Basic Facts about the United Nations Basic Facts about the United Nations Basic Facts about the United Nations United Nations Department of Public Information New York Basic Facts about the United Nations Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information New York, New York 10017, United States of America Revised edition Copyright © 2011 United Nations All rights reserved All queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to: United Nations Publications, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, United States of America; e-mail: [email protected]; website: un.org/publications. ISBN: 978-92-1-101235-4 eISBN: 978-92-1-054807-6 United Nations publication Sales no. E.11.I.2 Front cover: Dust rises as a helicopter of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) takes off, carry- ing voting materials to Tali Payam for Southern Sudan’s referendum on self-determination (2 January 2011, UN Photo/Tim McKulka). Cover design: Graphic Design Unit, United Nations, New York Printed at the United Nations, New York FOREWORD he United Nations was founded on the conviction that the nations of the world can and should cooperate to resolve conflicts peacefully and change people’s lives for the better. More than 65 years later, and with a record of genuine accomplishments, we remain fully committed to these principles. Much has changed since the United Nations was founded. The Organization’s membership has nearly quadrupled, while decolonization, population growth and globalization have each contributed to the redrawing of our modern landscape. As our world has evolved, so have the challenges. Advances in technology are connecting and affecting us all in ways we could not have imagined even a decade ago; financial, food, health and energy crises have shown no respect for national borders; and climate change and other ecological threats have highlighted that sustainable development depends equally on three component pillars: social development, economic growth and environmental protection. In meeting these challenges, multilateral collaboration is more critical than ever, and the most effective venue for action remains the United Nations. Only by work- ing together can we harness the opportunities presented by these monumental shifts and avert the risks they pose. This century began with a breakthrough. In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) gave us a blueprint with an achievable timetable for meeting people’s most critical needs. We now have real results. With a growing number of development success stories—dramatic increases in school enrolment, expanded access to clean water, better control of disease, the growth of green technology—the transformative impact of the MDGs is undeniable. Equally influential is the unquenchable desire of ordinary people everywhere to see the fundamental values of the Charter of the United Nations realized in their daily lives. From Southern Sudan to Timor-Leste, from Tunisia to Kyrgyzstan, we have seen people longing for democratic accountability, freedom and human rights. The United Nations will continue to articulate and stand up for universal values and work through its system to embed them in the fabric of national and international life. Basic Facts about the United Nations, first issued in 1947, presents the history, goals, structure and most recent developments of the Organization. As new challenges emerge in politics, economics, technology and human rights, the United Nations continues to evolve to meet them. A notable example is the establishment, in 2010, of UN-Women, meant to help advance the benefits of gender equality and women’s empowerment across the whole of the UN agenda. At the same time, the ongoing process of change management at the UN is helping us to deliver more, and more effectively. I recommend this publication to anyone interested in this unique, invaluable and indispensable Organization, both as a reference for what has been achieved and a guide to what remains to be accomplished. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations New York, April 2011 CONTENTS Foreword by the Secretary-General . v Contents . vii List of Acronyms . xiii About this Edition . xv UN System Chart . xvi I. UN CHARTER, STRUCTURE AND SYSTEM The Charter of the United Nations . 3 Purposes and principles . 4 Membership and official languages . 5 UN structure . 5 General Assembly . 5 Functions and powers . 6 Sessions . 6 Security Council . 7 Functions and powers . 8 Tribunals and courts . 9 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) . 12 Functions and powers . 12 Sessions and subsidiary bodies . 12 Regional commissions . 14 Relations with non-governmental organizations . 16 Trusteeship Council . 16 International Court of Justice . 16 Jurisdiction . 17 Membership . 17 Secretariat . 17 Secretary-General . 18 Departments and Offices . 21 Budget . 27 UN system . 29 Programmes and funds, research and training institutes, and other entities . 29 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) . 29 International Trade Centre (ITC) . 32 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) . 32 United Nations Volunteers (UNV) . 32 United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) . 33 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) . 33 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) . 34 United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) . 34 vii viii Basic Facts about the United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 35 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) . 36 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) . 36 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) . 37 World Food Programme (WFP) . 37 United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) . 38 United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) . 39 United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) . 39 United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) . 39 United Nations University (UNU) . 40 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) . 40 United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). 41 United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) . 41 Specialized agencies and related organizations . 42 International Labour Organization (ILO) . 42 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) . 42 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) . 43 World Health Organization (WHO) . 43 World Bank Group . 45 International Monetary Fund (IMF) . 47 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) . 48 International Maritime Organization (IMO) . 48 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) . 49 Universal Postal Union (UPU) . 49 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) . 50 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) . 50 International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) . 50 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) . 51 World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) . 52 Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) . 53 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) . 53 Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) . 54 World Trade Organization (WTO) . 54 II. INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY Security Council . 60 General Assembly . 62 Conflict prevention . 62 Peacekeeping . 62 Enforcement . 67 Contents ix Sanctions . 67 Authorizing military action . 68 Peacebuilding . 69 Electoral assistance . 69 Building peace through development . 70 Action for peace . 70 Africa . 70 Southern Africa . 71 Great Lakes region . 72 West Africa . 77 Central and East Africa . 83 The Americas . 88 Asia and the Pacific . 89 The Middle East . 89 Afghanistan . 94 Iraq . 96 India-Pakistan . 99 Tajikistan . 100 Cambodia . 101 Myanmar . 101 Nepal . 103 Bougainville/Papua New Guinea . 104 Timor-Leste . 104 Europe . 105 Cyprus . 105 Georgia . 106 The Balkans . 107 Disarmament . 110 Disarmament machinery . 110 Weapons of mass destruction . ..