The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945. The UN describes itself as a "global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, security, economic development, and social equity." As of 2005 it consists of 191 member states, including virtually all internationally-recognized independent nations. From its headquarters in New York City, the member countries of the UN and its specialized agencies give guidance and make decisions on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout each year. An international organization (also called intergovernmental organization) is an organization of international scope or character. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A map of UN member states and their dependencies as recognized by the UN. Regions excluded : Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Vatican City, West Bank, Western Sahara. ... This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including both internationally recognized and generally unrecognized independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ...

The organization is structually divided into administrative bodies, including the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, UN Economic and Social Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UN Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice, as well as counterpart bodies dealing with the governance of all other UN system agencies, for example, the WHO and UNICEF. The organization's most visible public figure is the Secretary-General. United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to help ensure that non-self-governing territories were administered in the best interests of the inhabitants and of international peace and security. ... The United Nations Secretariat is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the United Nations Secretary General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. ... The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. ... The WHO flag: similar to the flag of the United Nations, augmented with the symbolic staff and serpent of Asklepios, Greek god of medicine and healing. ... UNICEF logo The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ...

The UN was founded at the conclusion of World War II by the victorious world powers, and the founders of the UN had high hopes that it would act to prevent conflicts between nations and make future wars impossible, by fostering an ideal of collective security. The organization's structure still reflects in some ways the circumstances of its founding; specifically, in addition to the rotating national members of the prominent United Nations Security Council, there are five permanent members with veto power - the United States of America, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and Peoples Republic of China (which replaced the Republic of China). World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe... Collective Security is a system for aspiring for peace in which participants agree that any breach of the peace is to be declared to be of concern to all the participating states, 1 and will result in a collective response. ... UN Security Council chamber in New York The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The word veto comes from Latin and literally means I forbid. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ...

Background and history

Main articles: League of Nations and History of the United Nations The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... The history of the United Nations as an international organisation has its origins in World War II. Since then its aims and activities have expanded to make it the archetypal international body in the early 21st century. ...

UN headquarters in New York City

The term "United Nations" was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. Its first formal use was in the January 1, 1942 Declaration by the United Nations, which committed the Allies to the principles of the Atlantic Charter and pledged them not to seek a separate peace with the Axis powers. Thereafter, the Allies used the term "United Nations Fighting Forces" to refer to their alliance. Photo of UN Building at New York City (taken June 14, 2003 by djmutex), herewith licensed under GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Photo of UN Building at New York City (taken June 14, 2003 by djmutex), herewith licensed under GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... United Nations headquarters, view from East River United Nations headquarters in New York City The United Nations headquarters is a distinctive complex in New York City that has served as the United Nationss headquarters since its completion in 1952. ... -1... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945), the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe... When spelt with a capital A, Allies usually denotes the countries that fought together against the Central Powers in World War I and against the Axis Powers in World War II. For more information, see the related articles: Allies of World War I and Allies of World War II. Other... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... This article is about the year. ... The Declaration by United Nations was a World War II document agreed to on January 1, 1942 by 26 governments, several of them governments-in-exile. ... Churchill meets FDR aboard the USS Augusta (CA-31) at their 1941 secret meeting at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland, lasting August 9th through the 12th. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The idea for the United Nations was elaborated in declarations signed at the wartime Allied conferences in Moscow, Cairo, and Tehran in 1943. From August to October 1944, representatives of France, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the USSR met to elaborate the plans at the Dumbarton Oaks Estate in Washington, D.C. Those and later talks produced proposals outlining the purposes of the organization, its membership and organs, as well as arrangements to maintain international peace and security and international economic and social cooperation. These proposals were discussed and debated by governments and private citizens worldwide. Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA:   listen?) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Tehran is a metropolis of 14 million situated at the foot of the towering Alborz range. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ... Dumbarton Oaks is a nineteenth-century mansion located in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC. It houses the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, a leading center for scholarship in Byzantine studies, Pre-Columbian studies and the history of landscape architecture. ... Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ...

On April 25, 1945, the United Nations Conference on International Organizations began in San Francisco. In addition to the Governments, a number of non-government organizations, including Lions Clubs International were invited to assist in the drafting of the charter. The 50 nations represented at the conference signed the Charter of the United Nations two months later on June 26. Poland, which was not represented at the conference, but for which a place among the original signatories had been reserved, added its name later, bringing the total of original signatories to 51. The UN came into existence on October 24, 1945, after the Charter had been ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council — Republic of China, France, the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States — and by a majority of the other 46 signatories. April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... Lions Clubs International is the worlds largest service club organisation with 46,000 clubs and 1. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... UN Security Council chamber in New York The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ...

