1.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

One of the principal organs of the UN

Main powers: budget of the UN, appoint
permanent members to the Security Council,
reports and recommendations
Formation: 1945
Legal Status: Active
Head: Mogens Lykketoft
Central convening and most important organ of
the United Nations
193 members as of November 2015

Functions
Consider and Approve
Elect
Consider and make recommendations
Discuss any questions
Propose suggestions
Initiate studies
Focuses on the friendly relations among nations
Consider reports
FAQs & Compositions
What is the General Assembly?
The UN General Assembly is one of the six
principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and
the only body in which every member of the
organization is represented and allowed to vote.
When was the first session of the Assembly?
The first session of the Assembly convened on
January 10, 1946 with 51 countries represented.
Can non-member states participate and be part of
the General Assembly?
Numerous nonmembers, such as states,
organizations, and other entities (e.g., the
Vatican, the African Union, the International
Committee of the Red Cross, and Palestine),
maintain observer status, enabling them to
participate in the work of the General Assembly.
When does the General Assembly usually convene?
The General Assembly convenes annually and
in special sessions, electing a new president
each year from among five regional groups of
states.
How does the meeting process of the General
Assembly take place?
At the beginning of each regular session, the
General Assembly also holds a general debate,
in which all members participate and may raise
any issue of international concern.
What is the composition of the General Assembly
and what are their functions?

Most discussions in the General Assembly take place in

six main committees:
First
Committee
(Disarmament
and
International Security)
o Deals
with
disarmament,
global
challenges and threats to peace that
affect the international community and
seeks out solutions to the challenges in
the international security regime.
o The First Committee sessions are
structured into three distinctive stages:
General debate
Thematic discussions
Action on drafts
o Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Karel Jan
Gustaaf van Oosterom (Netherlands)
Second Committee (Economic and Financial)
o The Economic and Financial Committee
(Second Committee), is chaired by His
Excellency Mr. Andrej Logar of
Slovenia. During this session, it will deal
with issues relating to economic growth
and
development
such
as
macroeconomic
policy
questions
(including
international
trade,
international financial system, external
debt sustainability and commodities),
financing for development, sustainable
development,
human
settlements,
poverty eradication, globalization and
interdependence, operational activities
for development, and information and
communication
technologies
for
development.
Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and
Cultural)
o The Third Committee of the General
Assembly at its seventieth session, is
chaired by H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale of
Morocco.
o The General Assembly allocates to the
Third Committee, agenda items relating
to a range of social, humanitarian affairs
and human rights issues that affect
people all over the world.
Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization)
o The Special Political and Decolonization
Committee deals with a variety of
subjects which include those related to
decolonization, Palestinian refugees and
human rights, peacekeeping, mine
action, outer space, public information,
atomic radiation and University for
Peace.
o Chairperson: H.E. Mr. Brian Bowler
(Malawi)

Fifth
Committee
(Administrative
and
Budgetary)
o Chairperson: His Excellency, Mr.
Durga Prasad Bhattarai (Nepal)
Sixth Committee (Legal)
o The Sixth Committee is the primary
forum for the consideration of legal
questions in the General Assembly. All
of the United Nations Member States
are entitled to representation on the
Sixth Committee as one of the main
committees of the General Assembly.

Global Concerns
Focus on:
o Climate Change
o Poverty
o Violent Extremism
Prince Charles blames the Syrian war on climate
change. He has a point.
Paris, Beirut terror attacks must not be pretext
for slamming shut doors to refugees. UN
officials.

2. SECURITY COUNCIL

UN charter established 6 main organs of the

United Nations, including the Security Council.
It gives primary responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security to the Security
Council, which may meet whenever peace is
threatened.

