Organization of The United Organization of The United Nations…Nations…

What You Need to KnowWhat You Need to Know

Six Organs of the United Six Organs of the United NationsNations

• General Assembly (GA)General Assembly (GA)

• Security Council (SC)Security Council (SC)

• Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• International Court of Justice (ICJ)International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• The SecretariatThe Secretariat

• The Trusteeship CouncilThe Trusteeship Council

General AssemblyGeneral Assembly• The main deliberative body of the UNThe main deliberative body of the UN

– 192 member states192 member states– It has the power to debate any issue It has the power to debate any issue

brought before itbrought before it• Resolutions passed by GA are not legally Resolutions passed by GA are not legally

binding. They only carry moral weight.binding. They only carry moral weight.• The work of the GA is divided between six The work of the GA is divided between six

committees that handle different issuescommittees that handle different issues– 11stst Disarmament and International Security Disarmament and International Security– 22ndnd Economic and Financial Economic and Financial– 33rdrd Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural– 44thth Special Political and Decolonization Special Political and Decolonization– 55thth Administrative and Budgetary Administrative and Budgetary– 66thth Legal Legal

Security CouncilSecurity Council• 15 members15 members

– 5 permanent (Big Five): United States, United 5 permanent (Big Five): United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and ChinaKingdom, France, Russia, and China

– 10 non-permanent (2 year terms):10 non-permanent (2 year terms):Austria (2010)Austria (2010) Burkina Faso (2009)Burkina Faso (2009)Japan (2010)Japan (2010) Costa Rica (2009)Costa Rica (2009)Mexico (2010)Mexico (2010) Croatia (2009)Croatia (2009)Turkey (2010)Turkey (2010) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

(2009)(2009)Uganda (2010)Uganda (2010) Viet Nam (2009)Viet Nam (2009)

– Non-permanent members are elected by the Non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms and are General Assembly for two-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election.not eligible for immediate re-election.

Source: Source: http://http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_members.htmlwww.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_members.html

• SC representatives must be present at UN HQ at SC representatives must be present at UN HQ at all timesall times

• Only current members can voteOnly current members can vote• SC can use sanctions, investigations, mediation, SC can use sanctions, investigations, mediation,

and military action to resolve international and military action to resolve international disputesdisputes

• In order for a SC resolution to pass, 9 Council In order for a SC resolution to pass, 9 Council members must vote in favor of it with none of the members must vote in favor of it with none of the permanent members voting against it.permanent members voting against it.

• Other SC Duties: nominates secretaries general Other SC Duties: nominates secretaries general who is then voted in by GA; deploys military who is then voted in by GA; deploys military observers or peacekeeping troops to areas of observers or peacekeeping troops to areas of conflictconflict

• Established two international criminal tribunals in Established two international criminal tribunals in early 1990’s: former Yugoslavia and Rwandaearly 1990’s: former Yugoslavia and Rwanda

• Any UN member state may bring an international Any UN member state may bring an international dispute before the Councildispute before the Council

Source: Source: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/

Economic and Social CouncilEconomic and Social Council

• 54 member states (three year terms)54 member states (three year terms)

• Coordinates the economic and social Coordinates the economic and social related work of the UN and related work of the UN and specialized agencies and specialized agencies and organizationsorganizations

• Focuses solely on issues of economic Focuses solely on issues of economic and social developmentand social development

• Work with NGOs (Non Governmental Work with NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations)Organizations)

Source: http://www.un.org/ecosoc/Source: http://www.un.org/ecosoc/

ECOSOC Cont.ECOSOC Cont.

• Seats on the council are allocated Seats on the council are allocated based on geographybased on geography

• Coordinates activities of subsidiary Coordinates activities of subsidiary bodies, functional commissions, bodies, functional commissions, standing committees, regional standing committees, regional commissions, and expert bodiescommissions, and expert bodies

• Operations of ECOSOC account for Operations of ECOSOC account for 70% of the total amount of personnel 70% of the total amount of personnel and financial resources of the UNand financial resources of the UN

• UN Budget 2009 $4,170,000,000UN Budget 2009 $4,170,000,000

ECOSOC Cont.ECOSOC Cont.

• Members are elected by the General Members are elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. Seats on the Council are allotted terms. Seats on the Council are allotted based on geographical representation based on geographical representation with fourteen allocated to African with fourteen allocated to African States, eleven to Asian States, six to States, eleven to Asian States, six to Eastern European States, ten to Latin Eastern European States, ten to Latin American and Caribbean States, and American and Caribbean States, and thirteen to Western European and other thirteen to Western European and other States.States.

More ECOSOC WebsitesMore ECOSOC Websites

• http://http://www.un.org/docs/ecosocwww.un.org/docs/ecosoc//

• http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/subsihttp://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/subsidiary.htmldiary.html

• http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/unaghttp://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/unagencies.htmlencies.html

International Court of JusticeInternational Court of Justice• Located in The Hague, The Located in The Hague, The

NetherlandsNetherlands

• Principle legal organ of the UNPrinciple legal organ of the UN

• Settles legal disputes between statesSettles legal disputes between states

• Gives advice on legal questions to Gives advice on legal questions to other UN organsother UN organs

• 15 judges of different nationalities 15 judges of different nationalities elected to nine-year termselected to nine-year terms– Elected by GA and SCElected by GA and SC

Source: http://www.icj-cij.org/Source: http://www.icj-cij.org/

SecretariatSecretariat• Takes care of the everyday functions Takes care of the everyday functions

to keep the UN runningto keep the UN running

• Headed by the Secretary GeneralHeaded by the Secretary GeneralSource: http://www.un.org/en/mainbodies/secretariat/Source: http://www.un.org/en/mainbodies/secretariat/

Secretary General Secretary General

• Current – Ban Ki Current – Ban Ki Moon Moon

• Chief Chief Administrative Administrative officer of the officer of the United NationsUnited Nations

• Head of the Head of the SecretariatSecretariat

U.S. Ambassador to the United U.S. Ambassador to the United NationsNations

• Ambassador Ambassador Susan RiceSusan Rice

• Head of the United Head of the United States Mission to States Mission to the United Nations the United Nations in New Yorkin New York

Source: Source: http://www.usunnewyork.usmihttp://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/ssion.gov/

Trusteeship CouncilTrusteeship Council

• Somewhat irrelevantSomewhat irrelevant

• Established to help Trust territories Established to help Trust territories become independent nationsbecome independent nations

• Last trust territory: PalauLast trust territory: Palau

Want to know more…Want to know more…

• Go to…Go to…

http://www.un.org/aboutun/http://www.un.org/aboutun/chart_en.pdfchart_en.pdf