How does the UN work?
51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security established the United Nations on 24 October 1945. Membership now totals 189 countries.
It provides the means to help resolve international conflict and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us.
When states become members of the UN, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations.
According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights, and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
The United Nations has six main organs. Five of them – the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat – are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague, the Netherlands.
What is the General Assembly?
All Member States are represented in the General Assembly – a kind of parliament of nations which meets to consider the world’s most pressing problems. Each Member State has one vote. Decisions on "important matters," such as international peace and security, admitting new members, the UN budget and the budget for peacekeeping, are decided by two-thirds majority. Simple majority decides other matters.
What is the Security Council?
The Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The Council may convene at any time, day or night, whenever peace is threatened. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to carry out the Council’s decisions.
There are 15 Council members. Five of these – China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States – are permanent members. The other 10 are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
Decisions of the Council require nine yes votes. A decision cannot be taken if there is a veto by a permanent member.
The Council can impose economic sanctions, order an arms embargo and authorise member states to use collective military action. The Council also makes recommendations to the General Assembly on the appointment of a new Secretary-General and on the admission of new Members to the UN.
What is the Economic and Social Council?
The Economic and Social Council coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN family. The Council has 54 members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms.
What is the International Court of Justice?
The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ of the UN. Consisting of 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, the Court decides disputes between countries.
What is the Secretariat?
The Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the United Nations as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and the other organs. At its head is the Secretary-General, who provides overall administrative guidance.
The Secretariat consists of departments and offices with a total staff of about 8,900 drawn from some 160 countries. Duty stations include UN Headquarters in New York as well as UN offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.
What else does the UN system involve?
The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank group and twelve other independent organizations known as "specialized agencies" are linked to the UN through cooperative agreements. These agencies are autonomous bodies created by intergovernmental agreement. Some of them, like the International Labour Organization and the Universal Postal Union, are older than the UN itself.
All these organisations have their own governing bodies, budgets and secretariats. Together with the United Nations, they are known as the UN family, or the UN system. The Specialized Agencies
Autonomous organizations joined to the UN through special agreements:
- ILO (International Labour Organization)
Works to improve working conditions and employment opportunities, and sets labour standards. - FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN)
Works to improve agricultural productivity, food security and the living standards of rural populations. - UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
Promotes education for all, cultural development, protection of the world’s natural and cultural heritage, international cooperation in science, press freedom and communication. - WHO (World Health Organization)
Coordinates programmes aimed at solving health problems and the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health. - World Bank group
Provides loans and technical assistance to developing. - IMF (International Monetary Fund)
Facilitates international monetary cooperation and financial. - ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
Sets international standards for the safety, security and efficiency of air transport. - UPU (Universal Postal Union)
Establishes international regulations for postal services. - ITU (International Telecommunication Union)
Fosters international cooperation to improve telecommunications of all kinds. - WMO (World Meteorological Organization)
Promotes scientific research on the Earth’s atmosphere and on climate change. - IMO (International Maritime Organization)
Works to improve international shipping procedures, raise standards in marine safety and reduce marine pollution by ships. - WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Fosters cooperation on copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs and patents. - IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
Mobilizes financial resources to raise food production and nutrition levels among the poor in developing countries. - UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization)
Promotes the industrial advancement of developing countries. - IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)
Works for the safe and peaceful uses of atomic energy.
What is the United Kingdom’s contribution to the United Nations?
In military terms the UK has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping. Politically, the UK plays a key role in working for peace as a Permanent Member of the Security Council. Our ability to contribute to the UN is enhanced by our simultaneous role in the G8, the North Atlantic Alliance, the European Union and, not least, the Commonwealth.
The UK is the sixth largest contributor to the UN Regular Budget; the fifth largest contributor to UN peacekeeping budgets; and one of the largest voluntary contributors to UN funds and programmes and Specialised Agencies. In 1998, the UK’s total contribution to the UN exceeded £330 million.
Useful websites
- FCO (external link)
- DfID (external link)
- Commonwealth Secretariat (external link)
- Commonwealth Foundation (external link)
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