CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS THE UNITED NATIONS?

What is the United Nations?

• The UN as such, made up of six main organs - the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. All are based at UN Headquarters in New York, except for the Court, which is at The Hague, in the Netherlands.



• The UN programmes and funds - such as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) ?working for development, humanitarian assistance and human rights.



• The UN specialized agencies and analogous bodies, working in such diverse areas as health, agriculture, international aviation and meteorology. Related to the UN through special agreements, the specialized agencies coordinate their work with the UN but are separate, autonomous organizations.

The UN, its programmes and funds, and the specialized agencies comprise the "UN system". As a family of organizations, the UN performs a vast array of duties that affect us all in myriad ways. These range from the decision of the Security Council to dispatch a peacekeeping operation in response to a dispute, to setting standards for air safety and communications compatibility; from rushing emergency supplies to victims of natural disaster, to coordinating the response to the AIDS pandemic; from helping countries to organize and conduct free and fair elections, to securing low-interest loans to develop the infrastructures of poorer countries. Ultimately, its work is about making a healthier, more stable world with enhanced opportunities and justice for all of us (see www.unsystem.org).

Why do we need a United Nations?

It is often said that if we did not have the United Nations, it would have to be invented.

• In a world plagued by conflict, the UN permits instant consultations among governments and provides the forum for dealing with long-term problems.
  
  
• The UN is a catalyst for action on major global issues, such as the environment and illicit drugs, and provides the best mechanism available to mobilize and sustain international cooperation to tackle these issues.
  
  
• The UN and its agencies help build economies and stabilize financial markets. They help eradicate disease, expand food production and increase longevity. They protect refugees, deliver food aid and respond quickly to natural disasters.
  
  
• The UN and its agencies protect vulnerable groups, like children, refugees, displaced persons, minorities, indigenous people and the disabled.
  
  
• The UN and its agencies provide the machinery for setting technical and legal standards in vital areas of global interaction, from air safety standards to human rights.

No organization in the world is better suited to pursue these goals, because none other possesses the UN's universality and legitimacy

Is the United Nations a world government?

Do countries surrender their sovereignty at the UN?

Is the UN a tool of the big powers?

What does the General Assembly do?

Just as individuals in a democracy have equal voting rights regardless of whether they are rich or poor, powerful or weak, all countries in the General Assembly have the same voting rights. The vote of the General Assembly is therefore an accurate barometer of world opinion. Its decisions, though not legally binding on Member States, represent the moral authority of the community of nations.

Do developing countries dominate the General Assembly?

Are only governments heard at the UN?

The Secretary-General regularly consults with the private sector, meeting with business leaders and business organizations ?seeking their help to achieve the goals of the UN. As a guiding principle for this relationship, his "Global Compact" initiative has provided a context under which world business leaders commit themselves to certain norms in the areas of human rights, labour standards and the environment. Hundreds of companies from North and South, big and small, are engaged in the Compact, as well as trade unions and NGOs. Contrary to some perceptions, the Compact does not accept corporate funding. It does not endorse companies or give them recognition, and the UN logo remains strictly guarded. The Compact seeks to engage companies in support of UN goals through learning, dialogue and projects.

Regarding philanthropy, Time-Warner co-chairman Ted Turner in 1997 announced a $1 billion donation to UN development and assistance programmes, which is administered by his UN Foundation in coordination with the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 made a $750 million grant to the UN-supported Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. The world's Rotary Clubs have given more than $400 million for efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate polio, and the world's Lions Clubs support many UNICEF programmes.

What about NGOs?

NGOs speak for broad international and national constituencies and have increasing influence on the UN's work. They play a prominent role at UN conferences, advancing the views of their constituencies on issues ranging from women's rights to food security. They were instrumental in the adoption of the 1997 Convention banning landmines and the establishment in 1998 of an International Criminal Court to deal with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the poorer countries, NGOs work hand in hand with the UN to assist people in need.

What does the Security Council do?

The Council is made up of 15 members: 10 non-permanent members, periodically elected by all Member States for two-year terms; and five permanent members. The system of voting gives added weight to the permanent members ?China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. Any of these countries can block a proposal by casting a negative vote, even if the other four permanent and all non-permanent members vote in favour. This is called the "veto power".

Isn't the Council in need of reform?

One such proposal would increase membership from 15 to 24, by adding five permanent members without veto power (three developing States and two industrialized States), as well as four non-permanent members. This proposal would add Japan, Germany and three developing countries as permanent members. It has also been suggested that only non-permanent members be added, with periodic re-election of countries on the basis of their contribution to UN peacekeeping and development activities. Though none of these proposals has obtained overall agreement, the General Assembly is continuing its efforts to find an acceptable formula.

The subject of Security Council reform is among the subjects addressed by the Secretary-General in his 2005 report, "In Larger Freedom".

Meanwhile, the Security Council has made considerable progress in reforming its working methods, with the aim of enhancing transparency. Beginning in 2001, a number of such changes were introduced, affecting the conduct of meetings, format of reports and documentation. The Council continues looking at ways to improve the transparency of its working methods.

What is the role of the Economic and Social Council?

ECOSOC has seen a revitalized role in recent years as it has taken the lead in tackling many of the major challenges presented by globalization. Along with coordinating the work of commissions that deal with such topics as population, sustainable development and social development, it has led efforts to meet new challenges ?such as closing the "digital divide?between the developed and developing countries through its work on information and communication technologies. The Council has also emerged as a forum of major importance for policy dialogue, bringing key representatives from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund together with the diplomatic community at the UN to forge new policy directions.

What is the role of the UN Secretary-General?

The impartiality of the Secretary-General is one of the UN's most important assets, enabling him to engage in preventive diplomacy to keep international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading. The Secretary-General has also taken the lead in efforts to reorganize and streamline the work of the UN, working closely with the General Assembly and other bodies to ensure that reforms are far-reaching and coordinated, so the UN may respond effectively to the needs of Member States.

The Secretary-General is also Chairman of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), which meets twice annually to ensure the coordination of activities in pursuit of the common goals of Member States across a wide range of issues. It comprises the Executive Heads of 28 organizations, including UN funds, programmes and specialized agencies, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (an autonomous agency under the aegis of the UN) and the World Trade Organization - representing the entire UN system.

How is the Secretary-General appointed?

The first two Secretaries-General were Trygve Lie of Norway and Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden. In the past 40 years, countries have informally agreed to rotate the office among the regional groups. It has thus passed from Asia (U Thant of Burma, now Myanmar), to Western Europe (Kurt Waldheim of Austria), to Latin America (Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru), to Africa (Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, who served one term, and Kofi Annan of Ghana, the former Secretary-General). Although there is technically no limit to the number of five-year terms a Secretary-General may serve, none so far has held office for more than two terms.