Features of United Nations, its working, etc

1. UNITED NATIONS
Allan Johnson
BA ENGLISH
ST STEPHENS COLLEGE PATHNAPURAM

2. CONTENT
 General Overview
 History Of UN
• Formation
• Key Moments
 Major Contributions Of UN
• For International Development
• For Environmental Protection
• In Promoting Human Rights & Social Justice
 Organs Of UN
• General Assembly
• Security Council
• Economic & Social Council
• Trusteeship Council
• International Court Of Justice
• Secretariat
 Conclusion

3. General Overview
• The United Nations (UN) is an international organization formed in 1945
after World War II to promote peace, security, and cooperation among
nations.
• It comprises of 193 member states and is situated in New York City. Its
primary mission is to maintain international peace and security and it
achieves this through various means, including conflict prevention and
resolution, peacekeeping operations, and disarmament efforts.
• Other than promoting peace, the UN also works towards promoting
sustainable development, protecting human rights, and addressing global
challenges such as poverty, hunger, and climate change. It has a wide
range of programs and initiatives aimed at achieving these goals.
• It is governed by a number of bodies, including the General Assembly, the
Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
• Each of these bodies play an important role in the organization's decision-
making and policy-making processes. Overall, the United Nations plays a
vital role in the international community by promoting peace and
cooperation among nations and addressing global challenges.

4. HISTORY OF UNITED NATIONS
Formation
• The idea for the United Nations was first proposed during World War II
in 1941 by the leaders of the Allied Powers, including the United States,
Great Britain, and the Soviet Union.
• In 1945, representatives from 50 countries met in San Francisco to draft
the United Nations Charter, which established the organization and
outlined its purposes and principles.
• The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and the United Nations
officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, when it was ratified
by the required number of countries.

5. KEY MOMENTS
1.Adoption Of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
From its earliest meetings, the U.N. General Assembly decided to make sure
that atrocities that occurred during World War II would never happen again.
On December 10, 1948, the assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, built on the principles of the U.N. Charter and it served as a
road map in safeguarding the rights of all individuals throughout the world.
2. First full-fledged peacekeeping force deployed (1956)
Although the U.N. Charter does not mention the deployment of armed forces
to mediate between opposing parties, this type of peacekeeping has been an
important part of the U.N. mission since 1956. The U.N. General Assembly
met in its first emergency special session in November 1956 to address the
ongoing Suez Crisis, which had begun when Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel
Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company, a joint British-French
enterprise. After pressure from the United States, Britain and France accepted
ceasefire and decided to end their short-lived military action against Egypt,
the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was deployed to supervise
the end of hostilities and the withdrawal of British, French and Israeli forces.

6. 3. World Food Program established (1961)
In 1960, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed to the U.N. General
Assembly that “a workable scheme should be devised for providing food aid
through the U.N. system.” The following year, the assembly approved the
establishment of the World Food Program (WFP) on a three-year experimental
basis. The WFP got off the ground immediately providing urgently needed food
supplies to the victims of a 1962 earthquake (Iran) and hurricane (Thailand), as
well as to 5 million refugees resettling in Algeria. Today, though there are still
some 805 million starving people in the world, the efforts of the WFP have helped
that number fall by more than 100 million in the past decade. As of 2014, the
program provides food to some 90 million people every year, including 58 million
children.
4. UNICEF wins Nobel Peace Prize (1965)
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946 to
address the immediate needs of children in war-torn Europe, providing them with
food, clothing, and healthcare. It became a permanent part of the UN in 1953. The
General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959,
which outlined the fundamental principles of children's rights, including
education, shelter, healthcare, and nutrition. In 1965, UNICEF was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in promoting global unity and recognizing the
importance of children in shaping the future. Today, UNICEF is present in over
190 countries and is widely recognized as the leading organization for children.