Initially, the body was known as the United Nations Organization, or UNO. But by the 1950s, English speakers were referring to it as the United Nations, or UN.

Headquarters

The United Nations headquarters building was constructed in New York City in 1949 and 1950 beside the East River on land purchased by an 8.5 million dollar donation from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer. UN headquarters officially opened on January 9, 1951. While the principal headquarters of the UN are in New York, there are major agencies located in Geneva, The Hague, Vienna, and elsewhere. United Nations headquarters, view from East River United Nations headquarters in New York City The United Nations headquarters is a distinctive complex in New York City that has served as the United Nationss headquarters since its completion in 1952. ... United Nations headquarters, view from East River United Nations headquarters in New York City The United Nations headquarters is a distinctive complex in New York City that has served as the United Nationss headquarters since its completion in 1952. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... New York City waterways: 1. ... John D. Rockefeller, Jr. ... Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Niemeyer Soares Filho (born December 15, 1907) is a Brazilian architect who is considered one of the most important names in international modern architecture. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Geneva (French: Genève) is the second-most populous city in Switzerland located where Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman, but the Genevois are fond of calling it Lac de Genève) empties into the Rhône River. ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, or officially s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ...

Membership and Structure

Main articles: United Nations member states, United Nations General Assembly observers, United Nations System and Reform of the United Nations A map of UN member states and their dependencies as recognized by the UN. Regions excluded : Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Vatican City, West Bank, Western Sahara. ... In addition to the current 191 member states, the United Nations welcomes several other international agencies, entities, and one non-member state (for several years prior to their admission after a referendum in 2002, Switzerland was also an observer state). ... While the United Nations is an international organization, the United Nations System is the whole network of international organizations, treaties and conventions that were created by the United Nations. ... In recent years there have been many calls for reform of the United Nations. ...

Ostensibly, UN membership is open to all "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations of the UN Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to fulfill these obligations.^[1] The General Assembly determines admission upon recommendation of the Security Council. The United Nations Charter is the constitution of the United Nations. ...

The United Nations is based on six principal organs, part of what is collectively called the United Nations System: While the United Nations is an international organization, the United Nations System is the whole network of international organizations, treaties and conventions that were created by the United Nations. ...

• UN General Assembly
• UN Security Council
• UN Economic and Social Council
• UN Trusteeship Council
• UN Secretariat
• International Court of Justice

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to help ensure that non-self-governing territories were administered in the best interests of the inhabitants and of international peace and security. ... The United Nations Secretariat is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the United Nations Secretary General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. ... The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. ...

Security Council

Main article: UN Security Council A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ...

The Security Council is in practice the most powerful decision-making body of the UN, as its resolutions are backed by the will of the most powerful members of the international community. However, this does not mean that its resolutions (eg international sanctions) are necessarily enforced, as the UN does not have its own means to do so. Even when economic sanctions are applied, their effectiveness (eg against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1990s, or in abolishing apartheid in South Africa) is unclear. International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally, and consist of three major forms: Diplomatic sanctions - the reduction or removal of diplomatic ties, such as embassies. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ...

Financing

UN offices occupy a portion of this complex in Vienna

The UN system is financed in two ways: assessed and voluntary contributions from member states. The regular two-year budgets of the UN and its specialized agencies are funded by assessments. In the case of the UN, the General Assembly approves the regular budget and determines the assessment for each member. This is broadly based on the relative capacity of each country to pay, as measured by national income statistics, along with other factors. UN building in Vienna, with Vienna International Center in front (which does not belong to the UN) - picture taken from TV tower in nearby park File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... UN building in Vienna, with Vienna International Center in front (which does not belong to the UN) - picture taken from TV tower in nearby park File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ...

The Assembly has established the principle that the UN should not be overly dependent on any one member to finance its operations. Thus, there is a 'ceiling' rate, setting the maximum amount any member is assessed for the regular budget. In December 2000, the Assembly agreed to revise the scale of assessments to make them better reflect current global circumstances. December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

As part of that agreement, the regular budget ceiling was reduced from 25 to 22 percent; this is the rate at which the United States is assessed. The United States is the only member that meets that ceiling, all other members' assessment rates are lower. On the other hand, it is in arrears with hundreds of millions of dollars (see also United States and the United Nations). Under the scale of assessments adopted in 2000, other major contributors to the regular UN budget for 2001 are Japan (19.63%), Germany (9.82%), France (6.50%), the U.K. (5.57%), Italy (5.09%), Canada (2.57%) and Spain (2.53%). The United States is a charter member of the United Nations and one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. ... ...

