United

Nations

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United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an organization of sovereign states, which voluntarily joins
the UN to work for world peace. Established through the San Francisco Conference
(April-June 1945) It formally came into being on 24th October 1945. At that time, it had
51 countries as Members, currently 193 countries are UN members; the most recent to
join was South Sudan in July 2011. The UN is a forum, a meeting place for virtually all
nations of the world. It provides them with the mechanism to help finds solution to
disputes or problem, and to act on any matter of concern to humanity. Though
sometimes described as a “ Parliament of Nations”, the United Nations is neither a
supra-state nor a government of governments. It does not have any army nor does it
impose taxes. It relies on contributions of its Members to carry out its activities.

Aim of United Nations

The principal aim of UN, as spelled out by its founding Charter are as follows.

 To safeguard peace and security in order to save succeeding generations

from the scourage of war.

 To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.

 To uphold respect for international law.

 To promote social progress and better standards of life.

League of Nations
The principal aim of UN, as spelled out by its founding Charter are as follows.

 To safeguard peace and security in order to save succeeding generations

from the scourage of war.

 To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.

 To uphold respect for international law.

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 The League of Nations was inspired by US President Woodrow Wilsons’s Fourteen

Points, established as the basis for long term peace in post-WW-1.

Organs of United Nations

There are six main organs of the UN - the General Assembly, the Security Council, the
Trusteeship Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of
Justice, and the Secretariat. The Court has its seat at The Hague, Netherlands. All
other organs are based at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

1. The General Assembly

 The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the UN.

 It comprised of all member states, each of which has one vote, no matter its size or
influence.

 It may discuss any matter arising under UN Charter

 Decisions on international peace and security, admitting new Member states, and
the UN budget are decided by a two-thirds majority.

 The assembly’s sessions start in mid-September

 The busy session during which most of the resolutions are adopted is from
September to December.

 The work of the Assembly is carried out by six main committees

 Disarmament and International Security Committee

 Economic and Finance committee

 Social, Humanitarian and Cultural committee

 Special Political and Decolonization committee

 Administrative and Budgetary Committee

 Legal Committee

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2. The Security Council

 It has a primary responsibility under the UN Charter to maintain international peace
and security.

 The Security Council is a group of 15 members in which 5 are the permanent

members, known as P-5 and the other 10 are rotating members elected by the
General Assembly on the basis of geographical representation for two-year terms.

P-5 Members 10 Members (as of Jan 2021-23)

United States of America India
United Kingdom Norway
France Ireland
Russia Mexico
China Estonia
Niger
Saint Vincent
The Grenadines
Tunisia
Vietnam

 It does not hold regular meetings, but can be convened at any time whenever
international peace is threatened.

 To pass a resolution in a security council, 9 out of the 15 members of the council

must agree, however, if any of the P-5 members disagree the resolution does not
pass. This is known as the ‘Veto power’ of the permanent member.

3. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

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 ECOSOC is the central body for coordinating the economic and social work of the
UN and the UN System.

 The Council has 54 members which are chosen for equal geographical
representation and serves three-year terms.

 Voting is done by a simple majority, each member has one vote.

 It also coordinates the work of several important agencies such as WHO, UNESCO,
UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, etc.

4. The Trusteeship Council

 The Trusteeship Council was assigned the administration of 11 Trust Territories-
former colonies or dependent territories.

 Since the creation of the council, more than 70 colonial territories, including all 11
Trust Territories, have attended independence with the help of the UN, the council
decided formally to suspends its operation and to meet as and when required.

 The last Trust Territory to become independent was Palau in 1994.

 The Trusteeship Council is comprised of permanent members I.e. USA, UK, Russia,
France, China.

 Each member has one vote and the decision is taken by the majority.

5.The International Court of Justice (ICJ)

 The ICJ is the UN’s main judicial organ, located in The Hague, Netherlands.

 It was established in 1945, the ICJ, or the “World’s Court” assumed its functions in
1946.

 The Court settles legal disputes only between nations and not between individuals,
in accordance with the International Law.

 It is presided over by 15 judges elected for 9-years terms, each from a different
nation.

