The United Project

Nations
Report
OrganisatioBy
Nam
n
e
Scho
ol

The United Nations Organisation

Origin of the United

Nations
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the
Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international
peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and
promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its
founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues,
and provide a forum for its 193 Member States to express their views,
through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social
Council and other bodies and committees.
The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an
organization conceived in similar circumstances during the First World War,
and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles "to promote
international cooperation and to achieve peace and security."
The International Labour Organization was also created under the Treaty of
Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League. The League of Nations
ceased its activities after failing to prevent the Second World War.
In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United
Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United
Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals
worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United
Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in AugustOctober 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the
representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at
the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member
States.
The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when
the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United
Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. United
Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year.
2

The United Nations Organisation

The United Nations Organisation

Objectives of the United

Nations
The objectives of the United Nations are:

To keep peace throughout the world;

To develop friendly relations among nations;
To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to
conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for

each others rights and freedoms;

To prevent wars;
To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these

goals;
To achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social,

cultural and humanitarian problems;

To eradicate various diseases from the world;
To promote human rights and fundamental freedom for the people of

the world;
To facilitate international law.

The United Nations Organisation

The Principles of the

United Nations:
All Member States have sovereign equality.
All Member States must obey the Charter.
Countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful means.
Countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force.
The UN may not interfere in the domestic affairs of any country.
Countries should try to assist the United Nations.

Principle Organs of the

United Nations

General Assembly
Secretariat
Security Council
Economic and Social Council
Trusteeship Council
International Court of Justice

General Assembly
The General Assembly functions as a parliament. All UN members
participate.It is the UN's central deliberative body, empowered to discuss
and make recommendations on any subject falling within the scope of the
charter itself. It also approves the UN's budget and determinesalone or
with the Security Councilpart of the composition of the other main organs,
including the Security Council.

The functions of General Assembly are:

Consider and approve the United Nations budget and establish the
financial assessments of Member States;

Elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the

members of other United Nations councils and organs and, on the

recommendation of the Security Council, appoint the Secretary-General;

Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of
cooperation for maintaining international peace and security, including

disarmament;
Discuss any question relating to international peace and security
and, except where a dispute or situation is currently being discussed by

the Security Council, make recommendations on it;

Discuss, with the same exception, and make recommendations on
any questions within the scope of the Charter or affecting the powers

and functions of any organ of the United Nations;

Initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international
political cooperation, the development and codification of international
law, the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian,

cultural, educational and health fields;

Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation

that might impair friendly relations among nations;

Consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations
organs.

Secretariat

The Secretariat deals with the administrative workings of the UN and

includes the office of the Secretary Generalis the administrative arm of the
organization. It is headed by a Secretary-General appointed by the General
Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year,
renewable term.
The functions of UN Secretariat are:
1) It records the all the minutes of the General Assembly meetings and
Security Council meetings and resolutions.
2) It notify and arrange all the important meetings of the SecretaryGeneral .
3) It maintain records of the all the activities of UN agencies.
4) UN secretariat keeps the correspondence with the all the Heads of States.
5) UN secretariat is a biggest and largest bureaucracy in the world, and it
maintains the records of the income and expenditure of the UN.
6) UN secretariat prepares the all the important documents and distribute
among all the important offices.
7) UN secretariat keeps the documentation of the disarmament meetings,
and other related activities which protects the world peace.

8) UN secretariat will perform certain ceremoniat duties of the UN and

secretary-general.

The Security Council

The Security Council deals with security issues. There are 5 permanent
members and 10 rotating members. The permanent members are Russia, the
United States, China, France and the United Kingdom. It has primary
responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. In times of
crisis, it is empowered to act on behalf of all member states and to decide on
a course of collective action that is mandatory for the entire membership.
The functions of the Security Council are:

To maintain international peace and security in accordance with the

principles and purposes of the United Nations;
To investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to
international friction;
To recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of
settlement;
To formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate
armaments;
To determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of
aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
To call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures
not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
To take military action against an aggressor;
To recommend the admission of new Members;
To exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic
areas";

10

To recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of

the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the
Judges of the International Court of Justice.

The Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council handles economic and social issues. There
are 54 members. It is assigned the task of organizing the UN's work on
economic and social matters and the promotion of human rights. It consists
of 54 members elected for overlapping three-year terms by the General
Assembly.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the central body for
coordinating the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN
family of organizations. It has 54 member nations elected from all regions. As
much as 70 per cent of the work of the UN system is devoted to promoting
higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and
social progress and development. The Council recommends and directs
activities aimed at promoting economic growth of developing countries,
supporting human rights and fostering world cooperation to fight poverty and
under-development.
Functions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are:
1. The Economic and Social Council may make or initiate studies and
reports with respect to international economic, social, cultural,
educational, health, and related matters and may make
recommendations with respect to any such matters to the General
11

Assembly to the Members of the United Nations, and to the specialized

agencies concerned.
2. It may make recommendations for the purpose of promoting respect
for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for
all.
3. It may prepare draft conventions for submission to the General
Assembly, with respect to matters falling within its competence.
4. It may call, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the United
Nations, international conferences on matters falling within its
competence.

12

The Trusteeship Council

The Trusteeship Council is currently inactive. Formerly, it oversaw trusteeship

territories operated the UN trusteeship system established under the charter.
It was originally composed of member nations administering trust territories,
the permanent members of the Security Council, and a sufficient number of
other members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms, to
ensure an equal division of administering and nonadministering powers. After
1975, it was composed of the five permanent members of the Security
Councilthe United States, the sole remaining administering power, and the
four permanent nonadministering powers. The last trust territory, the Pacific
island of Palau, voted for affiliation with the United States in late 1993. The
Trusteeship Council voted in 1994 to suspend operation, convening only at
the request of its President, a majority of its member states, the General
Assembly, or the Security Council.
The primary functions of the Trusteeship Council are:

Under the Charter, the Trusteeship Council is authorized to examine

and discuss reports from the Administering Authority on the political,
economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples of Trust
Territories and, in consultation with the Administering Authority, to
examine petitions from and undertake periodic and other special
missions to Trust Territories;
Was originally designed to manage colonial possessions that were
former League of Nations mandates.

13

14

The International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice (also known as the World Court) sits
in The Hague in the Netherlands. Its documentation system is distinct
from that of the first five main organs. It is the principal judicial organ
of the UN. It consists of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the
General Assembly and the Security Council voting independently. It
may not include more than one judge of any nationality. The Members
of the Court do not represent their governments but are independent
magistrates.
The functions of the court are:
To settle, in accordance with international law, legal
disputes submitted by States, and
To give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by
authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.

15

Other Specialized Organizations of the

United Nations
1. Food and Agriculture Organization
2. International Atomic Energy Agency
3. International Civil Aviation Organization
4. International Fund for Agricultural Development
5. International Labour Organization
6. International Maritime Organization
7. International Monetary Fund
8. International Telecommunication Union
9. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
10.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
11.
World Tourism Organization
12.
Universal Postal Union
13.
World Bank Group
14.
World Food Programme
15.
World Health Organization
16.
World Intellectual Property Organization
17.
World Meteorological Organization

16

Membership
There are currently 192 Members of the United Nations. They meet in the
General Assembly, which is the closest thing to a world parliament. Each
country, large or small, rich or poor, has a single vote; however, none of the
decisions taken by the Assembly are binding. Nevertheless, the Assembly's
decisions become resolutions that carry the weight of world governmental
opinion.

Process for being a member

1. Any State which desires to become a Member of the United Nations
shall submit an application to the Secretary-General. Such application
shall contain a declaration, made in a formal instrument that the State
in question accepts the obligations contained in the Charter.
2. The Secretary-General shall, for information, send a copy of the
application to the General Assembly, or to the Members of the United
Nations if the Assembly is not in session.
3. If the Security Council recommends the applicant State for
membership, the General Assembly shall consider whether the
applicant is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the
obligations contained in the Charter and shall decide, by a two-thirds
majority of the members present and voting, upon its application for
membership.
4. If the Security Council does not recommend the applicant State for
membership or postpones the consideration of the application, the
General Assembly may, after full consideration of the special report of
the Security Council, send the application back to the Council, together
with a full record of the discussion in the Assembly, for further
consideration and recommendation or report.
5. The Secretary-General shall inform the Applicant State of the decision
of the General Assembly. If the application is approved, membership
shall become effective on the date on which the General Assembly
takes its decision on the application.
17

