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United Nations: Objectives and

Roles of United Nations
Article shared by K.K Ghai

United Nations: Objectives and Roles of United Nations!

The United Nations Organisation (UNO) is the global international
organisation of sovereign independent states. It was established on 24
October 1945. The destruction caused by the Second World War
compelled the people to establish an international organisation for keeping
the world away from war and in favour of friendship and cooperation among
all the nations. The UNO was designed to save the future generations from
the scourage of war by promoting International peace and security.
After the end of the Second World War, the United States, the United
Kingdom, the Soviet Union (Former USSR) some other states held several
meetings and planned to establish an organisation for preserving peace
and promoting social, economic and political co-operation among all
nations. As a result of their efforts, the United Nations Organisation came
into existence in 1945 when the representatives of 51 nations signed the
Charter of the UNO at San Francisco.

The name United Nations was suggested by US President Franklin

Roosevelt. It was first used in the Declaration of the United Nations made
on January 1, 1942. At San Francisco Conference, it was unanimously
adopted as the name of the new international organization as a tribute to
the late President of the United States. India had not achieved its
independence by then and yet it became one of the founder members of
the United Nations.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

All nations pledged themselves to the UN Charter. In the UN Charter they

pledged to save the succeeding generations from the scourage of war
They also promised to promote social progress and better standards of
life. The Charter came into force on October 24, 1945 after a majority of
the signatories deposited their instruments of ratification. Since then every
year, 24th October is celebrated as the United Nations Day.

The UN Charter:
The Charter is the Constitution of the United Nations Organisation. It was
made in October 1944 by the Dumbarton Oaks (Washington DC)
Conference. It lays down the rules which govern the organisation and
functions of the UNO and all its organs. The Charter has a Preamble, 19
Chapters and 111 Articles which explain the purposes, principles, organs,
and operating methods of the UN.
(A) Purposes of the UTS:
The purposes of the UN are defined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

These are:
1. To maintain international peace and security and to take adequate steps
to avert wars.

2. To develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of equality.

3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of

an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of

these common ends.

(B) Principles of the UN:

The principles are the means to achieve the objectives of the UN.

These are contained in Article 2 of the UN Charter:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

1. All the member states are equal.

2. The member states shall fulfill their obligations to the UN honestly.

3. The member states shall settle their international disputes by peaceful

means.

4. The member states shall refrain in their international relations from the
threat or use of force against any other state.

5. The member states shall give to the UN every assistance in any action it
takes in accordance with the UN Charter.
6. The states which are not members of the UN, should also act in
accordance with these principles for the maintenance of international peace
and security.

7. No member state shall interfere in the internal affairs of any other state.

(C) Headquarters of UN:

The headquarters of UN is located at First Avenue, UN Plaza, New York
the USA. The UN building stand on a 17 acre tract of land donated, by
John D Rockfeller on Manhattan Island, a suburb of New York. It is a 39-
storey building which can house about 8000 employees.

(D) The UN Flag:

The UN General Assembly adopted the UN Flag on October 20, 1947. The
white UN emblem is superimposed on a light blue background. The
emblem consists of the global map projected from the North Pole and
embraced in two Olive Branches (symbol of peace)

(E) Membership of the UN:

Under the UN Charter, membership of this global organisation is open to all
peace loving states who accept the obligations of the organization as
contained in the Charter. New members are admitted by a two thirds vote
of the UN General Assembly and on the recommendations of the UN
Security Council. The present strength of UNO is 191.

(F) Languages used by the UNO:

The UN conducts its business in six official languages; Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish.

(G) Un Organs and their roles:

The Charter of UN establishes six principle UN organs.
These are:
1. The UN General Assembly:
The General Assembly is the highest deliberative organ of the UN. It is also
called the World Parliament of Nations. Each member state sends five
representatives to it but each state has only one vote. The session of the
General Assembly is convened on third Tuesday in the month of
September every year.

The opening day of the session stands designated as the International Day
of Peace. The UN General Assembly holds deliberations on all issues
which are related to the Charter of the United Nations. It also approves the
annual budget of the UN. Its headquarter is located at New York (the
USA).

2. The UN Security Council:

The Security Council is the executive body of the UN. It is called the
Power House of the UN. It is made up of 15 members out of whom 5 are
permanent members, each with a veto power. These are the USA, Russia,
China, France and United Kingdom. Remaining 10 are non-permanent
members who are elected by the General Assembly by a 2/3 majority for a
term of two years.