Special UN programmes not included in the regular budget (such as UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, and WFP) are financed by voluntary contributions from member governments. In 2001, it is estimated that such contributions from the United States will total approximately $1.5 billion. Much of this is in the form of agricultural commodities donated for afflicted populations, but the majority is financial contributions. UNICEF logo The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... The World Food Programme (WFP) is an agency of the United Nations which distributes food commodities to support development projects, to long-term refugees and displaced persons and as emergency food assistance in situations of natural and man-made disasters. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Aims and activities

International conferences

Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General since 1997.

The member countries of the UN and its specialized agencies — the "stakeholders" of the system — give guidance and make decisions on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout each year. Governing bodies made up of member states include not only the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, and the Security Council, but also counterpart bodies dealing with the governance of all other UN system agencies. For example, the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board oversee the work of WHO. Each year, the United States Department of State accredits United States delegations to more than 600 meetings of governing bodies. Found via Google on State Department site. ... Found via Google on State Department site. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by its 192 member states. ... The WHO flag: similar to the flag of the United Nations, augmented with the symbolic staff and serpent of Asklepios, Greek god of medicine and healing. ...

When an issue is considered particularly important, the General Assembly may convene an international conference to focus global attention and build a consensus for consolidated action. High-level United States delegations use these opportunities to promote United States policy viewpoints and develop international agreements on future activities. Recent examples include:

• The UN Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992, led to the creation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development to advance the conclusions reached in Agenda 21, the final text of agreements negotiated by governments at UNCED;
• The International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo, Egypt, in September 1994, approved a programme of action to address the critical challenges and interrelationships between population and sustainable development over the next 20 years;
• The World Summit on Trade Efficiency, held in October 1994 in Columbus, Ohio, cosponsored by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the city of Columbus, and private-sector business, focused on the use of modern information technology to expand international trade;
• The World Summit for Social Development, held in March 1995 in Copenhagen, Denmark, underscored national responsibility for sustainable development and secured high-level commitment to plans that invest in basic education, health care, and economic opportunity for all, including women and girls;
• The Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China, in September 1995, sought to accelerate implementation of the historic agreements reached at the Third World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985; and
• The Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), convened in June 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey, considered the challenges of human settlement development and management in the 21st century.

The Earth Summit (in Portuguese: Eco 92) is the informal and best-known name for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). ... Ipanema beach Cristo Redentor A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Agenda 21 is a programme of the United Nations related to sustainable development. ... Held in 1994, attended by lots of high-up people etc etc. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Skyline of downtown Columbus, Ohio, viewed across the Scioto River. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Copenhagen (Danish: København) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, and the name of the municipality (Danish, kommune) in which it resides. ...   Beijing? (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nairobi skyline Nairobi is the capital of Kenya. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Habitat II - the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements - was held in Istanbul, Turkey from June 3-14, 1996, twenty years after the 1976 Habitat conference in Vancouver [1] that had led to the establishment of the Nairobi-based United Nations Centre on Human Settlements - UN-Habitat. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°stanbul Istanbul (Turkish: Ä°stanbul; a contraction of Greek εις την πολιν into the city, the former Constantinople, Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ...

International Years and related

Main article: United Nations International Years International Years are designated by the United Nations General Assembly in order to draw attention to particular issues of international importance. ...

The UN declares and coordinates "International Year of the..." in order to focus world attention on important issues. Using the symbolism of the UN, a specially designed logo for the year, and the infrastructure of the UN system to coordinate events worldwide, the various years have become catalysts to advancing key issues on a global scale.

• UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity advocates of UNESCO and utilize their talent or fame to spread the UNESCO ideals. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity advocates of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and utilize their talent and fame to advocate for refugees. ...

