Background on International Organizations The United Nations (UN) The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States. The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more. The UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. These main organs of the UN were established in 1945 when the UN was founded. By enabling dialogue between its members, and by hosting negotiations, the UN has become a mechanism for governments to find areas of agreement and solve problems together. Below is information about the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. General Assembly United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session, and general UN General Assembly Hall during a debate, which many heads of state attend and address. vote. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary UN General Assembly Hall during a vote. matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority. The General Assembly, each year, elects a GA President to serve a one-year term of office.
Security Council The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). The five permanent member countries are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New York. The Court s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. Secretariat The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization's other principal organs. The Secretary-General is chief administrative officer of the Organization, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term. UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and on peacekeeping missions all around the world. But serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have given their lives in its service.
Organization of American States (OAS) The Organization of American States is the world s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. That meeting approved the establishment of the International Union of American Republics, and the stage was set for the weaving of a web of provisions and institutions that came to be known as the inter-american system, the oldest international institutional system. The Organization was established in order to achieve among its member states as stipulated in Article 1 of the Charter "an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence." Today, the OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Hemisphere. The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development. European Union (EU) The European Union or EU is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 European countries that together cover much of the continent. The EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries which trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to avoid conflict. The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a huge single market has been created and continues to develop towards its full potential. What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organization spanning policy areas, from development aid to environment. A name change from the EEC to the European Union (EU) in 1993 reflected this. The EU is based on the rule of law: everything that it does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by all member countries. These binding agreements set out the EU's goals in its many areas of activity.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4, 1949. Each member of NATO agrees to come to the defense of the other member nations. NATO was created to serve three purposes: (1) stopping Soviet expansion during the Cold War, (2) forbidding the return of nationalist militarism in Europe by a strong North American presence on in Europe, and (3) encouraging European political integration. NATO s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. NATO promotes democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation on defense and security issues to build trust and hopefully prevent conflict. NATO has committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it may embark on military operations. World Health Organization (WHO) When diplomats met to form the United Nations in 1945, one of the things they discussed was setting up a global health organization. The World Health Organization s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day. Today, more than 7000 people from more than 150 countries work for the WHO in over 150 country offices, 6 regional offices, at the Global Service Centre in Malaysia and at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO's multilingual web site, publications and other resources ensure that health information reaches the people who need it, in the languages they can understand. This makes access to health information both more equitable - and effective. The WHO is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations system. They: provide leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed; shape the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge; set norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation; articulate ethical and evidence-based policy options; provide technical support, catalyzing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and monitor the health situation and assessing health trends.
World Bank The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. It is not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. Established in 1944, the World Bank provides low-interest loans, zero to low-interest credits, and grants to developing countries. These support a wide array of investments in such areas as education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private sector development, agriculture, and environmental and natural resource management. The World Bank Group has set two goals to achieve by 2030: End extreme poverty by decreasing the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day to no more than 3% Promote shared prosperity by fostering the income growth of the bottom 40% for every country. The World Bank offers support to developing countries through policy advice, research and analysis, and technical assistance. Amnesty International Amnesty International is a worldwide organization of more than 7 million people who promote human rights. Funded by ordinary people, Amnesty International is independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion. They draw attention to violations of human dignity. In the organization s view, no government is beyond scrutiny and no situation is beyond hope. Amnesty investigates and exposes facts, as well as lobbies governments and companies, to make sure they are living up to their promises and respect international law. By telling the powerful stories of the people they work with, Amnesty mobilizes its millions of supporters around the world to campaign and work for change. Founded in London, England in 1961, this organization focuses on human rights. Amnesty researches human rights abuses, calls attention to them and seeks justice for the abused. Over the years, human rights have moved from the fringes to center stage in world affairs. Amnesty has grown from seeking the release of political prisoners to upholding the whole spectrum of human rights. Their work protects and empowers people - from abolishing the death penalty to protecting sexual and reproductive rights, and from combatting discrimination to defending refugees and migrants rights. Amnesty International speaks out for anyone and everyone whose freedom and dignity are under threat.
Red Cross/Red Crescent The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network that reaches 150 million people in 189 National Societies through the work of over 17 million volunteers. The Red Cross was founded in 1919 and seeks to protect human life and health. It also attempts to promote respect for all people and alleviate suffering when and where possible. Together, they act before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. They do so without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. The Red Cross/ Red Crescent plan of action is to tackle the major humanitarian and development challenges of this decade they are committed, in this fast-changing world, to saving lives and changing minds. The strength of the Red Cross/Red Crescent is in their volunteer network, their community-based expertise and their ability to give a global voice to vulnerable people. By improving humanitarian standards, working as partners in development, responding to disasters, supporting healthier and safer communities, they help reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and foster a culture of peace around the world. Some of the main areas of their work include disaster response and recovery, promoting health, food security, water and sanitation, and building community capacity. They also work to promote social inclusion and peace by integration of disadvantaged people into the community and reaching out to youth. Oxfam One person in three in the world lives in poverty. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty. Oxfam International was founded in the United Kingdom in 1942 originally for purposes of famine relief. It has expanded so that it is currently composed of 17 different organizations which are working in 94 different nations. Oxfam seeks to eliminate poverty and help poor people gain more control over their lives. Around the globe, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. We save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. And we campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them. Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is a French founded organization which was established in 1971. It seeks to combat human illness, wounds and suffering in war torn or disease afflicted areas by delivering emergency aid and medical care. Thousands of medical and health care professionals are members and are active globally. In the United States the organization is known as Doctors Without Borders. Today, this organization is comprised of 24 different organizations bound together in a common cause. Thousands of health professionals, logistical and administrative staff most of whom are hired locally work on programs in some 70 countries worldwide. Based upon humanitarian principles, Medecins San Frontieres is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. Over 90 percent of their funding comes from private sources, not from governments. MSF does not take sides in armed conflicts. Rather, they provide care on the basis of need and push for independent access to victims of conflict as required under international law.