The United Nations and The United Nations and their Chartertheir Charter

Unit 26Unit 26

LearningLearning outcomes of the Unit 2 outcomes of the Unit 266• Students will be able to:Students will be able to:

1.1. describe the historical development of the UN (including LON)describe the historical development of the UN (including LON)

2.2. list the main bodies of the UN and explain their functionlist the main bodies of the UN and explain their function

3.3. ssay how and when the Charter of the UN came into forceay how and when the Charter of the UN came into force

4.4. eexplain why the Charter is important foxplain why the Charter is important forr the International the International Court of JusticeCourt of Justice

5.5. Name the key purposes and the main principles of the UN (in Name the key purposes and the main principles of the UN (in accordance with the original text of the Charter, Article 1 and accordance with the original text of the Charter, Article 1 and 2 – textbook)2 – textbook)

6.6. describe shortly the relations between the Republic of Croatia describe shortly the relations between the Republic of Croatia and the UN (Croatiand the UN (Croatiaa’s membership)’s membership)

7.7. be familiar with the main facts about the Universal Declaration be familiar with the main facts about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Bill of Human Rightsof Human Rights and the International Bill of Human Rights

8.8. translate key expressions related to the topictranslate key expressions related to the topic

History – PART IHistory – PART I

THE PRECURSORTHE PRECURSOR to the to the United Nations

= = The The League of NationsLeague of Nations ( (LONLON) ) - - an an intergovernmental organization

- - founded as a result of the founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference..

- - from 28 September 1934 to 23 February from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it 1935, it

had 58 members. had 58 members.

LON’s goalsLON’s goals• preventing preventing warwar through through

collective security, , disarmament• settling international disputes through settling international disputes through

negotiation and and arbitration

ADDITIONAL issues the LON worked ADDITIONAL issues the LON worked on:on:

labour conditions,labour conditions, just treatment of just treatment of native inhabitants, trafficking in native inhabitants, trafficking in personspersons and and drugsdrugs, , arms tradearms trade, , global healthglobal health, , prisoners of warprisoners of war, and , and protection of protection of minorities in Europeminorities in Europe

PROBLEMS – the end of the PROBLEMS – the end of the LONLON

- The League lacked its own armed forceThe League lacked its own armed force- depended on the depended on the Great PowersGreat Powers to enforce its to enforce its

resolutions, resolutions, - keep to economic sanctions which the League keep to economic sanctions which the League

ordered, or provide an army, when neededordered, or provide an army, when needed- Sanctions could also hurt the League Sanctions could also hurt the League

members, so they were reluctant to comply members, so they were reluctant to comply with them with them

- incapable of preventing aggression by the incapable of preventing aggression by the AxisAxis powerspowers in the 1930s in the 1930s

- Germany withdrew from the League, soon Germany withdrew from the League, soon followed by other aggressive powers. followed by other aggressive powers.

- The onset of The onset of World War IIWorld War II == the League had the League had failed its primary purposefailed its primary purpose - - to avoid any to avoid any future world war. future world war.

History – History – PART IIPART II

- Opened for Opened for signature on June 26, 194signature on June 26, 19455

in San Francisco (Conference on in San Francisco (Conference on International Organizations, presence of International Organizations, presence of 50 member countries)50 member countries)

- - Entered into force October 24, 1945Entered into force October 24, 1945 after after being ratified by the five permanent members of the being ratified by the five permanent members of the SECURITY COUNCIL: SECURITY COUNCIL: the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Republic of China, France, the Russian Federation, the UK and the USAFrance, the Russian Federation, the UK and the USA

The Charter of the UN

Main bodies of the UNSecretariat General AssemblySecurity CouncilInternational Court of JusticeEconomic and Social CouncilTrusteeship Council

An interesting source for your researchRepertory of Practice of United Nations Organs- a legal publication containing analytical studies of

the decisions of the principal organs of the United Nations.

- serves to throw light on questions of application and interpretation of the UN Charter

Secretariat• an international staff an international staff working in duty stations around the working in duty stations around the

world world • carries out diverse carries out diverse day-to-day work of the Organizationday-to-day work of the Organization• services the other principal organs services the other principal organs of the United Nations and of the United Nations and

administers the programmes and policies laid down by themadministers the programmes and policies laid down by them• duties include duties include administeradministeringing peacekeeping operations to peacekeeping operations to

mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable developmentand sustainable development

• At its At its head is the Secretary-Generalhead is the Secretary-General• currently the post is occupied by currently the post is occupied by Mr. Ban Ki-moon of the Mr. Ban Ki-moon of the

Republic of KoreaRepublic of Korea, who took office on 1 January 2007., who took office on 1 January 2007.

