UN Structure Quiz (Mingst chp. 2-3 + Lecture)

The Secretary-General

"A combination of chief administrative officer of the United Nations and global diplomat with a fat portfolio whose pages are blank." The secretary-general is the manager of the organization, responsible for providing leadership to the Secretariat, preparing the UN's budget, submitting an annual report to the General Assembly, and overseeing studies conducted at the request of the other major organs. Article 99 of the Charter also authorizes the secretary-general "to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."

Plenary

A meeting or session attended by all participants at a conference or assembly. The GA plenary, in theory, has the real say; other organs make suggestions to the plenary.

The Specialized Agencies

A number of specialized agencies (such as the ILO, WHO, and FAO) were brought into relationship with the UN under article 57. The founders of the UN envisaged that functional agencies would play key roles, particularly in activities aimed at economic and social advancement. Like the UN itself, they have global responsibilities, but separate charters, memberships, budgets, and secretariats, as well as their own interests and constituencies.

The Secretary-General

Appointed by Joint recommendations

Lecture Notes

Beyond this point lie lecture notes.

The International Court of Justice

Shares responsibility with the other major organs for ensuring that the principles of the Charter are followed. Its special role is providing states with an impartial body for settling legal disputes in accordance with international law and giving advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by international agencies. All members of the UN are ipso facto (by the very fact) parties to the ICJ Statute.

Noncompulsory jurisdiction

The ICJ operates under this, meaning that parties to a dispute (only states) must all agree to submit a case to the court; it has no executive to enforce its decisions and no police to bring a party to justice. Enforcement therefore depends on the perceived legitimacy of the court's decisions, the voluntary compliance of states, and the "power of shame" if states fail to comply. The ICJ has ruled on the legality of nuclear tests, hostage taking, the right of asylum, use of force, environmental protection, application of the Genocide Convention in Bosnia, and expropriation of foreign property. Article 38.1(d) provides that the "decision of the Court has no binding force except as between the parties and in respect of that particular case." Cases, however, have been used as precedence for decisions.

UN creation in a nutshell

The UN was created to promote and protect the interests of states as well as to preserve peace and security in the world and to promote economic and social development and human rights.

Arreages

Unpaid assessments or debts (the US once owed $1.6 billion in the late 1990s, out of the $2.5 unpaid).

Security Council

5 permanent members have veto power; 10 are non-permanent (5 new each are appointed each year) Maintains peace and security. Investigates disputes, recommends methods of adjusting such disputes, formulates plans for the stablishment of a system to regular armaments, applies economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression; has the power to take military action against an aggressor, to recommend the admission of new members, etc. Under the Uniting for Peace Resolution of November 1950, the assembly may take action if the Security Council, because of a lack of unanimity of its permanent members, fails to act in a case where there appears to be a threat to peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression Yemen vote against; US makes them pay Where do they get these powers? Should the Security Council expand to include nations such as Brazil. India, Japana, Indonesia, Nigeria, etc.? Should more member states have to power? Should the GA be the focus of power? Majority rule?

ECOSOC

54 Members. Serves as a forum for discussion of economic and social issues. Initiates reports and studies; makes recommendations. Consults with about 3200 NGOs. Has two one-moth sessions each year: one in New York, and one in Geneva. Year-round work is carried out in subsidiary bodies.

United Nations system

Articles 57 and 63 of the Charter called for the affiliation with the UN of various specialized agencies established by separate international agreements to deal with particular issues. Thus the phenomenon of "IGOs creating other IGOs."

The Concert of Europe

Beginning in 1815, the European states participated in the Concert of Europe. Under the Concert system, the leaders of the major European powers came together in multilateral meetings to settle problems and coordinate actions. Meeting more than thirty times between 1815 and 1878, the major powers legitimized the independence of new European states such as Belgium and Greece. At the last meeting in Berlin in 1878, they extended the reach of European imperialism by dividing up the previously uncolonized parts of Africa. These concert meetings solidified some importance practices that persist today in the UN, including multilateral consultation, collective diplomacy, and special status for great "powers" in the Security Council.

The Damn Soviet Union/Russia

Between 1945 and 1975, the Soviet Union used its veto 113 times; more than half the vetos were on membership applications in the early 1950s, and the impasse over the membership of the divided states of Korea, Vietnam, and Germany continued until the 1970s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviet Union often sided with the newly independent states in the General Assembly, supporting self-determination for colonial peoples, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the New International Economic Order Agenda. This strategy permitted it to vote with the majority in the General Assembly a high percentage of the time.

