UN (United Nations)

THE UN (United Nations) is an international body created on October 24, 1945, after World War II.

THE purpose of the body is to maintain international peace and security., as well as developing cooperation between peoples.

It seeks to solve social, humanitarian, cultural and economic problems, promoting respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights.

UN objectives

• keep the peace: to achieve this goal, the UN will be able to collectively take measures to preserve peace and repress acts of aggression against its rupture. The UN will seek peaceful means with the help of justice and international law and, thus, reach a solution to situations that risk the maintenance of peace;
• Cooperation among nations: relations between nations will be friendly and based on the principle of equal rights, self-determination of peoples and the strengthening of world peace;
• Contribute to the solution of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems: actions will be aimed at promoting individual and collective rights, regardless of race, color, religion, language or gender;
• Harmonization Center: built and structured to develop actions that ensure the achievement of objectives.

UN Logo - United Nations

UN history

After World War II, on August 19, 1945, the balance left was devastating. There were more than 30 million wounded and at least 50 million dead distributed in countless destroyed cities.

Nations like France, England and Germany were devastated. Poland alone had lost six million inhabitants, and Japan 1.5 million as a result of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Six million Jews were murdered in Nazi concentration camps.

The world was politically divided between capitalists and socialists, led respectively by the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the beginning of Cold War, a period of uncertainty and insecurity.

Yalta Conference

In February 1945, even before the end of the war was made official, the Yalta Conference was held, on the shores of the Black Sea, in Crimea (Soviet Union).

Franklin Roosevelt (1858-1911), Winston Churchill (1874-1965) and Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) began to discuss the creation of the UN.

This discussion was guided by different bases from the League of Nations, which ended up failing.

Meeting in San Francisco (in the United States), between April 25 and June 26, 1945, representatives from 50 countries drafted and signed the United Nations Charter.

The document officially came into existence on October 24, 1945.

As a result of this date, the 24th of October is now celebrated annually as the United Nations Day, what happens since 1948.

Main UN Organs

Headquartered in New York, the UN understands 5 main bodies:

1. Security advice;
2. General meeting;
3. Secretariat;
4. Economic and Social Council;
5. International Court of Justice.

These are bodies that work separately, but with extensive intercommunication, coordinating the organization's activities.

The Guardianship Council had the function of protecting peoples without their own government, being composed of members of the Security Council and others elected by the General Assembly.

It was deactivated in 1997, three years after the independence of the last colony, Palau, which became a member state of the United Nations, in December 1994. The council only meets at the request of the General Assembly.

1. security advice

The Security Council is considered the most important organ of the UN. It is up to the Council to maintain world peace. He can propose agreements or decide on armed action.

It is composed of five permanent members, with the right to veto:

• U.S;
• Russia (before 1991 it was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics);
• UK;
• France;
• China (initially Nationalist China, Taiwan, and from 1971 onwards, Communist Mainland China).

In addition, there are 10 appointed by the General Assembly for a period of two years.

Brazil, among other countries, demands the expansion of the number of permanent members of the Security Council and their participation among them.

2. UN General Assembly

The UN General Assembly is composed of representatives from all member countries, each having a right to vote.

Its role is to discuss issues related to peace, security, well-being and justice in the world.

It cannot take decisions, presenting only a recommendation vote and an advisory role.

3. UN General Secretariat

The UN General Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General, the main UN official, who is responsible for administering the institution.

He is elected for 5 years (with the right to re-election) by the Security Council and approved by the General Assembly.

In 2019, the Portuguese diplomat Antônio Guterres holds this role. His term ends in 2022.

4. Economic and Social Council

The objective of the Economic and Social Council is to promote the economic and social well-being of populations.

It works through commissions such as the Human Rights Commission, the Women's Statutes Commission, the Narcotics Commission, among others.

It also coordinates specialized agencies, such as:

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization);
• UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund);
• The ILO (International Labor Organization);
• O IMF (International Monetary Fund);
• ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America);
• the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization);
• the WHO (World Health Organization).

5. International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice is the main legal body of the UN. She is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.

UNICEF

UNICEF was created on December 11, 1946 by decision of the UN General Assembly. In the beginning, UNICEF programs provided emergency assistance to children victims of war in Europe, the Middle East and China.

With Europe rebuilt, UNICEF's work was directed towards assisting children victims of hunger in the world. Thus, in 1953, UNICEF joined the UN as a permanent body.

The body, which is headquartered in New York, serves 191 countries, supported by 36 national committees, eight regional offices and 126 in the countries where it operates.

UNESCO

UNESCO, whose headquarters are in Paris, is considered the UN's intellectual agency. It was created in 1945 to respond to post-war needs.

Between the UNESCO goals they are:

• act for the access of all children in school;
• protect heritage and cultural diversity;
• promote scientific cooperation between countries;
• protect freedom of expression.

IMF

The IMF was created in 1945, its headquarters are located in Washington, DC: and today brings together 188 countries. Among the fund's objectives are:

• the promotion of monetary cooperation at the international level;
• the guarantee of financial stability;
• the ease of international trade;
• the promotion of actions that guarantee;
• economic growth;
• the reduction of poverty in the world