The UN’s Stated Goals… The stated goals of the United Nations are: To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of the nations large and small To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom

UN Countries At last count, 192 countries were represented by the United Nations. The government of every member nation appoints a delegation to represent its country. Every member nation has a vote on important decisions once a year at the General Assembly. Should the membership in a Nation-State be a requirement for someone to have a voice in the United Nations?

The General Assembly Delegations meet once a year in a forum called the “General Assembly”. The president of the “General Assembly” is elected from its members. Majority rule applies in all decisions except the very important ones. In such a case, 60% approval is required.

The Security Council The “Security Council” is a 15 member committee that is always in session. They respond by peacefully solving crisis as they occur. There are 5 permanent members of the “Security Council” which include China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. Decisions require a 60% approval rate from the members (i.e. 9 of the 15 members must vote for the solution). The 9 members that support a decision must include all 5 of the permanent members. Permanent members may veto a bill if they disagree which can lead to great criticism.

Security Council vs. General Assembly The Security Council is more important to affect the actions of the United Nations because, unlike the General Assembly whose power is limited to giving advice, the Security Council has broad powers, which include the ability to send troops to keep peace in an area. However, the Security Council must always try to negotiate a peaceful solution first.

Specialized Agencies The Economic & Social Council is the UN’s main forum for dealing with international economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related matters. It also promotes human rights and fundamental freedoms. Some specialized agencies in the United Nations include: UNICEF (priority is helping children around the world stay safe, have proper education, support their needs and much more) Office of the UN’s High Commission on Refugees The World Food Program The UN’s Conference on Trade and Development The UN’s Environment Program The UN’s International Drug Program

International Law International Law: Is a law that helps in the struggle to keep peace in the world Is binding and it applies to issues such as how wars are conducted, the use of large bodies of water such as oceans that cross international boundaries, upholding treaties and respect for human rights. Has been developed to govern these matters by the International Law Commission created by the UN General Assembly in 1947.