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 Elections take place 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.

 It takes a majority of nine judges to make a decision.

6.The Secretariat
 The Secretariat is made up of an international staff working at the UN Headquarter
in New York, as well as UN offices in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, and other locations.

 It consists of departments and offices with a total staff of 16,000 drawn from most
Member States.

 They carry out the day-to-day work of the organization.

 The Secretariat is responsible for servicing the other organs of the UN and
administering the programs and policies laid down by them.

 The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the

General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year term
and is responsible for implementing decisions taken by various organs of the UN.

Funds, Programs, Specialized

Agencies, and Others

 The UN family is made up of six main organs and many affiliated programs, funds,
and specialized agencies, all have their own membership, leadership, and budget.

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Funds and Programs

UNICEF

 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was created by the UN

General Assembly in 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to
children and mothers in countries that had been devastated by WW-1.

 In 1950, UNICEF’s mandate was extended to address the long term needs of
children and women in developing countries everywhere.

 In 1953, it become a permanent part of the UN system.

 The Executive Board of UNICEF consists of 36 members who are elected by

the United Nations ECOSOC, usually for three-year terms.

 UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and private doctors.

 UNICEF’s supply division is based in Denmark and serves as a primary point

of distribution.

UNFPA

 The United Nations Population Fund is the United Nations sexual and
reproductive health agency.

 Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child
is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

 In 2018, UNFPA launches efforts to achieve three transformative results.

 Ending unmet need for family planning.

 Ending preventable maternal death.

 Ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.

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UNDP

 The United Nations Development Program is the UN’s global development

network.

 It was established in 1963 by the General Assembly.

 It provides expert advice, training, and grants support to developing countries.

 The UNDP Executive Board is made up of representatives of 36 countries

around the world who serve on a rotating basis.

 It is funded by voluntary contributions from member nations.

 UNDP is central to the UN Sustainable Development Group, a network that

spans 165 countries.

UNEP

 The United Nations Environment Programme is a global environmental authority that

sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the
environmental dimensions of sustainable development within the UN system.

 It was founded at Stockholm Conference in June 1972.

 UNEP and WMO together established Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPCC) in 1988 to assess climate change based on the latest science.

 UNEP has played an important role in the development of multilateral environment

agreements, such as

 Convention on Biological Diversity.

 Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna

and Flora.

 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

 Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer.

 Minamata Convention on Mercury.

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 Basal Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous

Wastes and their Disposal.

 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

 Rotterdam Convention.

UN-Habitat

 United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the UN Programme

working towards a better urban future.

 Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human

development.

 It was established in 1978 in Vancouver.

 It is working towards SD’s Goal 11.

WFP

 World Food Programme is the world’s leading humanitarian organization

saving and changing lives around the world.

 It was established in 1963 by the UN General Assembly and FAO (The Food
and Agriculture Organization.

Specialized Agencies
 The UN Specialized Agencies are autonomous organizations working with the
United Nations.

 All were brought under the UN through negotiated agreements.

 Some existed even before the first world war.

 Others were created almost simultaneously with the UN.

 Articles 57 and 63 of the UN Charter provides provision for creating specialized

agencies.

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1. Food and Agriculture Organization

 It was created in Canada by the first session of the newly created UN.

 FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

 It is also a source of knowledge and information.

 Also help developing countries in transition modernize and improve

agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

2. The International Labour Organization

 It is a UN agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote a

decent work environment by setting international labour standards.

 It was an agency of League of Nations. it was created in 1919, as part of the

Treaty of Versailles.

 It was the first UN Specialized agency to sign an agreement and join UN in

1946.

 The organization won the Noble Peace Prize on its 50th anniversary in
1969for pursuing decent work and justice for workers.

3 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization

 UNESCO was founded in 1945 to develop the intellectual and moral solidarity
of mankind.

 It is located in Paris, France.

 UNESCO develop educational tool to help people as global citizen free of

hate and intolerance.

 UNESCO & INDIA

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A. There are total of 38 UNESCO world’s heritage sites in India out of which 30
are cultural heritage sites 7 are natural and 1 is mixed heritage site.

