secretariat
• Economic and Social Council
• International Court of Justice
• Security Council

5
General Assembly

• A parliament of nations.
• Each member-state has one vote.
• Simple majority required for most measures.
• Two-thirds majority required for decisions on key
  issues such as international peace and security,
  admission of new members, and the UN budget.
• Decisions of General Assembly have the status of
  recommendations.

6
The Secretariat

• Carries out the substantive and administrative
  work of the UN.
• Secretary General heads the Secretariat.
• Previous Secretary General Kofi Annan
• Current Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
• Secretary Generals serve no more than two 5 year
  terms.

7
Economic and Social Council

• Operates under the authority of the General
  Assembly.
• Coordinates the economic and social work of the
  UN and the UN family of organizations (e.g.,
  World Health Organization).
• Organizations of the UN system are self-contained
  constitutionally, financially, and politically,
  and are not subject to the management of the
  central system.

8
International Court of Justice

• Also known as the World Court.
• Main judicial organ of the UN.
• 15 judges elected jointly by the General Assembly
  and the Security Council.
• Adjudicates disputes between states.
• States deal with the court on a voluntary basis.

9
Security Council

• Comprised of 15 states, including 5 permanent
  members.
• Considers threats to international peace.
• Decisions by Security Council are binding.
• Decisions require nine votes by Security Council
  members including the agreement of all 5
  permanent members.

10
Security Council Actions

• Peaceful resolution of international security
  threats are considered under Chapter VI of the UN
  Charter.
• Requires states involved in a dispute likely to
  endanger the maintenance of peace and security to
  seek resolution using negotiation or other
  peaceful means of conflict resolution.
• Decisions to enforce Security Council resolutions
  are sanctioned under Chapter VII of the Charter.
• Economic Sanctions
• Military Action

11
Rising importance of the UN

• UN was in state of deadlock during the Cold War.
• From 1945-1990, 193 substantive vetoes were
  invoked in the Security Council.
• From 1990-2003 only three vetoes were invoked.