Nicols Pez 23701 Professor: Dr.

Andres Gonzalez
Basic facts and organization of the UN Before the existence of the UN, there was a similar agency called the League of Nations created in 1919 just at the end of World War I. It had the asic !rinci!les that the UN has, such as !reser"ing !eace and world coo!eration. #owe"er, it failed on its o jecti"es with se"eral conflicts of different nature that a!!eared and caused the colla!se of this League. $he creation of the United Nations in 19%& was a conse'uence of World War II and it was created officially the (%th of )cto er of that year. $he !rinci!al !ur!oses of the UN in their wor* are+ the !reser"ation of !eace and international security, res!ect to self,determination of !eo!les, coo!eration etween mem ers in sol"ing international !ro lems of any *ind, and settle any international conflict y !eaceful meanings. )ne of the most im!ortant characteristics of the UN is its organi-ation. $his organi-ation is conformed y six major organs and from these organs there are se"eral other agencies that wor* under them. $he main !arts of this organi-ation are+ the International .ourt of /ustice, the 0ecurity .ouncil, the 1eneral 2ssem ly, the 3conomic and 0ocial .ouncil, the $rusteeshi! .ouncil and the 0ecretariat. Besides these six, there are other s!eciali-ed agencies that wor* with the UN, some of them eing Non 1o"ernmental )rgani-ations. $here are others that are not N1)4s such as+ UN30.), the W56, UNI.357 W#) and many others. $he UN has different functions and !ur!oses li*e creating international coo!eration, sending recommendations to less de"elo!ed countries for their !rogress, and guarantee countries4 disarmament as well as !reser"ing international security. )ne of the most im!ortant organs of the UN is the 1eneral 2ssem ly. $his organ is the origin of almost all other agencies that are s!eciali-ed in different areas and issues. $he im!ortance of the 1eneral 2ssem ly is that it tries to gi"e to all the mem ers the same "oice and !owering its sessions. #owe"er, the o!inion of some countries may influence others de!ending on the !ers!ecti"e and the indi"idual interest that countries may ha"e. $he 1eneral 2ssem ly is the forum where all im!ortant !ro lems of any matter are eing discussed with the intention on finding the !ro!er solution. In eing the international !eace and security addition from the 1eneral 2ssem ly, deri"es another im!ortant committee which is the 0ecurity .ouncil. $his committee has a more s!ecific role in su!er"isor. It has fi"e !ermanent mem ers and ten non,!ermanent for a two year term7 eing elected y the 1eneral 2ssem ly. $he most rele"ant action that the 0ecurity .ouncil does is that its decisions can e forced to e accom!lished. $his means that it can im!ose certain sanctions de!ending on the case asing on the charter and in international law. It could e considered a way to sto! certain conflicts ecause this organi-ation has a "ast international image and !ower that can really ta*e

serious measures to reesta lish !eace at any cost. 5rom here we can esta lish some differences etween the League of Nations and the UN. $he League of Nations had two se"eral !ro lems esides conflicts etween states that caused its final

failure. )ne of the errors was to gi"e e'ual or same international rights to their mem ers regarding the situation of the country or its 8!ower9. It can e considered this action as !rogressi"e ecause many countries consider themsel"es su!erior and caused 8international discrimination9. )n the other hand, it4s also negati"e thing ecause it didn4t recogni-e the economical, !olitical and military !ower that some countries had. $his mista*e could e seen oth ways de!ending on the !oint of "iew and that caused international insta ility. )n the other hand, the UN esta lished the rights of a negati"e "ote in the 0ecurity .ouncil where more significant to!ics are eing treated ecause the mem ers of this oard could e considered that ha"e more res!onsi ility on the world and also ecause the first world countries ha"e the resources to o tain a more !recise solution. $he second mista*e that the League of Nations had was a conse'uence of the !re"ious mentioned. 3"eryone in the assem ly had the right of "eto, causing the organi-ation to colla!se. It can e refer li*e this ecause e"eryone on the League of Nations was a rationalist and searched for their own enefit des!ite other countries and needs7 ut it contradicted the "ery essence of the League. $o this, it can e also considered that these actions had a lac* of seriousness to what the League search for. $here was not much agreement etween nations causing discussion in the same assem ly and it was not eneficial for the de ate. In addition, countries decided not to follow what the organi-ation fomented and left it and egan in"ading other countries such as the case of /a!an or Italy. In addition to the !re"iously said, it could e said that the nations at that time were not totally ready to assem le an organi-ation with the s!ecific means or ends that the league had. Besides, the situation with the !re"ious UN is that neither the United 0tates too* !art on the League :howe"er, the creation of the League of Nations were in the fourteen !oints of !resident Woodrow Wilson; and the U00< :Now the <ussian 5ederation; ecause it wasn4t im!ortant for them at that time. Besides world !eace, the main !ur!ose of the UN is to ha"e a etter functioning than the League of Nations without committing the same mista*es. =oreo"er, UN interests are not only !reser"ing world !eace ut also to e a su!!ort when natural, economic or !olitical disasters occur and many others. $he !oint of the United Nations is to create a etter world with ideas and "ision. It can e said that the League of Nations was created with small "ision ecause it didn4t gather all the re'uirements or ideologies that at that time it needed. It can e considered that the League didn4t fulfill its o jecti"es ecause of lac* of seriousness and ecause !eo!le thought in a more rationalist way than a li eralist way. )n the other hand, the UN has achie"ed the majority of its goals and already has !lanned to achie"e new ones li*e the =illennium 1oals. $he im!ortance on the UN goals are that they not only focus on international !eace and security ut also ta*e in account !oorness, homeless, health diseases, issues on refugees, food coo!eration and many other world !ro lems that affect all of us. $hat is why there is a s!ecial committee li*e the 0ecurity .ouncil and of course many others li*e the 3conomic and 0ocial council or the International .ourt of /ustice that were created this time. It can e said that the 0ecurity .ouncil isn4t a way of ine'uity ecause there are certain su jects and to!ics that the countries with more influence in the world should handle. $he im!ortant fact here is that the organi-ation of the UN allows this 8unfairness9, for the reason that there are more countries ca!a le on finding the solution to a !ro lem with their own resources.