7. 5. Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
The U.N.’s first resolution, adopted way back in January 1946, focused on peaceful
uses of atomic energy and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. Although
this landmark treaty was approved in June 1968, it ultimately did not stop nuclear
proliferation, it represented a major success for advocates of arms control (especially
in the middle of the Cold War) and set a precedent for international cooperation on
the issue. Since then, nuclear-armed nations voluntarily agreed to give up their
atomic weapons, while other countries have vowed to end nuclear-research programs
and submit to inspections by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency.
6. International Women’s Year (1975)
Support for women’s rights was actually built into the United Nations charter. Article
1 reads, “To achieve international co-operation…in promoting and encouraging
respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as
to race, sex, language, or religion.” The General Assembly designated 1975 as
International Women’s Year, and organized the first World Conference on Women in
Mexico City. Since 2010, the U.N Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women (known as U.N. Women) continues its efforts to support women’s rights,
particularly the need to end violence against women. In 2014, U.N. Women
Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson launched the ground-breaking HeForShe
campaign, which calls on men to fight for gender equality and combat violence and
discrimination against women.

8. 7. UNESCO names 12 initial sites for protection (1978)
In 1978, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) published its first list of 12 world heritage sites–those man-made
monuments or natural areas deserving of special protection due to their
“outstanding value.” Aside from the original list, which included the Galapagos
Islands and Yellowstone National Park, UNESCO now protects nearly 1,000 sites
worldwide, helping set the standard for the preservation of some of our most
important historic monuments and natural treasures.
8. Kyoto Protocol (1997)
This international treaty committed 41 countries including the European Union to
reduce the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, into
the atmosphere. In 2012, participants voted to extend the Kyoto Protocol until
2020 and pledged to create a new climate-change treaty requiring all greenhouse-
gas-producing countries, including those not bound by the Kyoto Protocol, to limit
and reduce their emissions.

9. 9. Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (2001)
In June 2001, a special session of the U.N. General Assembly adopted this
Declaration of Commitment, which laid out specific national targets and global
actions aimed at reversing an epidemic that had caused suffering and death
worldwide. Today, UNAIDS remains the leading advocate for global action against
HIV/AIDS. In mid-2014, the program’s report showed the lowest levels of new HIV
infections so far this century (2.1 million), as well as a drop of some 35 percent in
AIDS-related deaths since 2005.
10. First-ever U.N. Emergency Health Mission (2014)
To combat an unprecedented Ebola epidemic in West Africa–including nearly
30,000 people infected and 11,000 killed–the United Nations established its first-
ever emergency health mission, the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency Response
(UNMEER) in September 2014. The mission provided financial, logistical and
human resources to the hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, in
an effort to bring the number of Ebola cases to zero. UNMEER closed in July 2015,
turning oversight of the U.N. emergency Ebola response over to the World Health
Organization (WHO)

10. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS OF UNITED NATIONS
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Development Programs: The UN runs several development programs, including
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). These
programs work to address specific development challenges, such as poverty,
hunger, disease, and inequality, and provide assistance to countries in need.
• Humanitarian Assistance: The UN plays a critical role in providing humanitarian
assistance to people affected by conflict, disasters, and other crises. UN agencies,
such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), work to provide food, shelter, and other
basic needs to people in crisis.
• Peacekeeping: The UN has been involved in peacekeeping operations around the
world since the 1940s. UN peacekeepers work to stabilize conflict zones, monitor
ceasefires, protect civilians, and support the implementation of peace agreements.
The UN currently has 12 active peacekeeping missions around the world.

11. FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The
UNFCCC is an international treaty aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous human interference with
the climate system. The treaty has been ratified by 197 countries and provides a
framework for global action on climate change.
• Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement is an international treaty under the
UNFCCC that aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature
increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement was adopted in 2015 and has
been ratified by 190 countries.
• The Great Green Wall: The Great Green Wall is an initiative launched by the
African Union, in partnership with the United Nations, to combat desertification
and land degradation in the Sahel region of Africa. The initiative aims to restore
degraded land, create green jobs, and improve food security and resilience to
climate change.
• Clean Seas Campaign: The Clean Seas Campaign is a global initiative launched
by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to address marine
litter and plastic pollution.

