| PREVIOUS FILE |
|
UN Headquarters, New York. The UN is involved in every aspect of international life from peacekeeping to the environment, from children's rights to air safety, but it cannot legislate. |
The United Nations (UN) is an organization of sovereign nations. It provides the machinery for its Member States to help solve disputes or problems, and deal with matters of concern to all humanity. It does not legislate.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the UN.
The General Assembly is the UN's main deliberative body. All Member States are represented in it and each has one vote.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) coordinates the economic and social work of the UN.
The Security Council has primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security. It has five permanent members each with the right to veto, and ten others elected for two-year terms. Member States are obligated to carry out its decisions.
The Secretariat services all organs of the UN except the ICJ, doing the day-to-day work of the UN, ranging from administering peace-keeping operations to organizing conferences.
The Secretary-General controls and directs the Secretariat, and is chief administrative officer at all meetings of the General Assembly, Security Council ECOSOC and the Trusteeship Council.
The Trusteeship Council was established to ensure that governments responsible for administering Trust Territories took adequate steps to prepare them for self-government or independence. This task having been completed in 1994, the Council will now meet as and when required.
The specialized agencies and programmes have wide international responsibilities for development, health and economic, social, cultural, educational, scientific and technical, and other fields.
| Principal organs of the United Nations: |
|
KEY:
United Nations programmes and organs (representative list only)
Specialized agencies and other autonomous organizations within the system
Other commissions, committees and ad hoc and related bodies
Cooperative arrangements between the UN and the newly established WTO are currently under discussion
| Security Council | Military Staff Committee Standing
committees and ad hoc bodies Peace-keeping operations
|
| General Assembly | Main and other sessional
committees Standing
committees and ad hoc bodies Other
subsidiary organs and related bodies UNRWA
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency |
| Economic and Social Council | INSTRAW
International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women UNCHS
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDCP
United Nations International Drug Control Programme UNDP
United Nations Development Programme UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund UNHCR
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund UNIFEM
United Nations Development Fund for Women UNITAR
United Nations Institute for Training and Research UNU United
Nations University WFC World
Food Council WFP World
Food Programme ITC
International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT
World Bank Group
|
| International Court of Justice | |
| Secretariat | |
| Trusteeship Council | |
| PREVIOUS FILE |
