Saturday, November 5, 2011

HISTORY OF UNITED NATIONS



“UNITED NATIONS”

The United Nations is a worldwide intergovernmental organization founded at the close of World War II to maintain international peace and security. Although it has not often proved capable of prevention military conflict, it has expanded its functions and membership to become an influential force in all aspects of international relations.

The United Nations' system is based on five principal organs they are the General Assembly, the Security Council, Economic and Social Council ,the Secretariat, and International Court of Justice.

Four of the five principal organs are located at the main United Nations Headquarters located on international territory in New York City. The International Court of Justice is located in the Hague, while other major agencies are based in the UN offices at Geneva,Vienna , and Nairobi. Other UN institutions are located throughout the world.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the UN Charter had been ratified by a majority of the original 51 Member States. The day is now celebrated each year around the world as United Nations Day.

The purpose of the United Nations is to bring all nations of the world together to work for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human dignity and the well-being of all people. It affords the opportunity for countries to balance global interdependence and national interests when addressing international problems.

There are currently 192 Members of the United Nations. They meet in the General Assembly, which is the closest thing to a world parliament. Each country, large or small, rich or poor, has a single vote, however, none of the decisions taken by the Assembly are binding. Nevertheless, the Assembly's decisions become resolutions that carry the weight of world governmental opinion.

The United Nations Headquarters is in New York City but the land and buildings are international territory. The United Nations has its own flag, its own post office and its own postage stamps. Six official languages are used at the United Nations - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The UN European Headquarters is in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. It has offices in Vienna, Austria and Economic Commissions in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Amman in Jordan, Bangkok in Thailand and Santiago in Chile. The senior officer of the United Nations Secretariat is the Secretary-General.

The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the "Declaration by United Nations" of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.

States first established international organizations to cooperate on specific matters. The International Telecommunication Union was founded in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, and the Universal Postal Union was established in 1874. Both are now United Nations specialized agencies.

In 1899, the first International Peace Conference was held in The Hague to elaborate instruments for settling crises peacefully, preventing wars and codifying rules of warfare. It adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began work in 1902.


The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an organization conceived in similar circumstances during the First World War, and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles "to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security."

The International Labour Organization was also created under the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League. The League of Nations ceased its activities after failing to prevent the Second World War.

In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States, in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories. UNITED NATIONS DAY is celebrated on 24 October each year.

The UN has made agreements with a number of specialized agencies that perform task related to its work . Each is self –governing , with it sown staff , membership and finances, some have been in existence longer than the UN itself. Although all the specialized agencies serves the cause of peace , they can be divided into two groups according to their primary purposes. The first group , which seeks to facilitate international communication, includes the Universal Postal Union , the World Intellectual Property Organization , the International Civil Aviation Organization , the World Meteorological Organization , the International Telecommunication Union , and the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultation Organization. The second group deals generally with welfare issues and attempts to improve economic, social , and cultural conditions .Important organizations in this group are the International Labor Organization ,the Food and Agriculture Organization , the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , the International Development Association, the International Monetary Fund , the International Finance Corporation , the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade, the International Atomic Energy Agency , and the Office of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees.

Although disagreements among the great powers have prevented the UN from functioning as the instrument of collective security envisioned in the Charter, UN forces have been deployed successfully on several occasions to preserve or restore peace ,. When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950, the Security Council absent the Soviet delegate called upon member nations to aid South Korea in repelling the attack . Sixteen nation furnished troops, which were unified under US command, and 37 others provided assistance. Because nearly 90 percent of the non- Korean troops were US forces, the Un unified action became primarily a US operation.

Although less dramatic and on a smaller scale , UN actions in the middle East have made an important contributions in the Middle East have made an important contributions to peacekeeping . During the Suez Crisis of 1956, the General Assembly voted to dispatch a UN Emergency Force to the troubled area. After Britain, France, and Israel withdrew from Egyptian territory, the 6,000 strong UN force provided a buffer in the contested boundary zones.

A second UN Emergency Force (UNEF II) was sent to the Middle East in the aftermath of the 1973 Arab-Israel- Li War. It was deployed by the Security Council along the disengagement line between Israel and Egypt . In 1974, when an arrangement was worked out between Israel ad Syria ,the Security Council established a small UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) with troops drawn from UNEF II.This force was eventually transferred to patrol the Golan Heights.

PURPOSES OF UNITED NATIONS

Keeping peace Fighting Poverty
Protecting environment Helping in emergencies
Standing up for human rights
Improving health and educations
Building democracies
Maintain international peace and security
Develop friendly relations among nations
Achieve international cooperation among nations
Be a center of harmonizing nations

Organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

International Labour Organization (ILO)

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Universal Postal Union (UPU)

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

International Development Association (IDA)

World Health Organization (WHO)

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

CTBTO Preparatory Commission

Members of United Nations

Afghanistan

19 November 1946

Albania

14 December 1955

Algeria

8 October 1962

Andorra

28 July 1993

Angola

1 December 1976

Antigua and Barbuda

11 November 1981

Argentina

24 October 1945

Armenia

2 March 1992

Australia

1 November 1945

Austria

14 December 1955

Azerbaijan

2 March 1992

Bahamas

18 September 1973

Bahrain

21 September 1971

Bangladesh

17 September 1974

Barbados

9 December 1966

Belarus

24 October 1945

Belgium

27 December 1945

Belize

25 September 1981

Benin

20 September 1960

Bhutan

21 September 1971

Bolivia

14 November 1945

Bosnia and Herzegovina

22 May 1992

Botswana

17 October 1966

Brazil

24 October 1945

Brunei Darussalam

21 September 1984

Bulgaria

14 December 1955

Burkina Faso

20 September 1960

Burundi

18 September 1962

Cambodia

14 December 1955

Cameroon

20 September 1960

Canada

9 November 1945

Cape Verde

16 September 1975

Central African Republic

20 September 1960

Chad

20 September 1960

Chile

24 October 1945

China

24 October 1945

Colombia

5 November 1945

Comoros

12 November 1975

Congo (Republic of the)