The decisions of the Security Council are taken by a majority and vote but
each of its five permanent members has the right to veto its decisions.
Under the uniting for peace resolution adopted in November 1950, the UN
General Assembly can direct the Security Council to act for meeting any
threat to international peace by taking collective security action against
aggression. The Security Council is a powerful organ of the UN. Its
headquarter is located at New York in USA. India now wants to become a
permanent member of the UN Security Council.
3. The Economic and Social Council:
The Economic and Social Council has 54 members, they are elected by the
UN General Assembly for a term of three years. One-third members (18)
out of these retire every year and in their place new members are elected.
This Council helps the UN in solving the economic and social problems of
the world. It also supervises the work of some other UN bodies. Its
headquarter is located at New York in the USA.

4. The Trusteeship Council:

The Trusteeship Council supervises the administration of those backward
and disputed territories, the responsibility for the development of which has
been taken over by the UNO. Apart from the permanent members of the
Security Council, the administering countries of the trust territories are its
members. These are elected for three years by the UN General Assembly
the Trusteeship Council monitors the development of trust territories.

5. The International Court of Justice (ICJ):

It is the chief judicial body of the UN. It is also called the World Court. It
consists of 15 judges who are elected by the General Assembly on the
recommendations of the UN Security Council; each judge of ICJ holds a
tenure of 9 years. Its one third judges retire after three years and in their
place new judges are elected.

The International Court of Justice gives its verdict on such disputes/cases

which are brought to it by the concerned states by their mutual consent. It
gives advisory opinion on legal matters to the organs and special agencies
of the UN when solicited. Its headquarter is located at The Hague
(Netherlands).

6. The UN Secretariat:
Secretariat is the administrative organ of the UN. It implements the policies
and decisions taken up by organs of the UN. It consists of international civil
servants who, while serving the UN, must forget their national loyalties and
work for securing the interests of the UN. There are about 4000 employees
of the UN Secretariat.

Their salaries are paid by the UN. The Secretariat General is the head of
the Secretariat. He is called the Watchdog of the UN. He is appointed for
a term of 5 year by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of
the Security Council. At present. Mr. Ban Ki Moon is the UN Secretary
General.

Specialized Agencies of the UN:

The Specialised Agencies of the UN have been playing a significant role in
implementing the policies, decisions and programmes of the UN. These are
looking after specific areas and issues like research, health, labour, trade,
culture, human rights etc. Some of the important specialized agencies of
the UN are: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UN Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO), Food and Agricultural Organisation
(FAO), World Labour Organisation (WLO), World Health Organisation
(WHO), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD),
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), UN International Children
Emergency Fund (UNICEF), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and
others

Role of the United Nations:

To maintain international peace and security has been the prime
responsibility of the UN. During about 64 years of its existence, it has done
a valuable work in this direction. It has done a fairly good amount of work in
the settlement of several controversies, which could have posed serious
threats to the world peace. Along with it, the UN has contributed greatly in
the field of decolonization, human rights, disarmament.

However, the UN has several weaknesses and limitations:

(i) It lacks adequate funds to meet all its objectives.

(ii) The veto power of the five permanent members of the Security Council
has virtually left this powerful UN organ at the mercy of Big-Five ie USA,
UK, Russia France and China. Hence, the need is to reform the UN system
from within and outside.

(iii) The urgent need is to democratize the UN. Democracy and

transparency must characterize the Working of all the organs of the UN.
The Security Council needs to be expanded and restructured. Almost all
countries now advocate the need for an increase in the permanent and
non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

There has been a big increase in the members of the UN. As such, the UN
Security Council needs an expansion for giving due representation to all
continents and major powers of the world.

(iv) The issue of Veto Power needs to be debated and amended.

(v) The General Assembly should be made stronger. It should be turned

into a forum for consensus on important global issues.

(vi) The voice of the smaller nations should carry equal weight in all UN
decisions.

(vii) The rules and practices of the UN institutions need reform in the light of
past experience.
(viii) The organisation and the functioning of the Economic and Social
Council and the Secretariat demand a complete over-hauling.

(ix) The UN peacekeeping role needs to be restructured technically and

financially.

Recently, the US War against Talibans & A1 Queda in Afghanistan and the
US-War in Iraq have put a question mark on the relevance of the UN. The
US operators in Iraq do not enjoy the sanction of the UNO. Further, the UN
has not been successful in securing disarmament as well as in preventing
the outbreak of local wars and terrorism in various parts of the world.

However, this does not mean that the UN has failed to serve the
international community. It has successfully prevented the outbreak of a
third world war. It has played an effective role in keeping several wars
limited. It has been now engaged in peace-keeping operations in 22
different parts of the world.

It has been contributing to the cause of preservation of world peace,

security and development. The need of the hour is to introduce some
reforms in the UN so that in may become more effective and fully capable
of ensuring a stable, healthy and secure world order. UN Security Council
must be expanded and democratised. India, Japan, Brazil, South Africa
and Germany have a strong case for getting permanent memberships in
the UN Security Council.

United Nations Organization

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