B. Indian cities declared as world Heritage Sites as City of Ahmedabad and city
of Jaipur.

Year of Notifica-
S.No. Name of Cultural World Heritage Site State
tion
1. Agra Fort 1983 UP
2. Ajanta Caves 1983 Maharashtra
3. Ellora Caves 1983 Maharashtra
4. Taj Mahal 1983 Agra, UP
5. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipu- 1984 Tamil Nadu
ram
6. Sun Temple, Konarak 1984 Orisa
7. Churches and Convents of Goa 1986 Goa
8. Elephant Caves 1987 Maharashtra
9. Group of Monuments at Hampi 1986 Karnataka
10. Fatehpur Sikri 1986 UP
11. Khajuraho Group of Monuments 1986 MP
12. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal 1987 Karnataka
13. Great Living Chola Temple 1987 Tamil Nadu
14. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi 1989 MP

15. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi 1993 Delhi

16. Mountain Railways of India 1999 Tamil Nadu

17. Qutb Minar and its Monuments 1993 Delhi

18. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh 2002 Bihar

Gaya
19. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological 2004 Gujarat
Park
20. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus 2004 Maharashtra

21. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka 2003 Madhya Pradesh

22. Red Fort Complex 2007 Delhi

23. The Jantar Mantar 2010 Rajasthan

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Year of
S.No. Name of Cultural World Heritage Site State
Notification
24. Hill Forts 2013 Rajasthan

25. Rani-ki-Van 2014 Gujarat

26. Archaeological Site of Nalanda 2016 Bihar

27. The Architectural Work of Le 2016 Chandigarh

Corbusier

28. Historic City of Ahmedabad 2017 Gujarat

29. Victoria Gothic and Art Deco 2018 Mumbai,

Ensembles Maharashtra

30. The Walled city of Jaipur 2019 Rajasthan

List of Cultural World Heritage Sites

S.No Natural World Heritage Site Year of inclusion State

1. Kaziranga National Park 1985 Assam

2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park 1985 Rajasthan

3. Nanda Devi National Park and 1982 Uttarakhand

valley of Flowers 2005

4. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 1985 Assam

5. Sundarbans National Park 1984 West Bengal

Maharashtra, Goa,
6. Western Ghats 2012 Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, and Kerala

7. Great Himalayan National Park 2014 Himachal Pradesh

Natural World Heritage Site of India

S,No Name of the Site year of inclusion State

1. Khangchendzonga National Park 2016 Sikkim

Mixed World Heritage Site in India

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4. World Health Organization

 The WHO is the UN's specialized agency for health.

 It was established in 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

 It is an intergovernmental organization and works in collaboration with its

Member states usually through the Ministers of Health.

 The WHO is responsible for

 providing leadership on global health matters.

 shaping the health research agenda.

 setting norms and standards.

 providing evidence based policy options.

 providing technical support to countries.

 monitoring and assessing health needs.

5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

 UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international
crime.

 It was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations

Drug Control Program and Center for International Crime Prevention.

 UNODC is mandated in assist Member states in their struggle against illicit

drugs, crime and terrorism.

6. The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for /Refugees

 UNHCR was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the WW-II, to help
millions of Europeans who had filed or lost their homes.

 In 1954, UNHCR won the Noble Peace Price for its groundbreaking work in
Europe.

 It also uses its expertise to help many internally displaced by conflict.

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UN Contribution to World
Peace and security

 Maintaining peace and security: UN do so by sending peacekeeping and

observer missions to the world’s trouble spot, the UN has been able to
restore calm, allowing many countries to recover from conflict.

 Preventing Nuclear Proliferation: For over the five decades, the International
Atomic Energy Agency has served as the world’s nuclear inspector. Its
experts work to verify that safeguards nuclear material is used only for
peaceful purposes.

 Preventing genocide: The United Nations brought about the first ever treaty to
combat genocide. Name of the treaty is The 1948 Genocide Convention. It
has been rectified by 148 states. which commits to prevent and punish
actions of genocide in war.

