United Nations Flashcards
Who made the name UN?
President FDR
What was before the UN?
League of Nations
What was the League of Nations role?
Promote international cooperation, achieve peace and security
When was the UN charter signed?
June 26, 1945
How many original UN member states were there?
51
When did the as UN officially come into existence?
October 24, 1945
When is UN day?
October 24
Who is the UN’s current president? As of when?
Abdullah Shahid, Sept 2021
Why was the UN originally established?
Preserve peace through international cooperation, collective security
How many members are currently in the UN?
193/195
What are the UN’s 4 purposes?
- Maintain international peace and security
- Develop friendly relations among nations
- Cooperate in solving international problems and promoting respect for human rights
- Be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations
Though the UN is not a government, what can it do on a government level?
Provide means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting everyone
Do all member states have a voice/vote?
Yes
What are the UN’s main source of funds? How are they calculated?
Contribution from member states, which are assessed on a scale approved by the General Assembly, which is based on the countries capacity to pay (per capita incomes)
How does the UN maintain national peace and security?
Works to prevent conflict; helps countries in conflict make peace; peacekeeping; creating conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish
Which two sections of the UN play major, important, and complementary roles?
General Assembly, Secretary General
What is the General Assembly’s role in the UN?
Main deliberative, policy making, representative organ
What is the Security Council’s role in the UN?
Takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or an act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement.
How does the UN maintain international peace and security?
Prevent conflicts to diminish human suffering and avoid massive economic costs
Why are today’s multidimensional peacekeeping operations necessary?
Facilitate political processes, protect civilians, assist in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants; support constitutional processes and the organization of elections, protect and promote human rights and assist in restoring the rule of law and extending legitimate state authority.
How many total UN peacekeeping operations have there been to date? Since when?
69 since 1948
What do the UN’s peacebuilding operations aim?
Assist countries emerging from conflict, reduce the risk of relapsing into conflict, lay the foundation for sustainable peace and development.
The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy was adopted when and by who?
September 2006 by the UN member states
What does the UN want in relation to nuclear arms?
Eliminate nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, regulate conventional arms.
When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights passed?
1948
What is the OHCHR?
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
What is the UN’s stance on humanitarian aid?
Achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character.
What is the OCHA? What is its responsibility?
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the UN Secretariat is responsible for coordinating responses to emergencies.
What is essential to provide humanitarian aid quickly and effectively?
Coordinated system-wide approach
Which UN entities have primary roles in the delivery of assistance?
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR),
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
What is the UNHCR? What is its role?
- United Nations Refugee Agency
- Leads and coordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
What is UNICEF? What is its role?
- The United Nations Children’s Fund
- Aims to reach as many children as possible with effective, low-cost solutions to counter the biggest threats to their survival.
What is the WFP? What is its role?
- The World Food Programme (WFP)
- Provides relief to millions of people, who are victims of disasters. It is responsible for mobilizing food and funds for transport for all large-scale refugee-feeding operations managed by UNHCR.
What is the FAO? What is its role?
- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Help farmers re-establish production following floods, outbreaks of livestock disease and similar emergencies.
What is the WHO? What is its role?
- The World Health Organization (WHO)
- Coordinates the international response to humanitarian health emergencies.
True or false: health is a shared responsibility.
True
What is the UN’s stance on human rights?
Promote and encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion, as improving people’s well-being continues to be one of their main focuses.
What is the UN MDG? List three.
Millennium Development Goals
- Eradicate extreme poverty/hunger
- Combat hiv/aids, malaria, etc
- Achieve universal primary education
