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Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO World Health Organization - WHO The World Bank Group International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - IBRD International Development Association - IDA International Finance Cooperation - IFC Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency - MIGA International Centre for Settlements of Investment Disputes - ICSID International Monetary Fund - IMF International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO International Maritime Organization - IMO International Telecommunication Union - ITU Universal Postal Union - UPU World Meteorological Organization - WMO World Intellectual Property Organization - WIPO International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD United Nations Industrial Development Organization - UNIDO World Tourism Organization - WTO

Background Information on the U.N. Branches

Select one of the following links to learn more about that branch of the United Nations.  The General Assembly  The Security Council  The International Court of Justice

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is composed of representatives of all Member States, each of which has one vote. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new Members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority. Decisions on other questions are reached by a simple majority. These decisions may be adopted without a vote, or with a vote, which may be recorded, non-recorded or by roll-call. While the decisions of the Assembly have no legally binding force for Governments, they carry the weight of world opinion on major international issues, as well as the moral authority of the world community. The work of the United Nations year-round derives largely from the decisions of the General Assembly--that is to say, the will of the majority of the Members as expressed in resolutions adopted by the Assembly.

Functions and Powers of the General Assembly

Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the General Assembly include: To consider and make recommendations on cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including disarmament and arms regulation;  To discuss any question relating to international peace and security and, except where a dispute or situation is being discussed by the Security Council, to make recommendations on it;  To discuss and, with the same exception, make recommendations on any question within the scope of the Charter or affecting the powers and functions of any organ of the United Nations;


To initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation, the development and codification of international law; the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and international collaboration in economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields; .

Main Committees of the General Assembly

Because of the great number of questions which the Assembly is called upon to consider session of the Assembly, for example), the Assembly allocates most questions to its six Main Committees: First Committee--Disarmament and International Security Committee Second Committee--Economic and Financial Committee Third Committee--Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee Fourth Committee--Special Political and De colonization Committee Fifth Committee--Administrative and Budgetary Committee Sixth Committee--Legal Committee Back to Top

     

The Security Council

The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters.

The Functions and Powers of the Security Council

Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are: To maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;  To investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;  To recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;  To formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;


The ICJ
The ICJ: A Layman's Explanation by Christopher Schuller ICJ President 2002, 2003 The International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, Netherlands, is the judicial arm of the United Nations. U.N. member states bring their disputes before the ICJ, whose jurisdiction is dependent on both states' prior acceptance of whatever verdict the court delivers. The ICJ does not try war criminals; rather, it resolves what we might call 'civil' disputes in an American trial court: it settles border disagreements, assesses fault for breaches of treaties, and arbitrates questions of interpretation of intern

During the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., the civilization of ancient Greece underwent a cultural shift which has often been referred as the "Greek Miracle." TheGolden Age which resulted from this shift is historically important because many of the Greek innovations from that time have had a powerful influence on the

subsequent development of Western civilization. One of the most notable features of the Greek (or Hellene) culture is that it was strongly concerned with the concept of humanism. The Greeks recognized that the powers of intelligence and reason made human beings unique among the creatures of the world. This pride in human affairs was reflected in such things as the treatment of deities as human-like beings and the glorification of the human body in sculpture. Related to their concern for humanism, the Greeks were also responsible for the development of the concept of the individual self. This acknowledgement of the self led in turn to the creation of democratic ideals. The height of Greek civilization was characterized by the existence of prosperous city-states, among which Athens was preeminent. It was also characterized by important achievements in science, mathematics, the arts and architecture. Among the most notable of the Greek achievements were those which occurred in the field of literature. The great literary works of this period include the historical writings of Herodotus and Thucydides, the dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Ar