Arms control and disarmament

The 1945 UN Charter envisaged a system of regulation that would ensure "the least diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources". The advent of nuclear weapons came only weeks after the signing of the Charter and provided immediate impetus to concepts of arms limitation and disarmament. In fact, the first resolution of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly (January 24, 1946) was entitled "The Establishment of a Commission to Deal with the Problems Raised by the Discovery of Atomic Energy" and called upon the commission to make specific proposals for "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction". 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The United Nations Charter is the constitution of the United Nations. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... Arms control is a broad term alluding to a range of political concepts and aims. ... The word resolution has several meanings, depending on context. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

The UN has established several forums to address multilateral disarmament issues. The principal ones are the First Committee of the General Assembly and the UN Disarmament Commission. Items on the agenda include consideration of the possible merits of a nuclear test ban, outer-space arms control, efforts to ban chemical weapons, nuclear and conventional disarmament, nuclear-weapon-free zones, reduction of military budgets, and measures to strengthen international security.

The Conference on Disarmament is the sole forum established by the international community for the negotiation of multilateral arms control and disarmament agreements. It has 66 members representing all areas of the world, including the five major nuclear-weapon states (the People's Republic of China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States). While the conference is not formally a UN organization, it is linked to the UN through a personal representative of the Secretary-General; this representative serves as the secretary general of the conference. Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly often request the conference to consider specific disarmament matters. In turn, the conference annually reports on its activities to the General Assembly. Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. ... The term international community can refer to either: All the lands represented in United Nations. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... The word resolution has several meanings, depending on context. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ...

Peace-keeping

Main article: Peacekeeping

UN peacekeepers are sent to various regions where armed conflict has recently ceased, in order to enforce the terms of peace agreements and to discourage the combatants from resuming hostilities, for example in East Timor until its independence in 2001. These forces are provided by member states of the UN; the UN does not maintain any independent military. All UN peacekeeping operations must be approved by the Security Council.

The founders of the UN had high hopes that it would act to prevent conflicts between nations and make future wars impossible, by fostering an ideal of collective security. Those hopes have obviously not been fully realized. From about 1947 until 1991 the division of the world into hostile camps during the Cold War made agreement on peacekeeping matters extremely difficult. Following the end of the Cold War, there were renewed calls for the UN to become the agency for achieving world peace and co-operation, as several dozen active military conflicts continue to rage around the globe. The breakup of the Soviet Union has also left the United States in a unique position of global dominance, creating a variety of new challenges for the UN. Collective Security is a system for aspiring for peace in which participants agree that any breach of the peace is to be declared to be of concern to all the participating states, 1 and will result in a collective response. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the generic term for a high-tension rivalry between countries, see cold war (war). ...

UN peace operations are funded by assessments, using a formula derived from the regular scale, but including a surcharge for the five permanent members of the Security Council (who must approve all peacekeeping operations); this surcharge serves to offset discounted peacekeeping assessment rates for less developed countries. In December 2000, the UN revised the assessment rate scale for the regular budget and for peacekeeping. The peacekeeping scale is designed to be revised every six months and is projected to be near 27% in 2003. The United States intends to pay peacekeeping assessments at these lower rates and has sought legislation from the U.S. Congress to allow payment at these rates and to make payments towards arrears. Seal of the Congress. ...

Total UN peacekeeping expenses peaked between 1994 and 1995; at the end of 1995 the total cost was just over $3.5 billion. Total UN peacekeeping costs for 2000, including operations funded from the UN regular budget as well as the peacekeeping budget, were on the order of $2.2 billion.

The UN Peace-Keeping Forces received the 1988 Nobel Prize for Peace. In 2001 the United Nations and Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the UN, won the Nobel Peace Prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Edward Appletons medal Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ... Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ...

For participation in various peacekeeping operations, the United Nations maintains a series of United Nations Medals which are awarded to military service members of various countries who enforce UN accords. The first such decoration issued was the United Nations Service Medal, awarded to UN forces who participated in the Korean War. The NATO Medal is designed on a similar concept and both the UN Service Medal, and the NATO Medal, are considered international decorations instead of military decorations. U.N. Medal (Standard Design) The term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations (U.N.) to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief. ... The United Nations Service Medal is an international military decoration which was established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950. ... The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁/韓國戰爭), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... NATO Medals for Yugoslavia and Kosovo The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. ... An international decoration is an april woolgar creation which is not bestowed by a particular country, but rather by an international organization such as the United Nations or NATO. Such awards are normally issued as service medals, for participation in various international military operations, and not for specific acts of... A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. ...

Human rights

The pursuit of human rights was one of the central reasons for creating the United Nations. World War II atrocities and genocide led to a ready consensus that the new organization must work to prevent any similar tragedies in the future. An early objective was creating a legal framework for considering and acting on complaints about human rights violations. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe... Look up Genocide on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Genocide means mass murder of a particular ethnic group. ...