20 September 1960

Costa Rica

2 November 1945

Côte d’Ivoire

20 September 1960

Croatia

22 May 1992

Cuba

24 October 1945

Cyprus

20 September 1960

Czech Republic

19 January 1993

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

17 September 1991

Democratic Republic of the Congo

20 September 1960

Denmark

24 October 1945

Djibouti

20 September 1977

Dominica

18 December 1978

Dominican Republic

24 October 1945

Ecuador

21 December 1945

Egypt

24 October 1945

El Salvador

24 October 1945

Equatorial Guinea

12 November 1968

Eritrea

28 May 1993

Estonia

17 September 1991

Ethiopia

13 November 1945

Fiji

13 October 1970

Finland

14 December 1955

France

24 October 1945

Gabon

20 September 1960

Gambia

21 September 1965

Georgia

31 July 1992

Germany

18 September 1973

Ghana

8 March 1957

Greece

25 October 1945

Grenada

17 September 1974

Guatemala

21 November 1945

Guinea

12 December 1958

Guinea-Bissau

17 September 1974

Guyana

20 September 1966

Haiti

24 October 1945

Honduras

17 December 1945

Hungary

14 December 1955

Iceland

19 November 1946

India

30 October 1945

Indonesia

28 September 1950

Iran

24 October 1945

Iraq

21 December 1945

Ireland

14 December 1955

Israel

11 May 1949

Italy

14 December 1955

Jamaica

18 September 1962

Japan

18 December 1956

Jordan

14 December 1955

Kazakhstan

2 March 1992

Kenya

16 December 1963

Kiribati

14 September 1999

Kuwait

14 May 1963

Kyrgyzstan

2 March 1992

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

14 December 1955

Latvia

17 September 1991

Lebanon

24 October 1945

Lesotho

17 October 1966

Liberia

2 November 1945

Libya

14 December 1955

Liechtenstein

18 September 1990

Lithuania

17 September 1991

Luxembourg

24 October 1945

Madagascar

20 September 1960

Malawi

1 December 1964

Malaysia

17 September 1957

Maldives

21 September 1965

Mali

28 September 1960

Malta

1 December 1964

Marshall Islands

17 September 1991

Mauritania

27 October 1961

Mauritius

24 April 1968

Mexico

7 November 1945

Micronesia

17 September 1991

Monaco

28 May 1993

Mongolia

27 October 1961

Montenegro

28 June 2006

Morocco

12 November 1956

Mozambique

16 September 1975

Myanmar

19 April 1948

Namibia

23 April 1990

Nauru

14 September 1999

Nepal

14 December 1955

Netherlands

10 December 1945

New Zealand

24 October 1945

Nicaragua

24 October 1945

Niger

20 September 1960

Nigeria

7 October 1960

Norway

27 November 1945

Oman

7 October 1971

Pakistan

30 September 1947

Palau

15 December 1994

Panama

13 November 1945

Papua New Guinea

10 October 1975

Paraguay

24 October 1945

Peru

31 October 1945

Philippines

24 October 1945

Poland

24 October 1945

Portugal

14 December 1955

Qatar

21 September 1971

Republic of Korea

17 September 1991

Republic of Moldova

2 March 1992

Romania

14 December 1955

Russian Federation

24 October 1945

Rwanda

18 September 1962

Saint Kitts and Nevis

23 September 1983

Saint Lucia

18 September 1979

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

16 September 1980

Samoa

15 December 1976

San Marino

2 March 1992

Sao Tome and Principe

16 September 1975

Saudi Arabia

24 October 1945

Senegal

28 September 1960

Serbia

1 November 2000

Seychelles

21 September 1976

Sierra Leone

27 September 1961

Singapore

21 September 1965

Slovakia

19 January 1993

Slovenia

22 May 1992

Solomon Islands

19 September 1978

Somalia

20 September 1960

South Africa

7 November 1945

South Sudan

14 July 2011

Spain

14 December 1955

Sri Lanka

14 December 1955

Sudan

12 November 1956

Suriname

4 December 1975

Swaziland

24 September 1968

Switzerland

10 September 2002

Sweden

19 November 1946

Syria

24 October 1945

Tajikistan

2 March 1992

Thailand

16 December 1946

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

8 April 1993

Timor Leste

27 September 2002

Togo

20 September 1960

Tonga

14 September 1999

Trinidad and Tobago

18 September 1962

Tunisia

12 November 1956

Turkey

24 October 1945

Turkmenistan

2 March 1992

Tuvalu

5 September 2000

Uganda

25 October 1962

Ukraine

24 October 1945

United Arab Emirates

9 December 1971

United Kingdom

24 October 1945

United of Republic of Tanzania

14 December 1961

United States

24 October 1945

Uruguay

18 December 1945

Uzbekistan

2 March 1992

Vanuatu

15 September 1981

Venezuela

15 November 1945

Viet Nam

20 September 1977

Yemen

30 September 1947

Zambia

1 December 1964

Zimbabwe

25 August 1980