Scribd
Upload
20 views21 pages

L15 Un

The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote human rights. Its principal organs include the General Assembly, which consists of all member states and focuses on policy-making, and the Security Council, which has both permanent and non-permanent members responsible for binding resolutions and recommendations. The document also discusses reform issues regarding the number of permanent members and veto power within the Security Council.

Uploaded by

lengyuelang78
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views21 pages

L15 Un

The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and promote human rights. Its principal organs include the General Assembly, which consists of all member states and focuses on policy-making, and the Security Council, which has both permanent and non-permanent members responsible for binding resolutions and recommendations. The document also discusses reform issues regarding the number of permanent members and veto power within the Security Council.

Uploaded by

lengyuelang78
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

UN

UN Formation
United Nations conference on
international organization
• 1945, April 25 – June 26, San Francisco
• 50+1 states’ delegates signed the UN
Charter
Official operation
• 1945, October 24
• After the UN Charter was ratified by
parliaments of US, UK, France, China,
Soviet Union and a majority of the other
signatory states
Purposes of the UN (UN Chapter I, Article 1)
• To maintain international peace and security
• To develop friendly relations among nations
• To achieve international co-operation in solving international
problems and in promoting and encouraging human rights and
freedoms for all
• To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the
attainment of these common ends
UN Principal Organs
Trusteeship Council
https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/history/international-
trusteeship-system-and-trust-territories
• Final operation in 1994
From League of Nations to United Nations
Goal: Prevention of war via collective security, disarmament, and dispute
settlement mechanism

2 main organs
• League Assembly
• All member states
• Annual
• League Council
• Four permanent members: UK, France, Italy and Japan
• Every three years
Decision-making rules for both organs
• Unanimity for issues related to int’l peace and security
Outcome of both organs’ decisions
• Recommendations
• Non-binding (non-enforceable) resolutions
mmm
UN General Assembly
Summary
• One of six UN organs
• Participants: All UN members (51->193 states)
• Function: Policy-making

• Annual (Regular) session: New York, from September


• General discussion
• Provides a forum for discussing issues covered by the UN Charter
• Decision-making rules
• One state, one vote
• Key issues: Two-thirds majority
• General issues: Simple majority

• Special session: Meetings to deal with specific issues (AIDS, population issues,
armaments,
nnnnetc.)
• Emergency special session: Most recently on Ukraine (February 24, 2025)
nnnnnn
UN General Assembly Function
• Article 10
“The General Assembly may discuss any questions or any matters
within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and
functions of any organs provided for in the present Charter, and .... may
make recommendations to the Members of the United Nations or to
the Security Council or to both on any such questions or matters.”
UN Security Council
Summary
• Function: Policy-making organ
• Membership:
• 5 Permanent members (with veto power)
• China (replacing Taiwan in 1971), France, Russia (replacing Soviet Union in 1991), UK, US
• 10 Non-permanent members (with no veto power) (from 1965; 6 until 1965)
• 2-year term limit
• Africa 3, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and others 2 each, and Eastern
Europe 1
• No regular meeting
• Decision-making rules
• Require votes of three-fifths (9) of the members (from 1965; 7 until 1965); no veto by 5 permanent
members
• Abstention is not regarded as a veto.
• Decision outcomes
• Non-binding recommendation (under Chapter VI)
• Binding resolution (under Chapter VII)
• UN PKO with enforcement mandate
• UN Sanction
UN Security Council’s Decision-Making:
Korean War
called for "the immediate
cessation of hostilities"
and for "the authorities in
North Korea to withdraw
forthwith their armed
forces to the 38th parallel
(June 25, 1950)"
UN Security Council’s Decision-Making:
Korean War
stated … that urgent military
measures were required to
restore international peace
and security (June 27, 1950)
UN Security Council’s Decision-Making: Ukraine
UN Security Council’s Decision-Making
MENTIMETER
Reforming the UNSC
SC Reform Issue (1): No. of Permanent Members
SC Reform Issue (1): No. of Permanent Members
Financial Contribution to UN Peacekeeping Operations (2022)
SC Reform Issue (1): No. of Permanent Members
Proposals for changes in permanent membership of the UN Security
Council
• G4 states’ bidding
• Brazil, Germany, India, Japan
• Reasoning:
• Political and economic influence
• Spent a total of 64 years as non-permanent members
• Uniting for Consensus
• Led by Italy
• Against G4’s bidding
• Kofi Annan’s India addition proposal
• Reasoning: 1/6 of the world population
SC Reform Issue(2): Veto Power of Permanent
Members
Proposals for changes in veto power of Vetoes Cast ( ~ 2022)
the UN Security Council

• Complete abolition
• Restricted to use only for decision-
making related to Chapter VII of
the Charter of the United Nations
• The current permanent members
are retained, but new permanent
members are not allowed.
ßà Veto power to all permanent
members
Amendment of the UN Charter
Procedures for reforming UN organs and amending the UN Charter
(Articles 108 and 109)
• Adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Assembly
• Ratified by two-thirds of the Member States, including all permanent
members of the Security Council
Some noticeable amendments to the UN Charter in history
• In 1965, the number of members of the Security Council was expanded from
11 to 15, and the majority was revised from 7 to 9.
• The number of members in the Economic and Social Council was expanded
from 18 to 27 in 1965, and again to 54 in 1971.

You might also like