United Nations

The name

The United Nations

Does it an organization or Association?

It is an international organization

Founded At

founded in 1945 after the Second World War

How much countries included its role?

 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.

What are its purposes?

The UN has four main purposes:

1-      keep peace throughout the world

2- develop friendly relations among nations

3- help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other's rights and freedom

4- To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.

The UN Charter established six principal organs of the United Nations

1-      the General Assembly

2-       the Security Council

3-       the Economic and Social Council

4-       the Trusteeship Council

5-       the International Court of Justice

6-      the Secretariat.

Which countries the UN has role in it?

It’s Working Around the World

The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, protecting the environment and supporting refugees, disaster relief, countering terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women, governance and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more.

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1-      GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session, and general debate, which many heads of state attend and address. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority. The General Assembly, each year, elects a President to serve a one-year term of office.

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2- SECURITY COUNCIL

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The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates, and changes, every month.

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3- ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

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The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review and dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals. It supervises subsidiary and expert bodies in the economic, social and environmental fields. It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It is the United Nations’ central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development.

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4- TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL

The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter XIII, to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the administration of seven Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence. The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994. By a resolution adopted on 25 May 1994, the Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and agreed to meet as occasion required -- by its decision or the decision of its President, or at the request of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security Council.

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 5- INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

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The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New York (United States of America). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The International Court of Justice functions in accordance with its Statute.

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6- SECRETARIAT

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The Secretariat - international staff working in duty stations around the world - carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid down by them. At its head is the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term. The Secretary-General is also a symbol of the Organization's ideals, and an advocate for all the world's peoples, especially the poor and vulnerable. António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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 SECRETARY-GENERAL SELECTION PROCESS

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council, as stated in Article 97 of the UN Charter, although there is technically no limit to the number of five-year terms a Secretary-General may serve, none so far has held office for more than two terms.

