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Presentation 7 The Structures of Globalization (Political Part 3 - The United Nations)

The United Nations was formed in 1945 after the failure of the League of Nations to prevent World War II. It has six main organs that work to maintain international peace and security: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and Secretariat. The UN now has 193 member states and is headquartered in New York City.

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21 views17 pages

Presentation 7 The Structures of Globalization (Political Part 3 - The United Nations)

The United Nations was formed in 1945 after the failure of the League of Nations to prevent World War II. It has six main organs that work to maintain international peace and security: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and Secretariat. The UN now has 193 member states and is headquartered in New York City.

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escubiomika
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History and Functions of the

United Nations
Brief History

The League of Nations was formed after WWI


 Consisted of 42 countries (not the United States)
 Had two basic goals:
 Collectively preserve peace
 Promote international cooperation in economic and social affairs
 Failed at keeping peace (WWII)
 Lost several key members
October 24, 1945 the League officially became the
United Nations
 Consisted of 51 member states
Other Quick Facts

• UN symbol: World held by Olive Branches


• Olive Branches represent Peace

• Main Goal of the UN:


• Maintain world peace and security

• There are 193 Member Nations in the UN

• UN Headquarters are in New York City


General Assembly

AKA “parliament of nations”


Meet to consider world problems
2/3 majority needed to decide:
 International peace and security issues
 Admitting new members
 Budget
All other matters are decided by a simple majority
Cannot force action by any state
Annual regular session is from Sept. – Dec.
When the Assembly is not meeting its work is carried out
by its six main committees, other subsidiary bodies, and
the UN secretariat.
Security Council

Primary responsibility is to maintain international


peace and security.
May convene at any time (whenever peace is
threatened)
Under Charter all member states are obligated to
carry out the council’s decisions
Council consists of 15 members:
 Five permanent members
 Russia, France, China, UK, U.S.
 Ten others elected by the General Assembly for 2 years
Security council continued…

Decisions by the council requires 9 yes votes


 Except in votes of procedural questions, a decision cannot be
taken if there is a no vote or veto by a permanent member
When there is a threat to international peace the
council can:
 Explore ways to settle disputes peacefully
 Suggest principles for a settlement
 Mediate
 Try to secure a cease fire (if fighting occurs)
 Send out peacekeepers to help the parties maintain the truce or
keep opposing forces apart
Security council continued….

Measures the Council can take to enforce its


decision:
 Impose economic sanctions
 Order an arms embargo
 Authorize member states to use “all necessary means”
The council also makes recommendations to the
General Assembly on:
 The appointment of a new Secretary General
 The admission of new members
Sanctions
Sanctions are used to punish a
country for violating international law.
They can be used to force a country to
follow a law.
In order for sanctions to be used by
the UN Security Council, ALL FIVE
permanent members must have a
unanimous vote.
Types of Sanctions
Diplomatic Sanctions – removal of all
political ties (like embassies)
Economic Sanctions – ban on all
trade with a country (except food)
Military Sanctions – using a military
to force compliance.
Military Sanctions
UN Peacekeepers – a group of armed soldiers sent to a
hostile area to promote peace. They ARE NOT COMBAT
TROOPS.
These soldiers maintain peace.
They don’t go on combat missions.
They are not an ‘army’

UN Military Force – an army made up of soldiers from


more than one UN country that can serve as combat
troops.
 They are not very effective and are not used very often.
UN Peacekeepers
They always wear blue berets or blue
helmets to identify themselves.
Major UN Missions
East Timor (Asia) – the UN supervised the independence
of this country
Iraq (Middle East) – UN tried to cut all trade with Iraq
after it failed to comply with international law, but some
nations continued to trade with them.
Somalia (Africa) – UN humanitarian mission to get food
and supplies to people in need
Haiti (Caribbean) – UN helped strengthen government,
army, and hold elections
Economic & Social Council

Coordinates the economic and social work of the UN


and the UN family of organizations
Plays a key role in fostering international
cooperation for development
Consults with non-governmental organizations
(NGO’s), which helps the UN maintain relations with
civil society
54 members elected by the GA for three year terms
Meets throughout the year and holds a major session
in July
Economic & Social Council continued…

Council’s subsidiary bodies meet regularly and


report back to the council. Examples include
commissions on:
 Human Rights
 Social Development
 Status of Women
 Crime Prevention
 Narcotic Drugs
 Environmental Protection
 Economic Development and Cooperation
The Trusteeship Council

Established to provide international supervision for


11 Trust Territories administered by seven member
state and ensure that adequate steps were taken to
prepare the Territories for self government and
independence
By 1994, all Trusts had attained self government or
independence
Now the Council consists of the five permanent
members of the Security Council and has amended
its rules of procedure to allow it to meet as and when
the occasion may require
The International Court of Justice

AKA: the “World Court”


Main judicial body of the UN
Consists of 15 judges elected jointly by the General
Assembly and the Security Council
Decides disputes between countries
Participation by States in a proceeding is voluntary
 If state agrees to participate, it is obligated to comply with the
court’s decision
 Provides advisory opinions to the GA and Security Council
upon request
The Secretariat

Carries out the substantive and administrative work


of the UN as directed by the GA, the security council
and the other bodies
Headed by the Secretary General who provides
overall administration and guidance
 Current Secretary General: Ban Ki Moon
Consists of departments and offices with a total of
7,500 under the regular budget, and almost that
many under special funding

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