WELCOME TO THE UNITED NATIONS!

karibUNi: IT’S YOUR WORLD!

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History• United Nations (UN) formed by 51 states after World War

II to: “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war […]”

• UN Charter signed on 24th October 1945: UN Day.

• Main Headquarters in New York, USA.

• 193 Member States to date, newest member South-

Sudan

• 6 official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French,

Russian & Spanish.

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Organization Structure

The Secretariat

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The Secretariat• Administrative arm of the United Nations

• Services the other organs of the United Nations

• Informs the world's media about the work of the

United Nations (Public Information)

• Organizes international conferences on issues of

worldwide concern; interprets speeches & translates

documents into the Organization's official languages.

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Secretary-GeneralThe current Head of the UN Secretariat: Mr. Ban Ki-Moon (South-Korea)

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UN Secretaries General

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Ban Ki-moon South Korea 1 January 2007 - present

Kofi Annan Ghana1 January 1997 –31 December 2006

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Egypt1 January 1992 –31 December 1996

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar

Peru1 January 1982 –31 December 1991

Kurt Waldheim Austria1 January 1972 –31 December 1981

U Thant Burma (Myanmar)

30 November 1961 –31 December 1971

Dag Hammarskjöld Sweden 10 April 1953 –18 September 1961

Trygve Lie Norway1 February 1946 –10 November 1952

UNON

Director-General

Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde(Ethiopia)

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UNEPExecutive Director

Mr. Achim Steiner(Germany/Brazil)

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UN-HABITAT

Executive Director

Mr. Joan Clos(Spain)

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The International Court of Justice

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The International Court of Justice

• Principal judicial organ of the UN.

• Established in June 1945 by the Charter of the UN.

Work commenced in April 1946.

• 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and

Security Council for 9 year terms.

• Main role: settles legal disputes submitted to it by

States & to gives advisory opinions on legal questions

referred to it by authorized UN organs & specialized

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Security Council

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Security Council• Main role: maintenance of international peace & security.

• 15 members; 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent.

• Non-permanent members elected from different regions

in the world to serve 2 year terms.

• Council on a 24-hr call (can meet any day, at any time)

• 9 out of 15 votes required to pass a resolution (no veto

from the permanent members!).

• Only UN-Organ which can enforce it’s resolutions – they

are legally binding!

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Actions the Security Council may take:

• Peaceful settlement of disputes (i.e. negotiations, peace talks, good offices of the Secretary-General, also Special Representatives of the Secretary-General)

• Establish Peacekeeping Operations

• Enforcement measures (i.e. targeted sanctions, multinational forces)

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Trusteeship Council

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• Has suspended it’s work, no longer active!

• Previously supervised the administration of Trust

Territories placed under the Trusteeship System.

• Main goal: to promote the advancement of the

inhabitants of Trust Territories and their progressive

development towards self-determination.

• Special Committee on Decolonization still

active to date!

• 17 non-self-governing territories remaining today! 21

Trusteeship Council

The World today

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Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

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ECOSOC• Main goal: to improve the world’s living standards and to

promote the respect of human rights – no peace & security

without economic & social stability!

• Coordinates the work of UN funds, programmes & specialized

agencies; i.e. UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNEP, UN-HABITAT, ILO,

World Bank…

• Sets international standards; i.e. Children’s Rights

• World’s economic, social & environmental challenges are

discussed, debated and recommendations made by this organ.

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Mandated by the General Assembly to:

•be the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda and•serve as an advocate for the environment.

Focus areas:•Climate Change, Disasters & Conflicts, Ecosystem Management, Environmental Governance, Harmful Substances, Resource Efficiency

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Mandated by the General Assembly to:

•promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

Focus areas:•Urban Development & Management, Land & Housing, Environment & Climate Change, Water & Sanitation, Urban Economy & Financing Shelter, Risk & Disaster Management

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Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs)

Are to be succeed by

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

Post-2015 Development Agenda

General Assembly

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• Main deliberative, policymaking and representative

organ of the UN, also “World Parliament”.

• Comprises of all 193 member states.

• Provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion.

• Six main committees.

• Meets from September to December for it’s main

session each year. However, session lasts a year.

• Currently in 68th Session.

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General Assembly

Learn more about the UN

• Official website: www.un.org• United Nations on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/unitednations • UN channel on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/unitednations • UN on Twitter: @UN• UN Foundation: www.unfoundation.org • Email: inquiries@un.org• Job opportunities: https://careers.un.org

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THANK YOU…karibUNi tena!