Lesson 2:  Organs of the United Nations (Suggested time:   6 – 10 days) The work of the UN takes place all over the world, and is carried out by six main organs.  These are:   The General Assembly                        The Security Council                 The Economic and Social Council                 The Trusteeship Council                 The International Court of Justice                 The Secretariat These organs are based at the United Nations Headquarters  in New York, with the exception of the International Court of Justice, which is located at The Hague, Netherlands. General Assembly   All members of the United Nations are represented in the General Assembly and all can speak on any matter.  Each nation, regardless of economic status or size, has one vote.  Issues are decided by a two-thirds majority vote.  The General Assembly’s regular session begins in September and continues throughout the year.  At times, the assembly may meet in special session at the request of the Security Council, or of a majority of the UN members, or of one Member if the majority of Members agree.  A president of the Assembly is elected each year.   Assignment:  Go to the following website:  www.un.org/ga and answer the following questions.   Who is the present president of the General Assembly? What would you say are the most important functions of the General Assembly? What are the main committees of the General Assembly? Summarize one current news story about the work/function of the General Assembly. The Security Council http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ The chief purpose of the Security Council is to be the main guardian of world peace.  Whereas the General Assembly can discuss any world concern, the Security Council only deals with questions of peace and security.  All members of the UN agree to abide by the decisions of the Security Council. Assignment:  Go to the following website:  http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ There are five permanent and 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council.  Who are these members? What would you say are the most important functions of the Security Council? Describe several issues that the Security Council have dealt with in the last 6 months.   Organs of the United Nations (cont’d) The Economic and Social Council http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/photo/?query=category%3AECOSOC The Economic and Social Council (abbreviated ECOSOC) is the central UN organ which deals with economic problems, such as trade, industrialization and economic development, and social issues, such as population, children, women’s rights, racial discrimination, drugs, social welfare, human environment and food.   This council also helps countries to arrive at consensus on how to improve education and health conditions and to promote respect for and observance of the human rights and freedoms of people everywhere.    Assignment:  Go to the following website:  http://www.un.org/ecosoc/ What is the composition of the membership of ECOSOC? Take a look at the various Subsidiary Bodies which are included under ECOSOC.  Click on the Commission on the Status of Women and then find the Questionnaire for Member States on the side bar and open.  Scroll down to the Questionnaire and read through it.   Go back to the previous screen and open the Responses, choosing a country which interests you and summarize their answers. The Trusteeship Council When the UN Charter was established, there were some parts of the world where people did not govern themselves, and therefore these areas were placed under the UN’s special protection as Trust Territories.  The Trusteeship Council was entrusted with overseeing the social advancement of the people living in thee territories.  Originally there were 11 of these Trust Territories, mostly in Africa and in the Pacific Ocean. As of 1994, all 11 Trust Territories have achieved independence or self-government.  Since then, the Trusteeship Council only meets as necessary. Assignment:  Go to the following website:  http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/council.htm Read through the Historical Background of this Council. Under “Documents” click on “Trust and Non-Self-governing Territories:  1945 – Present” Can you make any connections between colonialism, independence achieved and present day situations in the news, as you read through this list of information? International Court of Justice http://www.icj-cij.org/court/index.php?p1=1&PHPSESSID=698bc6b432b0b70d2130c2687c23c640 The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the main UN organ for hading down judicial decisions.  It is located in The Hague (Netherlands) and of the six major organs of the UN, the ICJ is the only one not located in New York.   Relying on international law, the Court’s role is to settle any 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.   The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Its official languages are English and French. Assignment:  There has been much press coverage of the arrest and subsequent trial of Radovan Karadi with crimes perpetrated in Bosnia and Serbia.  Go to the following website  (http://www.un.org/icty/latest-e/pressindex.htm) and read about this case.  Write a summary of your findings.                            The Secretariat The Secretariat is the international staff working in duty stations around the world, with the Secretary-General as its chief officer.  It services all the principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid down by them. The duties carried out by the Secretariat range from administering peacekeeping operations to mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable development. Secretariat staff also inform the world's communications media about the work of the United Nations; organize international conferences on issues of worldwide concern; and interpret speeches and translate documents into the Organization's official languages. As international civil servants, staff members and the Secretary-General answer to the United Nations alone for their activities, and take an oath not to seek or receive instructions from any Government or outside authority. Under the Charter, each Member State undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and to refrain from seeking to influence them improperly in the discharge of their duties. Assignment: Who is the current Secretary-General?  Where is he from?  What is his term of office?  What is his main agenda for his term? Who is the current Deputy Secretary-General?  Where is she from?  What is her main agenda for her term?