History & Politics Flashcards
how many member states do the UN have?
There are currently 196 member states in the United Nations. These individual states are all recognized by the United Nations as members of the international organization. There are only four countries that are non-members of the U.N. They are Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan and Vatican City. These countries have received invitations to join the U.N., but have yet to accept.
when was the UN proposed and by whom?
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term the “United Nations” on January 1, 1942. Representatives of 26 nations came together at that time in order to fight the Axis Powers during World War II. However, the U.N. did not officially create a charter until 1945. The organization was officially formed in October 1945 when 51 member states ratified its charter. This day is now celebrated as United Nations Day.
how many official languages do the UN have?
In 1946, the U.N. established six official languages for its meetings and distributed documentation. The languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. During meetings delegates and representatives must utilize one of these languages or provide a written interpretation in one of them. Each language is recognized on a specific day of the year to celebrate cultural diversity and multilingualism.
how many specialized agencies and programs do the UN have?
There are 36 agencies and programs known as the “U.N. Family.” The programs are funded through voluntary contributions and are considered independent international organizations. The agencies and programs specialize on different issues. For example, UNICEF is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund and focuses on ensuring the proper treatment of children worldwide and the protection of children’s rights.
the first UN general assembly
On January 10, 1946, at Central Hall Westminster in London, the first session of the UN was held with its first 15 member states.
the longest UN speech
Did you know that the longest speech in the history of the UN was made on January 23, 1957? For five hours, Indian representative V.K. Krishna Menon defended India’s position on Kashmir, and, still not satisfied after 5 hours, he continued for three more hours during the next day’s session.
founding states of the EU
In 1951, six countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) founded the European Coal and Steel Community.
when did the EU got the name European Union?
In 1958, this became known as the European Economic Community (EEC), and its name was changed to the European Union in 1993.
EU members and official languages
The EU currently has 27 member countries, and has 24 official languages.
On 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom left the EU.
