Frequently Asked Questions: The United Nations
What is the main purpose of the United Nations?
According to the UN Charter, the UN has four main 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 harmonising the actions of nations.
When was the United Nations founded and how many member states does it have?
The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, with 51 Member States. Today, membership totals 188 countries.
What are the six main organs of the United Nations?
The UN has six main organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. Five of these are based at UN headquarters in New York.
What is the role of the General Assembly?
The General Assembly is a kind of parliament of nations where every Member State is represented. It meets to consider the world's most pressing problems. While it cannot force action by any state, its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion.
What is the role of the Security Council?
The Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Under the Charter, all member states are obligated to carry out the council's decisions. It has 15 members: five permanent and 10 elected for two-year terms.
What is the function of the Economic and Social Council?
Beginning in 1998, the Economic and Social Council coordinates the economic and social work for the UN and the UN family. Its 54 members are elected by the General Assembly and operate under its authority.
What is the role of the Trusteeship Council?
The Trusteeship Council was established to provide international supervision for Trust Territories and prepare them for independence. Having completed its work in 1994, it now consists only of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
What is the role of the Secretariat?
The Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the UN as directed by the other organs.
What is the International Court of Justice and what is its composition?
The International Court of Justice (also called the "World Court") is the principal judicial organ of the UN, located at the Peace Palace in The Hague. It is composed of 15 highly qualified judges of different nationalities, elected to nine-year terms by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Judges are independent magistrates, not representatives of their governments.
How does the International Court of Justice determine its jurisdiction?
The Court's jurisdiction is determined in one of three ways: by a special agreement between states; by a jurisdictional clause in a treaty; or through reciprocal declarations by states accepting compulsory jurisdiction. The Court itself decides on jurisdictional questions.
What is the procedure of the International Court of Justice?
The Court's procedure involves written and oral phases. The written phase includes the exchange of pleadings, while the oral phase includes public hearings. The Court uses two official languages (English and French). Judgements are final and without appeal, though non-compliance can be referred to the Security Council.
What are the sources of applicable law for the International Court of Justice?
The Court's decisions are based on international treaties and conventions, international custom, general principles of law, and subsidiary means such as judicial decisions and scholarly writings.
What are "Advisory Opinions" in the context of the International Court of Justice?
The Court issues advisory opinions, which are consultative and non-binding. These are currently available to the five UN organs and 16 specialized agencies.
The United Nations
Overview:
The United Nations officially came into existence on the 24 October 1945 with 51 Member States.
Today, membership totals 188 countries.
When States become Members, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter.
According to the Charter, the UN has 4 purposes:
- To maintain international peace and security,
- to develop friendly relation among nations,
- to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights,
- and to be a centre for harmonising the actions of Nations.
The UN has six main organs.
The following five are based at UN headquarters in New York.
1. The General Assembly
It is a kind of parliament of nations where every Member State is represented, which meets to consider the world's most pressing problems.
The Assembly cannot force action by any state, but its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion.
2. The Security Council
Through the Charter it has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Under the Charter, all member states are obligated to carry out the council's decisions.
There are 15 council Members: five as permanent, 10 elected for two -year terms.
3. Economic and Social council
Beginning in 1998, the Council coodinates the economic and social work for the UN and the UN family. Its 54 members are elected by the General Assembly and under its authority.
4. The Trusteeship Council
This Council was established to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories and to prepare them for independence. Its work completed in 1994, it consists today only of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
5. The Secretariat
The Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the UN as directed by the other organs.
The sixth organ is the International Court of Justice which has its seat at the Peace Palace in The Haque.
It is also called "World Court" and the principal judicial organ of the UN. It began work 1946.
Composition:
Judges:
The Court is composed of 15, highly qualified judges, all off different nationality, elected to nine- year terms of office by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Elections are held every three years for one-third of the seats, and retiring judges may be re-elected. The Members of the Court do not represent their governments, but are independent magistrates.
The Parties
Only the States of the UN, and Switzerland which has become party to the Court's Statute, may apply to and appear before the Court
Jurisdiction
The Court is competent to entertain a dispute only if the States concerned have accepted its jurisdiction in one or more of the following ways:
1. by the conclusion between them of a special agreement to submit the dispute to the Court;
2. by virtue of a jurisdictional clause
3. through the reciprocal effect of declarations made by them under the statute whereby each has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory in the event of a dispute with another state having made a similar declaration.
In case of doubt as to whether the court has jurisdiction, it is the Court itself which decides.
Procedure defined by its statute
The proceedings include a written phase, in which the parties file and exchange pleadings,
and an oral phase consisting of public hearings at which agents and counsel address the Court. As the Court has two official languages (English and French) everything written or said in one is translated into the other.
After the oral proceedings the Court deliberates in camera and then delivers its judgement at a public sitting.
The judgement is final and without appeal. Should one of the states involved fail to comply with it, the other party may have recourse to the Security Council.
The Court discharges its duties as a full court but, at the request of the parties, it may also establish a special chamber.
Since 1946 the Court has delivered 69 judgements on disputes, i.e. diplomatic relations or the right of asylum.
Sources of applicable law
The Court decides in accordance with international treaties and conventions in force, international custom, the general principles of law and, as subsidiary means, judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists.
The second part for the Court's dual rule are the "Advisory Opinions"
The advisory procedure of the Court is at present open solely to the five organs of the UN and
16 specialised agencies of the UN family.
On receiving a request, the Court decides which States and organisations might provide useful information and gives them an opportunity of presenting statements.
In principle the Court's advisory opinions are consultative in character and are therefor not binding.
Since 1946 the Court has given 24 advisory opinions.
- Quote paper
- Andrea Lamberti (Author), 2000, The United Nations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/97410
