THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION

The UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION is an INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION founded in

1945 by 50 countries (conference of San Francisco).
Its purpose was to prevent another conflict, promote peace and international cooperation.
The UNO is currently made up of 193 Member States.
Its HEADQUARTERS is in NEW YORK and is considered an extraterritorial area.

UNO FLAG
a map of the world surrounded by two branches of olive tree (symbol of peace)

UNO INSTITUTIONS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The GENERAL ASSEMBLY → deals with issues of war, peace and economic problems

- it is made up by all the member states

- it is led by a president
- each country has one vote
- its decisions become RESOLUTIONS

When the General Assembly votes on important questions → two-thirds of votes are required.
Examples of important questions are → decisions on peace and security;
admissions or expulsions of members; etc

There are five official languages in the UN → English

French
Spanish
Russian
Chinese

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SECURITY COUNCIL

The Security Council mediates in conflicts that can turn into war and decides on UN peacekeeping
missions.
The Security Council is made up of FIFTEEN MEMBER STATES → FIVE PERMANENT members
TEN NON-PERMANENT members
(in charge for a two-year term)

PERMANENT MEMBERS → FRANCE, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE UNITED STATES, RUSSIA, CHINA.
The PERMANENT MEMBERS have the RIGHT OF VETO over UN resolutions (they can block the
adoption of a resolution)

SECRETARIAT

The Secretariat makes studies on different economic and social questions.

The Secretariat is headed by the SECRETARY GENERAL
The Secretary General is:
- elected for a FIVE-YEAR, RENEWABLE TERM
- appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
CURRENT SECRETARY GENERAL → BAN KI-MOON (since 2007)

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE

It is the JUDICIAL ORGAN of the UN and is located in THE HAGUE

It is made up of 15 JUDGES (appointed by the General Assembly for a 9-YEAR TERM)
It solves disputes among the states and decides on war crimes, ethnic cleansing, etc.

SPECIALIZED AGENCIES

The specialized agencies help to: fight poverty and promote education and health. These include:

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organisation → tries to raise levels of nutrition in developing
countries. Its HEADQUARTERS is in ROME

UNICEF - United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund → promotes the welfare of
children in developing countries
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UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation → promotes education,
cultural and scientific projects; secures the world cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage
Sites)

WHO - World Health Organisation → combat epidemics

IMF - International Monetary Fund → promotes monetary cooperation and financial stability

WTO - World Trade Organisation → deals with trade matters