The UN Charter obliges all member nations to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights" and to take "joint and separate action" to that end. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all. The General Assembly regularly takes up human rights issues. The UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), under ECOSOC, is the primary UN body charged with promoting human rights, primarily through investigations and offers of technical assistance. As discussed, the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the official principally responsible for all UN human rights activities (see, under "The UN Family", the section on "Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights"). Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948), outlining a view on basic human rights. ... The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, a commission supervised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is composed of representatives from 53 member states, and meets each year in regular session in March/April for six weeks in Geneva. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... The purpose of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights involves the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide through direct contact with individual governments and the provision of technical assistance where appropriate. ...

The United Nations and its various agencies are central in upholding and implementing the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A case in point is support by the United Nations for countries in transition to democracy. Technical assistance in providing free and fair elections, improving judicial structures, drafting constitutions, training human rights officials, and transforming armed movements into political parties have contributed significantly to democratization worldwide. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948), outlining a view on basic human rights. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calendar Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by...

The United Nations is also a forum in which to support the right of women to participate fully in the political, economic, and social life of their countries. The UN contributes to raising consciousness of the concept of human rights through its covenants and its attention to specific abuses through its General Assembly or Security Council resolutions or ICJ rulings. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

See also: United Nations Convention on the Abolition of Slavery and United National Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery banned debt bondage, serfdom, servile marriage and child servitude. ... The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. ...

Humanitarian assistance and international development

In conjunction with other organizations, such as the Red Cross, the UN provides food, drinking water, shelter and other humanitarian services to populaces suffering from famine, displaced by war, or afflicted by some other disaster. Major humanitarian arms of the UN are the World Food Programme (which helps feed more than 100 million people a year in 80 countries) and the High Commissioner for Refugees. At times UN relief workers have been subject to attacks (see Attacks on humanitarian workers). The Anarchist Black Cross was originally called the Anarchist Red Cross. The band Redd Kross was originally called Red Cross. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The World Food Programme (WFP) is an agency of the United Nations which distributes food commodities to support development projects, to long-term refugees and displaced persons and as emergency food assistance in situations of natural and man-made disasters. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... Humanitarian aid workers belonging to UN organisations, PVOs / NGOs or the Red Cross / Red Crescent have traditionally enjoyed both international legal protection, and de facto immunity from attack by belligerent parties. ...

The UN is also involved in supporting development, eg by the formulation of the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. Organizations like the WHO, UNAIDS and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are leading institutions in the battle against AIDS around the world especially in poor countries. The UN Population Fund is a major provider of reproductive services especially in poor countries. It has helped reduce infant and maternal mortality in 100 countries. Development has meaning in several contexts: I see you Claire Science Biological development of embryos in the context of developmental biology Child development or post-natal human development (pediatrics, etc) Software engineering, the methodology and process of development of computer software Technology development in industry, as in Software development The... The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that all 191 UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV positive and people living with AIDS. The Red Ribbon made its public debut when host Jeremy Irons wore it during the 1991 Tony Awards. ... Tuberculous lungs show up on an X-ray image Tuberculosis is an infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (miliary TB), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria (Italian: bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever in English) is an infectious disease which in humans causes about 350-500 million infections and approximately 1. ...

Annually, the UN publishes the Human Development Index (HDI), a comparative measure listing and ranking countries based on poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, and other factors. World map indicating HDI of nation-states, 2005. ... Look up Index in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Index can be defined as: an ordered list, plural indexes a number or variable, plural indices. ... List of countries by Human Development Index for the year 2004. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... Instead, life expectancy figures can be thought of as a useful statistic to summarise the current health status of a population Although it is common usage to talk about life expectancy of any living being (e. ...

The UN promotes human development through various agencies and departments:

• World Health Organization eliminated smallpox in 1977 and is close to eliminating polio.
• World Bank / IMF
• UNEP
• UNDP
• UNESCO

The UN has helped run elections in countries with little democratic history including recently in Afghanistan and East Timor. The WHO flag: similar to the flag of the United Nations, augmented with the symbolic staff and serpent of Asklepios, Greek god of medicine and healing. ... Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Exec. ... The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ...

Treaties and war crimes

The UN negotiates treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to avoid potential international disputes. A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Opened for signature ??? at ??? Entered into force November 16, 1994[1] Conditions for entry into force 60 ratifications Parties 148[2] The term United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, also called simply the Law of the Sea or...

