The UN

Question 1

Origins

Answer 1

• established in 1945 to prevent further global conflict from occurring

Question 2

where is the UN headquartered

Answer 2

• headquartered in New York with offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi

Question 3

what preceeded the UN

Answer 3

• The League of Nations
• failed as it lacked US support and failed to prevent fascist takeover in Italy, Germany and Japan

Question 4

6 Main UN organs

Answer 4

1. the general assembly
2. the security council
3. the economic and social council
4. the international court of justice
5. the secretariat
6. the trusteeship council

Question 5

the general assembly

Answer 5

• main deliberative body of the UN
• annual meetings among the 193 members
• each state has an equal voice
• 2/3 majority vote needed to pass anything

Question 6

The economic and social council

Answer 6

oversees the agencies of the UN
- IMF
- WB
- WTO
- WHO
- UNESCO

Question 7

The secretariat

Answer 7

• staff that carry out the day to day running of the UN
• secretary general is seen as the most important diplomat in the world
• appointed by the general assembly for a 5 year term

Question 8

UN security council

Answer 8

• 15 members, 5 permanent
• main role is to authorise military action and enforce resolutions
• 5 permanent members have veto power
• any decision made by the UNSC will affect all 193 member states

Question 9

Example of a UN resolution

Answer 9

for North Korea to end its nuclear program

Question 10

The trusteeship council

Answer 10

• suspended in 1994
• oversaw ex colonies aiming to become independent
• the 11 trust territories are now independent, the last being Palau

Question 11

UN successes

Answer 11

• global: every state is a member
• each state is equal in the eyes of the general assembly
• they control a wide range of issues: health, conflict, poverty
• important issues like climate change can be solved through international cooperation

Question 12

UN failures

Answer 12

• historically slow to react to humanitarian crisis
• the general assembly only meet annually
• P5 veto power slows decision making
• countries have to adapt a liberal democratic structure, even if they don’t want to

Question 13

Example of Security council failure

Answer 13

Ukraine war (2022-present)
- Russia used veto power to block any binding agreement that condemned its invasion of Ukraine
- examples of UNSC deadlock

Question 14

UN peacekeeping failure

Answer 14

Rwanda (1994)
- 800,000 killed in 100 days
- weak mandate: couldn’t use force
- Belgian troops withdrew
- lack of will