International Family of Nations: Lesson 2--United Nations

Updated: May 17, 2019

The United Nations is an international body of 193 countries working to maintain global peace and security, address humanitarian concerns, promote cultural heritage, and administer systems of international law, transportation, commerce and justice.

Location of the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is New York City, USA

The United Nations has 6 organs:

1. General Secretary: Composed of representatives of all member states. Is the main body and discusses and makes recommendations on matters that come before it.

2. Security Council:

- Comprises 15 members. - Responsible for maintaining international peace and security. - In a crisis, it acts action for all member countries.

- It is made up of 5 permanent members - China, France, the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and the United States . The remaining 10 non-permanent Security Council members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

3. Economic and Social Council: organizes the UN's work on economic and social matters and the promotion of human rights.

Members are elected for overlapping three-year terms by the General Assembly.

4. Trusteeship Council: to ensure that non-independent countries prepared for self-government and independence. No longer functions since 1994.

5. Court of Justice and Secretariat: principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands).

6. Secretariat: to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by member countries and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.