The UN has set up war crimes tribunals to try war criminals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda). A war crime is a punishable offense, under international (criminal) law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Cyrillic Југославија) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ... The International Criminal Tribunal for Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, acronym ICTY, is a body of the United Nations (UN) established... The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is a court under the auspices of the United Nations for the prosecution of offenses committed in Rwanda during the incident of genocide which occurred there during April, 1994, commencing on April 6. ...

• ICJ
• war crimes tribunals / ICC
• peacekeeping

Criticism and Controversies

See also:

• China and the United Nations
• Israel and the United Nations
• Soviet Union and the United Nations
• United States and the United Nations

Chinas seat in the United Nations has been occupied by the Peoples Republic of China since November 23, 1971. ... Israel and the United Nations have had very mixed relations, since the states founding on May 14, 1948. ... The Soviet Union took an active role in the United Nations and other major international and regional organizations. ... The United States is a charter member of the United Nations and one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. ...

Reforming the UN

In recent years there have been many calls for "reform" of the United Nations. There is, however, little clarity, let alone consensus, about what "reform" might mean in practice. Some want the UN to play a greater or more effective role in world affairs, others want its role confined to humanitarian work or otherwise reduced use. In 2004 and 2005, allegations of mismanagement and corruption regarding the Oil-for-Food Programme for Iraq under Saddam Hussein led to renewed calls for reform. The Oil-for-Food Programme, established by the United Nations in 1996 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs of ordinary Iraqi citizens who were affected by international economic sanctions in... Saddam Hussein Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrīt, sometimes spelled Husayn or Hussain; (Arabic صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 ) was President of Iraq and former President Bill Clintons good friend and significant other from 1979 until his removal and capture during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

An official reform programme was initiated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan shortly after starting his first term on January 1, 1997. Popular demands include changing the permanent membership of the Security Council (which currently reflects the power relations of 1945); making the bureaucracy more transparent, accountable and efficient; making the UN more democratic; and imposing an international tariff on arms manufacturers worldwide. The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ...

On June 17, 2005, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to slash funds to the UN in half by 2008 if it does not meet with certain criteria laid out in the legislation. This represents the culmination of years of complaints about anti-America and anti-Israel bias in the United Nations. The United States of America is estimated to contribute about 22% of the UN's yearly budget, making this bill potentially devastating to the UN. The Bush administration and several former US ambassadors to the UN have warned that this may only strengthen anti-America sentiment around the world and would only serve to hurt current UN reform movements. As of June 17, the bill still has yet to be passed by a Congress which seems to be split on the issue, and thus whether or not it will take effect is unknown. June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ... 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the Senate. ...

Some voices have called presidentialism for the UN Secretary General election (this is, direct election of the Secretary General by all the people in the world, instead of by the Goverments). A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calendar Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by...

Failure to act (or succeed) in security issues

In general, the UN has shown a reluctance to act upon its resolutions, or prevent nations ignoring its resolutions, making it appear weak and evoking comparisons to the League of Nations. This was highlighted in 2003 by controversy surrounding the United States-led invasion of Iraq which conducted in the face of strong disapproval by a majority of members; by Iraq's converse direct defiance of UN weapons and humanitarian resolutions; and by Israel's decade-long defiance of resoultions calling for the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. These and similar failures stem from the UN's intergovernmental nature - in many respects it is an association of member states, and not an organisation in its own right. The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Failure to act during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when current Secretary General Kofi Annan oversaw peacekeeping forces there.
• Failure by MONUC (UNSC Resolution 1291) to effectively intervene during the Second Congo War, which claimed nearly five million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1998-2002 (with fighting reportedly continuing), and in carying out and distributing humanitarian relief.
• Failure to intervene during 1995 killings in Srebrenica, despite the fact that the UN designated it a "Safe Haven" for refugees and assigned 600 Dutch peacekeepers to protect it.
• Failure to successfully deliver food to starving citizens of Somalia; the food was usually seized by local warlords instead of reaching those who needed it. A US/UN attempt to apprehend the warlords seizing these shipments resulted in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.

