United Nations Agencies Flashcards
Describe the General Assembly of the United Nations
The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. They meet every year in New York to discuss issues and make decisions. It has one president who serves a one year term.
Name the agency responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security and explain its member structure.
The UN Security Council has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates, and changes, every month. The 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms. The 5 permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States), have veto powers to block decisions made by the Council.
Describe the UN Secretariat
The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization’s other principal bodies.
This agency serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized agencies in the economic, social and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and expert bodies. It is the United Nations’ central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development. Identify the agency and its member structure.
The Economic and Social Council has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms.
Explain the role of the International Court of Justice.
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
Describe two differences between the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
The ICJ settles disputes between State, whereas the ICC prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC functions under its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, and the ICJ is a body of the UN.
Explain the role of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.
