The United Nations By CSPE.tv http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://czechfolks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/european-union.jpg&imgrefurl=http://czechfolks.com/2009/01/21/keep-up-with-czech-eu-presidency-activities-drzte-krok-s-aktivitami-ceskeho-predsednictvi-eu/&usg=__yPSpYkntKA-Db1LqOr0XbWBsG90=&h=567&w=880&sz=220&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=dacFcmPO3O7O9M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=148&ei=MNS_TYjjMIHDhAeK37CwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deuropean%2Bunion%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1003%26bih%3D522%26tbm%3Disch0%2C157&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=697&vpy=193&dur=46&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=186&ty=115&page=1&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0&biw=1003&bih=522 By CSPE.tv CSPE.tv

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The United Nations Learning objectives After this lessons students will be able to: explain what the United Nations is give the reasons why it was set up explain how the UN is run list some of the areas that the UN is involved in discuss Ireland’s contribution to UN peacekeeping CSPE.tv

It is the closest thing we have to a world parliament The UN was founded in 1945 after the death and destruction of World War II It is the closest thing we have to a world parliament CSPE.tv

The United Nations Its main aims are: To keep peace To develop friendly relations between countries To encourage respect for human rights To help solve world problems such as poverty, disease and illiteracy CSPE.tv

United Nations members Most countries in the world are members of the UN (shaded blue above) CSPE.tv

The General Assembly Each country sends one representative to the General Assembly - These discuss and vote on international issues. - However the General Assembly does not have a lot of power CSPE.tv

The UN and the General Assembly headquarters are based in New York CSPE.tv

The head of the United Nations is called the Secretary General The current Secretary General is Ban Ki Moon (pictured above) CSPE.tv

UN peacekeepers At the moment there are 100,000 police, soldiers and observers on UN missions CSPE.tv

Ireland’s contribution For more than 60 years Irish soldiers have been taking part in UN missions. 500 are currently on missions. CSPE.tv

Since founded 63 UN peacekeeping operations UN peacekeepers Since founded 63 UN peacekeeping operations 85,000 soldiers, 13,000 police, 2,000 observers. 500 from ireland compared to 80 from the US and 280 from Ireland. Today’s peacekeepers undertake a wide variety of complex tasks, from helping to build sustainable institutions of governance, to human rights monitoring, to security sector reform, to the disarmament, demobilization Irish peacekeepers provide humanitarian assistance and prevent violence in 15 countries CSPE.tv

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The UN and the arms trade The UN working on an Arms Trade Treaty that will stop arms sales that lead to conflict or human rights abuses. Corrupt governments that abuse human rights would no longer be allowed to buy arms legally In October 2008 147 states at the UN voted to begin work on an Arms Trade Treaty. Only the US and Zimbabwe voted against it. CSPE.tv

More than three-quarters of those killed are civilians. Anti-personnel mines were used by soldiers and rebels in wars all over the world. More than three-quarters of those killed are civilians. Every year more than 10,000 civilians stand on landmines and are killed or seriously injured. Most are killed in countries now at peace. CSPE.tv

UN peacekeepers clear mines What is happening in this picture? There are more than 50 million landmines in the ground around the world It costs as little as $3 to make a mine but can cost $1,000 each to remove them CSPE.tv

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The land mine treaty In 1997 people started a petition to have them banned Now most countries have agreed not to make or use them 156 countries have signed the treaty 42 million landmines destroyed The trade in mines has ended Banning landmines makes a difference. We have made a great deal of headway since the Mine Ban Treaty came into force in March 1999. The global stigma attached to these weapons has led to a virtual halt in the global trade in antipersonnel mines, a sharp drop in the number of producers and a startling reduction in the number of governments laying mines, even among states that still refuse to officially join the treatyVast tracts of land have been cleared and put back into productive use; there has been widespread and extensive destruction of stockpiled mines; and most importantly, there are now fewer new mine victims each year. CSPE.tv

The United Nations By CSPE.tv http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://czechfolks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/european-union.jpg&imgrefurl=http://czechfolks.com/2009/01/21/keep-up-with-czech-eu-presidency-activities-drzte-krok-s-aktivitami-ceskeho-predsednictvi-eu/&usg=__yPSpYkntKA-Db1LqOr0XbWBsG90=&h=567&w=880&sz=220&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=dacFcmPO3O7O9M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=148&ei=MNS_TYjjMIHDhAeK37CwBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deuropean%2Bunion%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1003%26bih%3D522%26tbm%3Disch0%2C157&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=697&vpy=193&dur=46&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=186&ty=115&page=1&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0&biw=1003&bih=522 By CSPE.tv CSPE.tv