Look up Genocide on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Genocide means mass murder of a particular ethnic group. ... A large number of international organizations and other bodies have a secretary general or secretary-general as their chief administrative officers or in other administrative capacities. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... MONUC is a French acronym for Mission de l Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo, in English: Mission of the United Nations (UN) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ... UNSC may refer to: United Nations Science Committee United Nations Security Council United Nations Staff College United Nations Space Command (Halo) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Second Congo War was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). ... Humanitarian aid is assistance given to people in distress by individuals, organisations, or governments to relieve suffering. ... Identified Victims of Srebrenica Massacre The Srebrenica massacre was the July 1995 killing of a large number of Bosniak males, ranging in age from teenagers to the elderly, in the region of Srebrenica by a Serb Army of Republika Srpska under general Ratko Mladić including Serbian state special forces Scorpions... Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. ... ... Mike Durants helicopter -Super 64- heading out over Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. ...

Hypocrisy in committee membership

Inclusion on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of nations, such as Sudan, Cuba and Libya, which demonstrably have abysmal records on human rights, and also Libya's chairmanship of this Commission, has been an issue. These countries, however, argue that Western countries, with their history of colonialist aggression and brutality, have no right to argue about membership of the Commission. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, a commission supervised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is composed of representatives from 53 member states, and meets each year in regular session in March/April for six weeks in Geneva. ...

Oil for food scandal

The Oil-for-Food Programme established by the United Nations in 1996 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs of ordinary Iraqi citizens who were affected by international economic sanctions, without allowing the Iraqi government to rebuild its military in the wake of the first Gulf War. It was discontinued in 2003 amidst allegations of widespread abuse and corruption; the former director, Benon Sevan of Cyprus, was first suspended, and then resigned from the United Nations as an interim progress report[9] of a UN-sponsored investigatory panel led by Paul Volcker concluded that Sevan had accepted bribes from the former Iraqi regime and recommended that his UN immunity be lifted, to allow for a criminal investigation.[10] The Oil-for-Food Programme was established by the United Nations in 1996 to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine and the like. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... Medicine on the Web NLM (National Library of Medicine, contains resources for patients and healthcare professionals) Virtual Hospital (digital health sciences library by the University of Iowa) Online Medical Dictionary Collection of links to free medical resources Categories: Medicine | Health ... Economic sanctions are economic penalties applied by one country (or group of countries) on another for a variety of reasons. ... Politics of Iraq includes the social relations involving authority or power in Iraq. ... The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Benon V. Sevan (born in Nicosia, Cyprus on December 18, 1937 and educated at the prestigious Melkonian Educational Institute) was the head of the United Nationss Oil for Food program, charged with preventing Iraqs government from using the proceeds from oil exports for anything but food, medicine and... Paul Adolph Volcker (born September 5, 1927), economist, is best-known as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under United States Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan (from August 1979 to August 1987). ...

Under UN auspices, over US$65 billion worth of Iraqi oil was sold on the world market. Officially, about US$46 billion used for humanitarian needs, with additional revenue paying Gulf War reparations through a Compensation Fund, supporting UN administrative and operational costs for the program (2.2 per cent), and paying costs for the weapons inspection program (0.8 per cent). Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ... The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ... Reparations refers to two distinct ideas: Reparations for slavery of groups or individuals War reparations: Payments from one country to another as compensation for starting a war under a peace treaty, such as those made by Germany to France under the Treaty of Versailles. ... United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was a United Nations organisation performing arms inspections in Iraq after the Gulf War. ...

Also implicated in the scandal is United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose son Kojo Annan is alleged to have illegally procured UN oil-for-food contracts on behalf of a Swiss company, Coctecna. The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The UN in popular culture

• Model United Nations
• United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (fictional)
• United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (fictional)
• United Nations Space Command (fictional)
• United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Force (fictional)
• UNNS (fictional)
• The Interpreter (2005 film)
• Federal World Government
• World democracy

Model United Nations (also known as Model UN or simply MUN) allows students to do the same with social science, civics, communications, sociology and psychology, as scientific laboratories allow students to experience, practice and experiment with the theories and ideas in biology, chemistry and physics. ... // Basic information UNATCO (United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition) is a fictional United Nations mission in the PC and PlayStation 2 video game Deus Ex and its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (also known as UNIT) is a fictional military organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... The United Nations Space Command (commonly abbreviated as UNSC) is a fictional organization in the Halo series of games and novels. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... The United Nations Naval Service is a futuristic fictional military organisation created by David Feintuch in his Midshipmans Hope series/Seafort Saga novels. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... The Interpreter is a 2005 drama/thriller film, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. ... This article discusses the idea of a democratic federal world government (FWG), as presented by its proponents (often called world federalists). At its core, FWG is simply an extension of the idea of democratic federation to the global level. ... Democratic globalization is a movement towards an institutional system that expands globalization by giving world citizens a say in world organizations. ...