Functions
To maintain international peace and security
To investigate any dispute or situation
To recommend methods of adjusting such
disputes or the terms of settlement
To formulate plans for the establishment of a
system to regulate armaments
To determine the existence of a threat to the
peace or act of aggression and to recommend
what action should be taken
To call on members to apply economic sanctions
and other measures
To take military action against an aggressor
To recommend the admission of new Members
To exercise the trusteeship functions of the
United Nations
To recommend to the General Assembly the
appointment of the Secretary-General and,
together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges
of the International Court of Justice
Composition

Composed of 15 members:
5 permanent members:
China, France, Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom, & the United States
10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year
terms by the General Assembly:
o Angola, Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Spain,
& Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

3.
INTERNATIONAL
COURT OF JUSTICE

The International Court of Justice was

established in 1945 by the Charter of the United
Nations as the principal judicial organ (Art. 7, UN
Charter)
Its role in the fulfillment of the purposes of the
UN is to bring about by peaceful means, and in
conformity with the principles of justice and
international law, adjustment or settlement of
international disputes or situations which might
lead to a breach of the peace (Art. 1, UN
Charter).

Functions
The Courts role is to settle, in accordance with
international law, legal disputes submitted to it
by States and to give advisory opinions on legal
questions referred to it by authorized United
Nations organs and specialized agencies.
The Court has two functions:
o To
settle,
in
accordance
with
international
law, legal
disputes submitted by States, and
o To give advisory opinions on legal
questions referred to it by authorized UN
organs and specialized agencies.
Composition
Composed of 15 judges (9 years)
Judges: represent the main legal system of the
world
President and Vice-President: court elects for
a term of three years
The court is assisted by a Registry, headed by
a Registrar.
Eligible as judges are persons of high moral
character possessing the qualifications required
in their respective countries for appointment to
the highest judicial offices, or juris consults of
recognized competence in international law.
Ad Hoc Judges: are judges that are assigned in
contentious cases

The Court sits as full bench, but in the last

fifteen years, it has on occasion sat as a
chamber.
Special category cases (1st chamber); Ad hoc
chambers for particular disputes (2nd chamber)
Article 26 (1) of 1993: Special chamber on
environmental matters
President: Ronny Abraham (France) 2005 to
2018
Vice President: Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf
(Somalia) 2009 to 2018

Concerns
The Court has played an important role in
settling a range of disputes, which the parties
have chosen, by mutual agreement, to refer to it.
o The Court has been an instrument by
which, if States are serious in wanting
peaceful settlement of their
borders
in accordance with law and are ready to
make sacrifices for it, they may find
means to do so.
Even in cases (which are a clear majority) in
which the Court is seized by only one party to a
dispute, the Courts verdict has almost always
been accepted, even if reluctantly.
After six decades, the ICJ is at a crossroads as it
braces to adjudicate the disputes arising in the
21st century. Modern issues concerning
environmental protection, terrorism, and human.
The courts decisions, numbering approximately
70 from 1946 to 2000, are binding on the parties
and have been concerned with issues such as
land and maritime boundaries, territorial
sovereignty, diplomatic relations, the right
of asylum, nationality, and economic rights
Many have suggested that the ICJ should have
the power of judicial review over the Security
Council's actions to ensure that they are
consistent with the UN Charter and other
instruments of international law.

4.
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL COUNCIL

Composition

and

Established in 1945
Serves as the central forum for discussing
international economic and social issues, and for
formulating policy recommendations addressed
to member states and United Nations.

Functions
Hold Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) and
Development Cooperation Forum (DCF)

Prepare drafts for submission to General

assembly
Human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
Promotion of the higher standards of living
Promotion of the full employment and economic
and social progress
Advanced solutions to international economic,
social and health-related problems
Encouragement of the international cultural and
educational cooperation

January 1946, 18 member states.

On 31 August 1965 the number raised to 27.
24 September 1973 increased the membership
to 54.
The Council's 54 member Governments are
elected by the General Assembly for overlapping
three-year terms. (18 members every 3 years)
Seats on the Council are allotted based on
geographical representation with:
o 14 African States,
o 11 Asian States,
o 6 Eastern European States,
o 10 Latin American and Caribbean
States, and
o 13 Western European and other
States
Each member shall have one vote.
Any Member of the United Nations can
participate without the right to vote, if the matter
considered is of a particular interest for that
particular country.
Representatives of the specialized agencies can
also participate without the right to vote, if their
presence is necessary. The president of the
Council changes at the beginning of every year
and each year comes from a different region.

