The United Nations (UN) corresponds to an international organization which voluntarily brings together countries with the intention to promote peace, global cooperation and development.
History
The United Nations was cofficially laughed in the post-World War II period, in 1945, on the day October 24th, through the founding document known as the Charter of the United Nations.
The motivation for its creation is related to international conflicts which destroyed several territories and victimized thousands of people, thus bringing to light the need to seek peace among the nations.
readalso: Did World War II end in May 1945?
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Before the existence of the UN, there was another intergovernmental organization known as League of Nations, created with the objective of a peace proposal negotiated by the victorious countries in the First World War. However, with the occurrence of Second World War, this organization was considered a failure, for not having managed to avoid a new war.
The UN has the power to discuss and take necessary measures for issues facing society, such as the issue of world peace, climate changes, O sustainable development, you human rights, the disarmament, the terrorism, gender equality, food production, health emergencies, etc.
Headquartered in the United States, in New York, being considered an international territory. However, there are other offices in other locations around the world, such as Switzerland, Austria, Beirut, Santiago, among others. The UN has its own flag, as well as post offices and postage stamps. The official languages that allow all members to communicate are six: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
knowmore:World War II and the peace accords
It comprises six main bodies, according to the Charter. Are they:
General meeting: It constitutes the main deliberative assembly of the organization, composed of all member states, headed by a president elected from among the countries.
Security advice: Body responsible for ensuring peace and security among Member States. Composed of 15 Member States. Five of them are permanent (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China) and ten temporary members are elected by the General Assembly every two years. It is the only UN body with decision-making power, and it is therefore a duty to respect the decisions taken by it.
Economic and Social Council: Body responsible for assisting the General Assembly with regard to socioeconomic cooperation and international development. Composed of 54 members elected by the General Assembly every three years.
Guardianship Council: Composed of 5 permanent members that make up the Security Council. Their activities were suspended and they meet only when there are situations that require their performance.
International Court of Justice: Also known as the International Court of Justice, it is considered the main judicial body of the organization whose objective is to try those who commit serious crimes under international law, such as wars and genocide. Composed of 15 members elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, serving a nine-year term.
Secretariat: Body responsible for providing studies and information necessary for the organization to be able to hold its meetings, as well as directing other bodies. The general secretary is the main position of the organization.
Goals
International cooperation in the search for peace among peoples is one of the main objectives of the UN.
Through the Charter of the United Nations, the organization foresees its goals and missions. This document portrays the organization's expectations and purposes for peoples and governments. Check out an excerpt from the Charter that expresses well the UN's mission in international cooperation:
“ We, the peoples of the United Nations, resolved to preserve future generations from the scourge of war, which twice in the space of our lives brought unspeakable sufferings to humanity, and to reaffirm the faith in the fundamental rights of man, in the dignity and worth of the human being, in the equality of rights of men and women, as well as of nations great and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising of treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better living conditions within a broader freedom. And to that end, practice tolerance and live in peace with one another, as good neighbors, join forces to maintain international peace and security (...)”
According to UN|1|, the main purposes of the organization are:
Maintain international peace and security;
Develop friendly relations between nations;
Carry out international cooperation to solve world economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems, promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
To be a center aimed at harmonizing the action of peoples to achieve these common goals.
readmore:January 1st – World Day of Peace
The organization is also governed by principles|2| that permeate the action of Member States, for example:
Principle of sovereign equality of all its members;
Members are obligated to fulfill the Charter commitments in good faith;
Members must resolve their international conflicts peacefully, without threatening international peace, security and justice;
All members shall assist the United Nations in any action taken by it in accordance with the precepts of the Charter.
In addition to the six main bodies, the organization is also made up of institutions and agencies specializing mainly in humanitarian matters. Some are well known around the world, such as the United Nations Education Organization, the Science and Culture (Unesco), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), world Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The UN is currently made up of 193 member states.
countries
During the organization's founding period, the UN had 51 member states. Currently, the UN is made up of 193 member states. These are not obligated to compose it, joining it voluntarily. The countries define the policies, the actions to be taken in each situation, as well as finance the organization.
In English
In English, the UN is called the United Nations, whose acronym is UN.
site
To access the page of the United Nations in Brazil, Click here.
To access the United Nations page, Click here.
NOTE
|1| and |2| - Purposes and principles of the UN. To access, Click here.
by Rafaela Sousa
Graduated in Geography