Notes

1. ^  With the exception of the Vatican, the sole permanent observer state, all internationally recognized independent countries are members. Other political entities, notably the Republic of China (Taiwan), Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara), and Palestine, have de facto independence and/or some international diplomatic recognition from selected states, but are not UN members.

This is an alphabetical list of countries of the world, including both internationally recognized and generally unrecognized independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Premier Frank Hsieh Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ... The Saharawi (or Sahrawi) Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the long-form English translation of the government of Western Sahara. ... ... A map of UN member states and their dependencies as recognized by the UN. Regions excluded : Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Vatican City, West Bank, Western Sahara. ...

See also

• League of Democracies - proposed replacement for the U. N.
• United Nations General Assembly
• United Nations Association
• Oil-for-Food Programme
• 2005 World Summit on the Millennium Development Goals and Reform of the United Nations

The League of Democracies is a non-existing international organization, proposed as an alternative to the United Nations, which in contrast to the U. N. would allow only democratic states to enter. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (GA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... The United Nations Association is an international charitable trust which styles itself as an independent authority on the United Nations. ... The Oil-for-Food Programme, established by the United Nations in 1996 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs of ordinary Iraqi citizens who were affected by international economic sanctions in... UN headquarters in New York City The 2005 World Summit, 14–16 September 2005, was a follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations 2000 Millennium Summit, which led to the Millennium Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ... The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that all 191 UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. ... In recent years there have been many calls for reform of the United Nations. ...

Further reading

• An Insider's Guide to the UN, Linda Fasulo, Yale University Press (November 1, 2003), hardcover, 272 pages, ISBN 0300101554
• United Nations:The First Fifty Years, Stanley Mesler, Atlantic Monthly Press (March 1, 1997), hardcover, 416 pages, ISBN 0871136562
• United Nations, Divided World: The UN's Roles in International Relations edited by Adam Roberts and Benedict Kingsbury, Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (January 1, 1994), hardcover, 589 pages,ISBN 0198279264
• A Guide to Delegate Preparation: A Model United Nations Handbook, edited by Scott A. Leslie, The United Nations Association of the United States of America, 2004 edition (October 2004), softcover, 296 pages, ISBN 1880632713
• "U.S. At War - International." Time Magazine XLV.19 May 7, 1945: 25-28.

(Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

United Nations

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

United Nations

• United Nations - Official site
  • United Nations Charter - Charter text
  • United Nations Volunteers
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Website of the Committee for a Democratic UN (German and English versions)
• Website of the Global Policy Forum, an independent think-tank on the UN
• Economist.com background

File links The following pages link to this file: Abraham Lincoln Aristotle Ayn Rand Adolf Hitler Al Gore A Modest Proposal Articles of Confederation Arthur Schopenhauer Albert Einstein Amhrán na bhFiann Arthur Conan Doyle Ada programming language Antarctic Treaty System Andrew Jackson Andrew Johnson Adam Smith Bill Clinton Bible... Wikisource, The Free Library, is a Wikimedia project to build a free wiki library of primary source texts, along with translations of source-texts into any language and other supporting materials. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Global Policy Forum, or GPF, is an organization seeking to promote accountability of international organizations such as the United Nations and strengthen international law. ...

The United Nations
UN System General Assembly | Security Council | Economic and Social Council | Trusteeship Council | Secretariat | International Court of Justice Subject: Flag of the United Nations Source: United Nations web site [1] Notes: According to this web site the background colour is Pantone 279C. This is 6689CC in 8 bit Hex RGB code. ... While the United Nations is an international organization, the United Nations System is the whole network of international organizations, treaties and conventions that were created by the United Nations. ... United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (GA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. ... UN Security Council chamber in New York The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to help ensure that non-self-governing territories were administered in the best interests of the inhabitants and of international peace and security. ... The United Nations Secretariat is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the United Nations Secretary General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. ... The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. ...
United Nations Resolutions General Assembly Resolutions | Security Council Resolutions A United Nations resolution (or UN resolution) is a decision of a United Nations (UN) bodies. ... A United Nations General Assembly Resolution is voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly and requires a simple majority(50% of all votes plus one) to pass (with the exception of important questions which require two-thirds majority) Notable General Assembly resolutions 1947... A United Nations Security Council Resolution is voted on by the fifteen members of the UN Security Council. ...
edit