The General Assembly

- the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations

- 193 Members of the United Nations- a unique forum for multilateral discussion of of

international issues covered by the Charter.

At the following link you can watch a video about the history and work of the General Assembly

- http://webtv.un.org/watch/the-world-is-watching-will-you/1799012617001

United Nations Security Council

• Under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

• It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. • 5 permanent members with veto power and 10 non-

permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term.

• meets at any given time when the need arises. • Rotating presidency: members take turn at holding the

presidency for one month.• takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat

to the peace or act of aggression. • can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the

use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

• recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations.

• together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice.

The International Court of Justice

• located at the Hague in the Netherlands • established in June 1945established in June 1945 by by the Charterthe Charter of the United Nations of the United Nations ((The Statute of theThe Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral International Court of Justice is an integral

part of the Charter)part of the Charter)• began work in April 1946.began work in April 1946.• the principal judicial organ of the United Nations • settles legal disputes between states and gives

advisory opinions to the UN and its specialized agencies

• Its Statute is an integral part of the United Nations Charter.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• established by the UN Charter• the principal organ to coordinate the

economic, social and related work of the United Nations

• voting in the Council is by simple majority; each member has one vote.

Visit the following web-site presenting the bodies of the ECOSOC to get an insight into its activities:

http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/subsidiary.shtml

The Trusteeship Council• established in 1945 by the UN Charter to provide

international supervision for 11 Trust Territories placed under the administration of 7 Member States

• The Trusteeship Council is made up of the five permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.

• had to ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence.

• by 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence (Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory). Its work was completed.

• the Council has amended its rules of procedure to meet as and where occasion may require.

POSITION OF THE POSITION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIAREPUBLIC OF CROATIA

• In May 1992 Croatia gained International recognition as a UN Member state.

On May 3, 2010, Ivan Šimonović was appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for human rights.

Work on the textWork on the text

The textbook: CHAPTER IThe textbook: CHAPTER I

Article 1Article 1 – – the Purposes of the UNthe Purposes of the UN

Article 2Article 2 – – Principles for the work Principles for the work of the of the organization and its organization and its membersmembers

Article 1Article 1

• Write down the pruposes of the UN Write down the pruposes of the UN in the form of in the form of to-inifinitivesto-inifinitives

- to maintain…to maintain…- to taketo take- to…to…

Article 2Article 2

• List the principles for the work of List the principles for the work of the UNthe UN

1. the principle of sovereign …1. the principle of sovereign …

2. 2.

3.3.

……

Connect the expressions with their Connect the expressions with their definitionsdefinitions..

to refrain to refrain fromfrom

Agreement reached after an Agreement reached after an argument or discussion.argument or discussion.

self-self-determinatiodeterminationn

Decide not to do something.Decide not to do something.

settlement settlement ofof

To cause something to To cause something to happen. happen.

to endangerto endanger The right to be independent.The right to be independent.

to bring to bring aboutabout

To put someone or To put someone or something in a dangerous something in a dangerous situation.situation.

One of the big UN achievements...One of the big UN achievements...UNIVERSAL DECLARATION UNIVERSAL DECLARATION

OF HUMAN RIGHTSOF HUMAN RIGHTS

- adopted by the adopted by the United Nations GeneralUnited Nations General AssemblyAssembly on on December 10, 1948December 10, 1948 at at the the Palais de Chaillot Palais de Chaillot in in ParisParis

- based onbased on the the experience of theexperience of the Second Second World WarWorld War

- represents the represents the first global expression of first global expression of rightsrights to which all human beings are to which all human beings are entitled entitled

- consists of consists of 30 articles30 articles

The Declaration is a part of The Declaration is a part of THE INTERNATIONAL BILLTHE INTERNATIONAL BILL

OF HUMAN RIGHTOF HUMAN RIGHT - an informal name given to two international an informal name given to two international

treaties and one General Assembly resolution treaties and one General Assembly resolution established by the established by the United Nations. .

It consists ofIt consists of::1. 1. the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted in 1948), (adopted in 1948), 2. 2. the International Covenant on Civil and Political the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights (1966) with its two Optional Protocols and Rights (1966) with its two Optional Protocols and 3. 3. the International Covenant on Economic, Social the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). and Cultural Rights (1966). The two covenants entered into force in 1976, The two covenants entered into force in 1976,

after a sufficient number of countries had ratified after a sufficient number of countries had ratified them.them.