Indian Membership
India was among the original members of the United Nations that signed the
Declaration by United Nations at Washington on 1 January 1942 and also
participated in the historic UN Conference of International Organization at
San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945. As a founding member of the
United Nations, India strongly supports the purposes and principles of the UN
and has made significant contributions to implementing the goals of the
Charter, and the evolution of the UNs specialized programmes and agencies.
Independent India viewed its membership at the United Nations as an
important guarantee for maintaining international peace and security. India
stood at the forefront during the UN's tumultuous years of struggle against
colonialism and apartheid. India was the co-sponsor of the landmark 1960
Declaration on UN on Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples which proclaimed the need to unconditionally end colonialism in all
its forms and manifestations. India was also elected the first chair of the
Decolonization Committee (Committee of 24) where its ceaseless efforts to
put an end to colonialism are well on record.
India was amongst the most outspoken critics of apartheid and racial
discrimination in South Africa. In fact, India was the first country to raise the
issue in the UN (in 1946) and played a leading role in the formation of a SubCommittee against Apartheid set up by the General Assembly. When the
Convention on Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted
in 1965, India was among the earliest signatories.
Indias status as a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the
Group of 77 cemented its position within the UN system as a leading
advocate of the concerns and aspirations of developing countries and the
creation of a more equitable international economic and political order.

18

Evidence of Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of

Peacekeeping Operations as "a unique and dynamic instrument developed
by the Organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the
conditions for lasting peace". It is distinguished from
both peacebuilding and peacemaking.Peacekeepers monitor and observe
peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in
implementing thepeace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance
comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, powersharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and
economic and social development. Accordingly UN peacekeepers (often
referred to as Blue Berets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can
include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.

Missions
1. In September 2013, the UN had peacekeeping soldiers deployed on 15
missions. The largest was the United Nations Organization Stabilization
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which
included 20,688 uniformed personnel. The smallest, United Nations
Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), included 42
uniformed personnel responsible for monitoring the ceasefire in Jammu
and Kashmir. UN peacekeepers with the United Nations Truce

19

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Supervision Organization (UNTSO) have been stationed in the Middle

East since 1948, the longest-running active peacekeeping mission.
Middle East (195667): India was part of the United Nations Emergency
Force (UNEF), where for the first time armed troop contingents were
deployed. India's contribution was an infantry battalion and other
support elements. Over a period of 11 years, 393 officers, 409 JCOs
and 12383 other ranks took part in the operations.
Congo (196064) (ONUC): Two infantry Brigades composed of 467
officers, 401 JCOs and 11354 other ranks participated and conducted
operations. A flight of six Canberra bomber aircraft of the IAF also
participated in the operations. 39 personnel of the Indian contingent
laid down their lives. Capt GS Salaria was awarded posthumously
the Paramvir Chakra for action in Katanga, Southern Congo.
Cambodia (1992-1993): United Nations Transitional Authority in
Cambodia was set up to supervise ceasefire, disarm combatants,
repatriate refugees and monitor conduct of free and fair elections. A
total of 1373 peacekeepers from all ranks of the Indian Army
participated.
Mozambique (199294) (ONUMOZ): Two Engineer companies, HQ
company, logistics company, staff officers and military observers were
provided. In all 1083 peacekeepers from all ranks participated.
Somalia (199394) (UNITAF & UNOSOM II): The Indian Navy and Indian
Army took active part in UN Operations. Indian Army deployed a
Brigade Group composed of 5000 personnel from all ranks and the
navy deployed four battleships.
Sierra Leone (1999-2001) (UNAMSIL): Two Infantry Battalion groups,
two engineer companies, Quick reaction company, Attack helicopter
unit, medical unit and Logistic support in addition to sector HQ and
Force Headquarters staff were provided.
Ethiopia-Eritrea (200608) (UNMEE): Indian contribution comprised one
infantry battalion group, one construction Engineer Company and one
force Reserve Company, apart from staffing at various HQs and military
observers.

UN is persistently involved in many more peacekeeping missions.

20

Interesting facts about the

UN

The
The
The
The
The

state in the UN
51 countries attended the very first UN meeting
The newest member of the United Nations is South Sudan
UN has spent more than 40 billion US dollars on peace keeping
The name "United Nations" was proposed by US President

UN has its headquarters in New York City

UN was set up on the 24th October 1945
UN was created in San Francisco
UN had 189 members in 2002
United Nations Charter has the rules and obligations of every

Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Winston Churchill back in 1942.

The United States pays 22% (and 27% of the peacekeeping
budget, which is assessed separately) of the entire UN budget. In
2006, this turns out to be $423 million or $1.42 per American
citizen
The Trusteeship Council 1994 has been inactive since 1994

21

Bibliography

http://www.un.org/
https://www.pminewyork.org/
http://www.unaslovenia.org/
http://www.answers.yahoo.com/
www.mea.gov.in/
http://en.wikipedia.org/
www.icj-cij.org/

22