PANAHON NG KARIMLAN SA GREECE

Ang pagtigil ng kaunlaran ng sinaunang Greece.Nagsimula noong bumagsak ang kabihasnang Mycenaean noong 1100 BCE at pananalakay ng mga dayuhan na tumagal hanggang 800 BCE. Huminto ang kalakalan sa loob ng 300 taon.Dorian- pangkat ng tao na nandarayuhan sa Balkan peninsula.800 BCE- muling sumigla ang pamumuhay sa Greece,sa kabila ng panahon ng karimlan hindi nakaligtaan ng mga greek ang kulturang hated ng sinaunang kabihasnan.MGA LUNGSOD-ESTADOAng dakilang panahon ng Greece750BCE- muling sumigla ang mga pamayanan sa Greece at ng lumaon ay nakapagtatag ng lunsod-estado na tinawag na Polis. Polis- binubuo ng lunsod at mga pamayanan na nakapaligid dito, may sariling paraan ng pamumuhay ,kabuhayan at pamamahala, at karaniwang may 50-500 milya kwadrado ang lawak nito.Acropolis- tawag sa tanggulan na matatagpuan sa tuktok ng bundok.Agora- ang tawag sa pampublikong liwasan.Phalanx- hukbo ng mga sundalo na nangangalaga sa lungsod-estado. Mga kilalang lungsod-estado: Sparta, Athens, Thebes at Corinth.Mga Sistema ng Pamahalaan Monarkiya- isang tao lamang ang namamahala tulad ng hari at reyna.Aristokrasya- isang pangkat ng mga maharlika ang mga namamahala.Oligarkiya- pinangangasiwaan ng iilang makapangyarihang tao sa estado. Demokrasya- ang mga mamayan ang nagpapasya para sa estado.SPARTA Tirahan ng mga mahuhusay na mandirigma ng Greece.Matatagpuan sa timog na bahagi ng Peloponnesus Spartan- tawag sa mga tao na naninirahan dito na nagmula sa mga lahi ng dorian, naging makapangyarihan ang mga Spartan ng ginawa nilang alipin ang mga Helot. Pinamamahaan ng dalawang hari ang Sparta.Helot- unang katutubo na naninirahan sa Sparta na ginawang alipin ng mga Dorian, ang Sparta ay nagtatag ng malakas na pamahalaang militar para maiwasan ang rebelyon ng mga helot.Ephor- pangkat ng tao na katulong ng hari sa pamamahala sa lunsod estado.BUHAY-SPARTANAng layunin ng isang Spartan sa kanyang buhay ay maging isang mahusay na mandirigma na may kakayahang ipagtanggol ang lunsod estdo. Ang buahy ng isang lalaking Spartan ay nakaplano na: Mula pagkasilang, aalagaang mabuti ng ina ang isang sanggol na may malusog na pangangatawan at kung ang sanggol ay sakitin, dadalhin siya sa bundok at pababayaang mamatay. 7 taong gulang ipapasok sa barracks upang magsanay ng mga taktikang militar. 20 taong gulang maari ng magkaroon ng asawa at pamilya ngunit magpapatuloy ang

pagsasanay-militar sa barracks. 30 taong gulang ay magiging ganap na mamayan at mandirigma ng Sparta. Magiging kabilang sa asembleya kung saan may karapatang makialam sa mga isyung estado. 60 taong gulang ay maari ka ng maglingkod sa pamahalaan bilang miyembro ng senado o mangasiwa sa barracks. ATHENS Kanlungan ng demokrasya sa mundo. Ang sentro ng komersyal at cultural sa buong Greece na matatagpuan sa lungsod ng Attica na nasa silangan ng Greece. Athenian-ang pinakamalaya pagdating sa pulitika at lipunan. Itinuturing ang mga sarili bilang mga mahuhusay na edukadong mamayan ng buong Greece dahil naniniwala sila na walang katuturan ang buhay ng tao kung hindi lilinangin ang kaisipan at paunlarin ang kanilang mga talent. Pagsilang ng demokrasya Demokrasya- pinakadakilang ambag ng mga Athenian sa, na nagmula sa wikang Greek na Demos at Kratia na nangangahulugang pamamahala ng tao, uri ng pamahalaan na pinamumunuan ng mga mamayan ng bansa/ estado. Archon- tawag sa makapangyarihang pangkat ng maharlika. Mga nagtaguyod ng demokrasya sa Athens Draco- isang aristokratang nagpagawa ng unang nasusulat na kodigo ng mga batas (Draconian Code) noong 621BCE dahil dito nagkaroon ng mahusay na batayan ang mga Athenian sa mga ipinapatupad na batas. Solon- binawasan niya ang kapangyarihan ng mga maharlika ng maluklok noong 594 BCE, pinalaya nya ang mga nakulong dahil sa utang at pinaunlada ng kalagayan ng magsasaka. Bumuo ng isang asembleya na mgapapasya sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa estado. Cleisthenes- ang ikatlong tagapagtaguyod ng demokrasya na namahala sa Athens noong 508BCE. Sa kanyang panahon mas nabigyan mas malawak na papel ang tao sa pamahaan. Hinati nya ang Athens sa maliliit na teritoryo na tinatawag na Deme. Ostracism System- pagpapatapon ng tao sa ibang lugar na unang sinimula ni Cleisthenes, ang bawat Athenian ay may pagkakataon na tumukoy ng tao na sa kanilang palagay ay panganib sa pamahalaan at kung sino man ang magkaroon ng ng 6000 marka na nakasulat sa ostraka o basag na banga ang taong yun ay mapapatalsik sa Athens sa loob ng 10 taon.