Economic Development

 Promoting Development: Since 2000, promoting living standards and human

skills and potential throughout the world has been guided by the Millenium
Development Goals.

 Alleviating Rural Poverty: The International Fund for Agricultural Development

provides low interest loans and grants to very poor rural people to alleviate
them from poverty.

 Promoting Women's wellbeing is also in the UN's agenda to secure gender

equality.

 Global Think Tank: The UN is at the forefront of research that seeks solution
to global problems.

 The United Nations Development Program’s annual report- Human

Development Report provides independent, empirically grounded analysis of
major development issues, trends and policies, including the groundbreaking
Human Development Index.

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Social Development

 Preventing Historic. Cultural, Architectural and Natural sites: UNESCO has

helped 137 countries to protect ancient monuments and historic, cultural and
natural sites. More than 1000 such sites have been designated as having
exceptional universal value- as World Heritage Sites.

 The first world conference on women put women’s right, equality and
progress on the global agenda.

 The first UN conference on the environment helped to alert world public

opinion on the dangers faced by our planet, triggering action by government.

Human Rights

 Fostering Democracy: The UN promotes and strengthens democratic

institutions and practices around the world.

 Promoting Women's Rights: The 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of

All Forms of Discrimination against Women, rectified by 189 countries, has
helped to promote the rights of women worldwide.

 UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in

1948, it has helped to enact dozens of legally binding agreement on political,
civil, economic, social and cultural rights.

Environment

 Climate Change: It is a global problem that demands a global solution. The

IPCC which brings together 2,000 leading climate change scientists, issue
comprehensive scientific assessments every five to six years

 Protecting the Ozone Layer: The UNEP & WMO have been instrumental in
highlighting the damage caused to Earth’s ozone layer.

 Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone layer (1955)

 The Montreal Protocol (1987)

Banning Toxic Chemicals: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants-

2001 seeks to rid the world of some of the most dangerous chemicals ever created.

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Humanitarian Affairs

 Assisting refugees: Refugees fleeing persecution, violence and war have

received aid from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

 Aiding Palestinian Refugees: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine

Refugees in the near east, a relief and human development agency, has
assisted four generations of Palestinian refugees with education, health, care,
etc

 Reducing the effects of Natural disasters: WMOhas helped to spare millions

of people from the calamitous effects of natural and man-made disasters.

Health

 Promoting reproductive and Maternal Health: UNFPA is promoting the right of

individuals to make their own decisions on the number and spacing of their
children through voluntary family planning programmes.

 Responding to HIV/AIDS: UN Programme on HIV/AIDS coordinates global

action against an epidemic that effect millions of people around the globe.

 Wiping out Polio: Polio has been eliminated from all but three countries-
Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan - as a result of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative.

UN & INDIA
UN Contribution to INDIA

 The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology founded in 1977 at
New Delhi, is a regional Institute of UNESCAP with a geographic focus at the
entire Asia-Pacific region.

 FAO has helped India’s food and farm sectors through technical inputs and
support for policy development.

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 In 1954, UNICEF agreed an agreement with the Government of India to fund

the Aarey and Anand milk processing plants.

 UN help India in eradicating polio from India.

 World Food Programme is working with Indian officials to strengthen India’s

own subsidized food distribution system.

 World Health Organization has played an important role in the country’s

transition from hospital-based to community-based care.

INDIA Contribution to UN

 India was one of the original member of the League of Nations and the United
Nations that sign the Declaration by UN at Washington D.C.

 India took an active part in Drafting the Universal Deceleration of Human

Rights-1948.

 India has been the member of the UN Security Council for Eight terms with
the most recent being the 2021-23 term.

 India is one among the largest troop contributor to the UN Peacekeeping

Missions.

 In 2014, the UNGA adopted a resolution commemorating 21 june as the

International Yoga Day.

Conclusion
UN has played a crucial role in making the human society more civil, more peaceful &
secure in comparison to time of its origin at 2nd world war. It is the world’s largest
democratic body, its responsibility towards humanity is very high in terms of building
democratic society, economic development of people living in acute poverty, &
preventing the Earth’s Ecosystem in concern with Climate Change.

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