Second: The Family Organizations of the UN

UN – United Nations	Headquartered in New York City, the UN is most recognizable as the world’s ‘911 service’ – a first-responder that helps deliver food, shelter, to those caught in the middle of deadly conflicts or suffering in the aftermath of natural disasters. That means doing important things like working to prevent famine in Yemen and providing assistance to refugees fleeing violence in South Sudan.
UNGA – United Nations General Assembly	Pronounced like ‘uhhhnga.’ UNGA is the UN’s main decision-making body – where a single representative (most commonly referred to as an Ambassador or Permanent Representative) of all 193 Member States comes to work with other countries. It’s also an event that occurs every September where global leaders all gather at UN headquarters in New York to hammer out priorities for the year ahead. It’s basically the World Cup of global diplomacy. Go Team USA!
UNSC	The part of the UN system that is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, such as passing sanctions against rogue states (North Korea and Iran) and authorizing peacekeeping missions (Central African Republic, Mali) when major conflicts arise. The U.S. is a permanent member (along with China, Russia, the U.K. and France) with veto power, which means that it holds a lot of influence on the Council.
UNDP	UNDP is the UN’s “global development network,” which means it is tasked with tackling issues such as democratic governance and reducing poverty. In Iraq, that means helping put the country back together – restoring critical infrastructure such as water systems, electricity, and schools – after years of war.
UNODC	This UN entity is on the front lines of working on some of the world’s toughest issues that are important to the U.S., too, like stopping human trafficking, addressing terrorism, and fighting the global opioid crisis.
UNICIF	UNICEF is the agency that looks out for mothers and children worldwide, providing basic elementary education and procuring vaccines for 45 percent of the world’s children.
WFP	WFP goes the places no one else wants or can’t go, using planes, boats and trucks to deliver food aid to over 90 million people every year. When wars and natural disasters happen, like the ongoing crisis in Syria, WFP works to avert famine and malnutrition.
WHO	The UN agency that makes sure all people have a shot at getting a clean bill of health. They also help to coordinate the international response to global health emergencies, like Ebola, Measles, and Zika, because diseases don’t know borders.
SG	As the world’s top diplomat, the SG is responsible for running the entire UN system. Since January 2017, the SG position has been held by António Guterres of Portugal. This role is often called the “most impossible job on earth.” NBD.
SDGs	SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals aka the Global Goals. Imagine the SDGs as the world’s giant to-do list, designed to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change by 2030.
UDHR	UDHR – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document’s creation was led by former First Lady and Chair of the Human Rights Commission, Eleanor Roosevelt, and set out for the first time that all human rights must be universally protected.
UNHCR	UNHCR – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees aka the UN Refugee Agency. During times of displacement both big and small (see Venezuela, South Sudan, Afghanistan) UNHCR is on the ground to provide critical emergency assistance like food, shelter, blankets and more.
UNFPA	UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund. The agency that covers reproductive health issues and works to make sure all pregnancies are wanted, and all childbirth is safe. In Malawi, their work includes fighting to reduce the prevalence of forced marriage.
ILO	ILO – International Labor Organization. You can thank ILO for the 40-hour work week, and setting other international labor standards as your guardian in the workplace, championing rights like social security benefits and establishing safeguards against gender discrimination.
IOM	IOM – International Organization for Migration. IOM is the UN entity that looks out for the rights of migrants. When thousands of migrant workers became stranded in Libya during the uprising there in 2011, IOM worked to evacuate them.
UNEP	UNEP – UN Environment Programme. Imagine UNEP as the world’s bodyguard, protecting the planet at all costs. UNEP sets the global environmental agenda and advocates for sustainability across the planet, like challenging the world to breaking up with single-use plastic.
IAEA	IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA deals with some pretty major issues – like monitoring Iran’s compliance with the nuclear agreement – that are key to U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. But the agency also works on the peaceful use of the atom, such as using nuclear technology in cancer research and preventing ocean acidification.
FAO	FAO – Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. This organization leads international efforts to defeat hunger and develop global standards on food safety and animal health. FAO also implements strategies to prevent, identify, and mitigate threats of animal borne diseases highly pathogenic avian influenza when they occur.
OHCHR	OHCHR – Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This UN entity conducts fact-finding missions and provides support to independent investigative mechanisms that probe serious violations in specific countries. In recent years, OHCHR has aided efforts to uncover and report on abuses in Syria, Iran, North Korea, Sri Lanka, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Ukraine, among other places.
ICAO	ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization. Chances are you have been on a commercial plan in the past year. Did you know ICAO helped you make that journey safely? This organization sets global standards for navigation, communication and airline safety. Plus, ICAO helps to counter major global issues like human trafficking via air travel and environmental degradation as a result of fuel usage.
WIPO
UPU	UPU – Universal Postal Union. Since mail doesn’t just magically fly overseas on its own – businesses and consumers alike have UPU to thank for facilitating postal services and setting postal standards across the globe.
UNESCO	UNESCO – UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It’s possible you have seen a ‘UNESCO World Heritage’ site sign at the Grand Canyon or the Alamo. But this organization does much more than just protecting our cultural heritage, they also engage in activities that serve our national security and foreign policy objectives. In Iraq and Syria, UNESCO has been on the front lines of stopping ISIS’ sale of antiquities, which help fund their illicit activities.
BWC	BWC – Better World Campaign. Yes, that’s us! In case you didn’t know, we work to foster a strong, effective relationship between the United States and the United Nations. That means we work with Members of Congress, the media and the general public to promote core American interests and build a more secure, prosperous, and healthy world.

The Recent Secretary/General António Guterres

António Guterres took office as the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 January 2017.

Prior to his election as Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres was United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from June 2005 to December 2015. Before that, Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.

António Guterres was re-appointed as UN Secretary-General for a second term that runs from January 2022 to December 2026. He pledged to continue helping the world chart a course out of the COVID-19 pandemic and called for a new era of solidarity and equality.