$he most im!ortant fact a out the UN is that the 8decisions that this one could ma*e ha"e no legally inding force for go"ernments.9 1 $his means that the UN can4t inter"ene in the country4s !olicies. )f all the facts of the UN, it can e said that this one is the most im!ortant of all ecause the UN is an international organi-ation that searches for the common well of e"eryone in the world7 ut in the way to this goal, there shouldn4t e im!ositions or direct !olitical influences on go"ernments ecause it is not the correct way to manage international relations. 5or exam!le, the ideologies of socialism or rightwing go"ernments can not e used in International organi-ations ecause that !art of the country are internal state !olitics and the UN has no jurisdiction o"er that. What the 1eneral 2ssem ly does is only recommendations and o!inions to countries. 8$he 1eneral 2ssem ly may ado!t certain measures to a certain !ro lem if the 0ecurity .ouncil hasn4t done y the "eto of one of committee mem ers. $his is just in case there seems to
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e a threat for !eace or an act of ecause in the

aggression.9 If the 1eneral 2ssem ly has more !ower than the 0ecurity .ouncil

security committee, there is the chance that in a resolution, a country may "eto. $he im!ortance of the 1eneral 2ssem ly on this ty!e of matters is that if in any case, security isn4t handling y the 0ecurity .ouncil, the 2ssem ly could ta*e action. 2ll the committees in the UN ha"e s!eciali-ed su ,committees that manage different ty!e of !ro lems li*e health, economics, de"elo!ment, refugees and many others. $here are also s!eciali-ed 2gencies and autonomous organi-ations within the UN system li*e the International =aritime )rgani-ation or the International La or )rgani-ation that wor* with the United Nations. 8=ost of these organi-ations ha"e their own go"erning odies, udgets and secretariats. $ogether, they !ro"ide technical assistance and other forms of !ractical hel! in "irtually all economic and social areas.9 > It can e thought that these other ty!es of organi-ations allow the UN to wor* in s!ecific matters, with the image of the UN and can e analy-ed through the 1eneral 2ssem ly. $he UN has a uni'ue organi-ation that allows wor*ing with se"eral agencies and organi-ations for a etter wor*. $he im!ortant thing is that, it had learned from the mista*es done y the League of Nations and from countries in the !ast in order to im!lement certain measures to guarantee that wouldn4t ha!!en again. )ne of the differences etween the League of Nations and the United Nations is that the League only searched for !eace ut not for mutual agreement and that is where the UN ta*es action. It goes eyond the League and searches for reducing hunger, !oorness and many other to!ics of concern. 2lso the organs that deri"e from the 1eneral 2ssem ly ha"e a more s!ecific organi-ation that allows the UN to wor* on se"eral areas at a time with agencies and N1)4s. ?nowing the jo that the UN does, it can e alleged that it does a hard jo ut it has its rewards. $he image that the United Nations has !ortrayed, has created an international 8!ower9 that can regulate more situations of conflicts and unite nations for coo!eration and common well.
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Basic Facts-About the United Nations. United Nations Publications. Sales No. E.04.I.7. http !!""".un.o#$!spanish!aboutun!o#$ans!$a!%1!p#esident!&unctions.sht'l http !!""".un.o#$!)*e#*ie"!uninb#ie&!

Bi liogra!hy+ Basic Facts-About the United Nations. United Nations Publications. Sales No. E.04.I.7. http !!""".un.o#$!spanish!aboutun!o#$ans!$a!%1!p#esident!&unctions.sht'l http !!""".un.o#$!)*e#*ie"!uninb#ie&! +ho'as ,. ,a$stadt. Unde#standin$ Politics Ideas- Institutions and Issues.