12. IN PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights: In 1948, the UN adopted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which outlines the fundamental human rights and
freedoms that all individuals are entitled to. It has since become a cornerstone of
international human rights law
• Human Rights Council: The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for
promoting and protecting human rights around the world. It conducts country
reviews and investigates human rights violations.
• International Criminal Court: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a court
of last resort for the prosecution of the most serious international crimes,
including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The ICC was
established by the Rome Statute, which was adopted by the UN in 1998.
• Elimination of apartheid: The UN played a key role in the elimination of
apartheid in South Africa through the adoption of numerous resolutions and
sanctions against the apartheid regime.
• Women's rights: The UN has been a leader in promoting women's rights and
gender equality, including through the adoption of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

13. ORGANS OF UNITED NATIONS
• General Assembly
The General Assembly is the primary decision-making, representative, and
policymaking body of the United Nations. It is the only UN entity that has universal
representation since all 193 member states are represented. Every September, during
the General Assembly session, the full UN membership gathers in New York's
General Assembly Hall for the general debate, which is often attended by several
heads of state who give speeches. Matters of great significance, such as those related
to peace and security, admission of new members, and budgetary issues, require a
two-thirds majority in the General Assembly for decisions to be made. Decisions on
other matters are decided by a simple majority. The General Assembly elects a
President yearly to serve on a one-year term in office.

14. • Security Council
According to the UN Charter, the Security Council is responsible for maintaining
international peace and security. It is composed of 15 members, including 5
permanent members and 10 non-permanent members, and each member has a
single vote. All UN member states are obliged to comply with the Security
Council's decisions. The Security Council is responsible for identifying potential
threats to peace or acts of aggression, calling for peaceful dispute resolution, and
proposing solutions or terms for resolving disputes. In certain cases, the Security
Council may impose sanctions or even approve the use of force to restore or
maintain global peace and security. The Presidency of the Security Council
rotates on a monthly basis.

15. • Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council is the primary organization responsible for
harmonizing, evaluating, conversing, and suggesting policies on economic,
social, and environmental matters, as well as the implementation of global
development objectives. It acts as the central entity for coordinating activities
among the UN system and its specialized agencies in the economic, social, and
environmental sectors, while overseeing sub-bodies and experts. It is made up of
54 members who serve overlapping three-year terms and are elected by the
General Assembly. The Economic and Social Council functions as the primary
forum for the United Nations to examine, discuss, and generate new concepts
regarding sustainable development

16. • Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was formed in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter
XIII, to supervise 11 Trust Territories that were administered by 7 Member
States, and ensure that the territories were adequately prepared for self-
governance and independence. All Trust Territories had achieved independence
by 1994, leading to the Trusteeship Council’s ending of operation on 1
November 1994. The Council altered its procedural rules in a 25 May 1994
resolution, ending the annual meeting requirement and agreeing to meet on an
as-needed basis, as determined by its President, decision of the Council, or
majority of members, General Assembly, or Security Council.
• International Court Of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the main legal institution of the United
Nations, located in the Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands, unlike the other
five principal organs of the UN located in New York, USA. The Court's
purpose is to adjudicate legal disputes between States according to international
law and provide advisory opinions on legal questions presented by authorized
UN bodies and specialized agencies.

17. • Secretariat
The Secretariat is composed of the Secretary-General and numerous UN personnel
who are responsible for carrying out the daily work of the UN, in accordance with
the mandates of the principal organs, including the General Assembly. The
Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the
recommendation of the Security Council, is the primary administrator of the
Organization and serves a renewable five-year term. The UN recruits its staff
members from both local and international sources, who work in various duty
stations and peacekeeping operations throughout the world. Serving for the cause
of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the
United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have given their lives in its
service.

18. CONCLUSION
After discussing the different aspects of the United Nations and its
role in the international community, it is clear that the organization
has played a significant role in promoting peace, security,
development, human rights, and environmental protection around the
world. From its founding in 1945 to the present day, the UN has
worked tirelessly to address global challenges and promote
international cooperation. Its various bodies and programs, such as the
Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, UNICEF, and
others have made notable contributions to improving the lives of
people all over the world. While the UN has faced criticism and
challenges over the years, its mission to create a more just, peaceful,
and prosperous world remains more important than ever.