The Structure of the United Nations Corresponds with pages 471-480 of the textbook

The Structure of the United Nations The six main organs (branches) of the United Nations: General Assembly Security Council Secretariat Economic and Social Council Trusteeship Council International Court of Justice Examine figure 15.2 in your textbook for a visual representation

The General Assembly: Has a representative from every member state Each member state has on vote Members of the General Assembly meet regularly and have emergency sessions when important issues arise Depending on the level of importance, some decisions require a two-thirds majority vote while others are decided by a traditional majority vote Note: the General Assembly cannot coerce nations to follow a course of action, but recommendations are taken seriously and carry “moral weight”

The Security Council: Has a mandate to maintain international peace and security The Charter of the United Nations stipulates that the Security Council consists of 15 member states 5 permanent members (France, Russia, United States, China, and Great Britain → all victors of WWII) 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms Meets when necessary for crucial decisions that the member states sometimes must uphold. Other times, the Council solely makes recommendations. Ceasefires and/or peacekeeping missions can be recommended, among other suggestions Voting: Nine affirmative votes are needed before a decision is made, and a no decision can be decided by one permanent member exercising veto power

The Security Council: Has been involved with joint military action ventures Korean War in 1950 Persian Gulf War in 1991 (among others) When there is a joint military action, it has been approved by the Security Council but is conducted under joint authority of the launching nations Important considerations: a) the creation of the United Nations in 1945 coincided with the start of the Cold War, decision making in the Security Council was repeatedly blocked by either the U.S. or Soviet Union exercising alternating veto power b) The Charter of the United Nations only allows for a country to use force in self-defence or when authorized by the Security Council It was with the end of the Cold War that the Security Council really came into its full power and could finally take action with crises

The Secretariat: Is the administrative organ of the United Nations Headed by a Secretary-General Employs a staff of approximately 7500 people from 170 countries and provides the ongoing and daily services/programs that allow the UN to run

The Economic and Social Council Oversees UN’s economic and social work Coordinates the multiple organizations of the UN (“family of organizations” → not part of the key functioning of the UN but related by affiliation) Consults with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Was involved in the 1948 creation of the World Health Organization (WHO) To promote international technical cooperation for global health To develop and manage programs for controlling and ending disease To work to improve quality of life for all global citizens

The Trusteeship Council: Established in 1945 to supervise 11 territories that included Territories held under Mandates established by the League of Nations after WW1 Territories detached from “enemy” states as a result of WW2 Territories voluntarily placed under this system by responsible parties Had a mandate established to assist all of the territories under its watch to become independent countries In 1994, when Palau became an in independent nation, the Trusteeship Council ceased to be active within the United Nations Note: according the UN’s rules, the five permanent members of the Security Council could, in fact, resurrect the Trusteeship Council model for a meeting if the entire UN deemed it necessary

The International Court of Justice: Is the lead organ of the United Nations Situated in The Netherlands at The Hague The Security Council will make recommendations and the General Assembly elects 15 judges The function of this court is to settle disputes among member states and offer recommendations Participation in the ICJ is voluntary, however, if a member agrees to participate it must comply with any decisions made The court does not hear cases pertaining to individual citizens