The substantive session takes place in July,

either in New York (even years) or in Geneva
(odd years).

Global Concerns
Sustainable Development
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
o Eradicate extreme poverty and
hunger
o Achieve universal primary education
o Promote
gender
equality
and
empower women
o Reduce child mortality
o Improve maternal health
o Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases
o Ensure environmental sustainability
o Develop a global partnership for
development
Peace building and Post-conflict Recovery

5.
COUNCIL

TRUSTEESHIP

President: Alexis Lamek of France

Vice President: Peter Wilson of France
The Charter established the Trusteeship Council
as one of the main organs of the United Nations
and assigned to it the task of supervising the
administration of Trust Territories placed under
the Trusteeship System

Functions
Article 82 of the UN Charter granted the purpose
of supervising the operation of the trusteeship
system and ensuring that the administering
authority is carrying out its obligations laid down
by the trusteeship agreement.
The work of the Trusteeship Council has
diminished progressively.
The 11 Trust territories either achieved
independence or, on being granted selfdetermination to unite with another independent
state.
The basic objective of the System was to
promote the political, economic and social
advancement of the Territories and their
development towards self-government and selfdetermination.
It also encouraged respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms
Composition of the Council

Each member of the Trusteeship Council shall

designate one specially qualified person to
represent it therein.
The Trusteeship Council is made up of the five
permanent members of the Security Council
o China
o France
o Russian Federation
o United Kingdom
o United States
Last Mandates: Mission Accomplished
Nonetheless, with the independence of Palau,
formerly part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands, in 1994, there are presently no trust
territories, which leaves the Trusteeship Council
without responsibilities. As the colonies also
gained independence, the membership of the
United Nations has grown from 50 to 192.
Today, all 11 Territories have either become
independent States or have voluntary associated
themselves with a State. With no Territories left
in its agenda, the Trusteeship System had
completed its historic task.
Issues Invloving the Trusteeship Council
Impossibility and inefficiency
Overlapping principles
No more territories under international
trusteeship system
The Trusteeship Council can be placed under
the subordination of the security council
The Trusteeship Council is not a dependent
body
Only five permanent members are part of the
trusteeship council
No more reports from administering authority for
the trusteeship council to oversee

6. SECRETARIAT

Headed by the Secretary-General: Ban KiMoon (ROK)

Consists of an international staff working at the
United Nations Headquartersin New York, and
all over the world
It carries out the day-to-day work of the
Organization
Executive Branch of UN
Duties vary as the problems dealt by the UN
The Secretariat is responsible for servicing the
other organs of the United Nations and
administering the programmes and policies laid
down by them
The United Nations Headquarters was designed
to serve four major groups:

Delegations who represent the 192

current Member States and who send
more than 5,000 persons to New York
each year for the annual sessions of the
General Assembly;
o International staff or Secretariat
numbering about 5,478 persons in New
York;
o Visitors estimated at about 1 million in
2007;
o Journalists close to 2,000 of whom
are permanently accredited while nearly
5,000 are present during major
meetings.
There are also more than 3,000 nongovernmental organizations accredited to the
United Nations, many of whom attend meetings
at Headquarters
o

Functions
To gather and prepare background information
on various problems so that the government
delegates can study the facts and make their
recommendations
To help carry out the decisions of the United

Nations
To organize international conferences
To interpret speeches and translate documents
into the UNs official languages

Composition
The Secretary-General is appointed for a period
of 5 years (renewable term) by the General
Assembly on the recommendation of the
Security Council
8 Secretaries-General since the UN was created
Ban Ki-Moon was preceded by Kofi Annan
(Ghana)
Secretariats staff is composed of permanent
expert officials, rather than political appointees
of member nations
The staff is recruited on a merit basis, with
regard to equitable geographic distribution
The Secretariats personnel in effect constitute
an international civil service
Secretaries-general have usually come from
small, neutral countries
UN Secretary-Generals office is at his
headquarters at the UN building in New York
City