The United Nations (UN) was formed on October 24, 1945, at San Francisco, USA. Its establishment was driven by the disastrous World War 2, the failure of the League of Nations, the fear of a IIIrd World War, the division of the world into two blocs, and the existence of destructive weapons. The UN Charter was formed and signed at the San Francisco Conference in June 1945 by representatives of 50 nations.
Objectives of the U.N. (Article I of the Charter)
To maintain international peace and security.
To develop friendly relations among nations.
To achieve international cooperation.
The three new objectives are Disarm, Decolonise, and Develop.
Principles of the U.N.
To respect the equality of nations.
To settle international disputes peacefully.
To refrain from using force.
Not to interfere in internal matters.
Key Facts and Membership
The Headquarters for all organs is in New York, except the International Court of Justice, which is in The Hague, Netherlands.
The six official languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Membership is open to all peace-loving nations who believe in and are ready to accept UN principles.
The UN has 193 members.
Organs of the UN
General Assembly: All UN members are members, with each having one vote. Decisions are made by a 2/3 majority. It can advise on international peace and security.
Security Council: The executive body responsible for maintaining Peace and Security. It consists of 15 members: 5 permanent (China, France, UK, USA, and USSR) and 10 non-permanent members elected for 2 years. A 'VETO' is a negative vote by a permanent member.
International Court of Justice: The main judicial organ with its headquarter in The Hague. It has 15 judges elected for nine-year terms by the General Assembly and Security Council sitting independently. It settles disputes between nations and advises on legal questions.
Other Organs: Secretariat and Economic and Social Council.
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