Middle Powers: the traditional and emerging powers

Characterized by the politics they ensue, including multilateralism, compromise positions in disputes, and coalition building to secure reform in the international system. Includes countries like Canada, Sutralia, India, and Nigeria

The Trusteeship Council

Contains the five permanent members of Security Council. Examines and discusses reports from the administering authority on the political, social, and economic status of the trust countries. In accordance with the administering authority, examines petitions from and undertakes periodic and other special trust countries. Suspended in 1994 because Palau was the last territory to be made a country. The council was kept in existence because to create a new council requires the UN Charter to be amended. It therefore costs about half a million dollars each year.

Financial Access

During the early 1960s, the Soviet Union, other Communist countries, and France refused to pay their peacekeeping assessments for operations in the Congo and the Middle East. During the 1980s, the United States began withholding part of its dues. Congress and the Reagan administration were unhappy with specific UN policies, the politicization of many agencies, and procedures that gave the United States, the largest contributor, little weight in budget decisions. In both cases, changes were negotiated and voting privileges were not suspended.

The Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC, with its fifty-four members, is the UN's central forum for addressing international economic and social issues, and its purposes range from promoting higher standards of living to identifying solutions to economic, social, and health problems and "encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms." The activities it oversees encompass a majority of human and financial resources of the UN. The Charter speaks of ECOSOC's functions in terms of coordination and charges it with undertaking research and preparing reports on economic and social issues, making recommendations, preparing conventions, and convening conferences.

"Three UNs"

First: Consists of the areas where member states debate issues and make recommendations and decisions Second: Consists of the UN and specialized agency secretariats Third: Includes advocacy, research, policy analysis, and the promotion of ideas. Its members provide new ideas, advocate new policies, and mobilize public support for UN activities.

General Assembly committees

GA1: Disarmament and International Security Committee GA2: Economic and Financial Committee GA3: Humanitarian and Cultural Committee GA4: Special Political and Decolonization Committee GA5: Administrative and Budgetary Committee GA6: Legal Committee

GONGOS:

Government-Organized NGOs; push discussion in a particular way; difficult to find one that is entirely independent.

The UN Charter

Is designed to be difficult to amend. Under articles 108 and 109, amendments must be approved and ratified by two-thirds of the UN member states, including all five permanent members of the Security Council.

Pacta sunt servanda

Latin for "agreements must be kept" (treaties must be carried out).

The General Assembly

Like the League of Nations, this was designed as the general debate arena where all members would be equally represented according to a one-state/one-vote formula.

Enforcement actions

Members of the UN accept the obligation to support these, such as economic sanctions, and to refrain from giving assistance to states that are the objects of UN preventative or enforcement action.

International Court of Justice

Membership: 15 judges elected by GA and SC. Based on qualifications, rather than nationality. Terms last for 9 years. Functions and powers: 1. To review all cases which States refer to it; usually European 2. In accordance with Article 38 of its statute, the court applies: A. International conventions establishing rules recognized by the contesting states B. International custom as evidence of a general practice accepted as law C. The general principles of law recognized by nations D. Judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as a subsidiary means for determining the rules of law Honor system; nations honor their decisions (usually) • Namibia and Botswana: river shifted over decades; wanted to reestablish boundaries; ICJ determined boundary • It is rare that the ICJ is used for extremely major issues, but they deal with hundreds of cases each year. Should look into some of the things they're currently doing. • Nicaragua took the US to the ICJ during the 80s and the ICJ ruled in favor of Nicaragua because the US was taking resources in their own territory. The US did not follow their ruling. • Cases vary widely but are more successful on land and fishing boundaries

Global Conferences and Summits

Multilateral global conferences date back to the period after World War I when the League of Nations convened conferences on economic affairs and disarmament. Since the late 1960s, the UN has supported global conferences and summit meetings of heads of state and government on topics ranging from the environment, food supply, population, and women's rights to water supplies, children, and desertification.

Voting blocs

Since the General Assembly often mirrors world politics, it is not surprising that member states have formed these to coordinate positions on particular issues and build support for them.

The Nonaligned Movement (NAM)

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of states which are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members. India helped create this movement in the late 1950s and then used it to reinforce its activist multilateral agenda. India spoke out about racism in South Africa and led the push to end apartheid (racial segregation) and colonialism .

The Secretariat

The Secretary General is the most recognized figure, but this includes all the administrative agencies. Helps the UN bodies with administrative support and studies. The "good offices" are used for peace negotiations and other disagreements (neutral ground; e.g. Switzerland). The Secretary General has often been critical of the P5 and taken a world citizen or Third World view (Article 99 of UN Charter).

The Secretariat

The UN Secretariat is composed of approximately 55,000 professional and support staff based in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Bangkok, and other UN offices around the world. Secretariat members are not expected to give up their national loyalty, but are expected to refrain from promoting national interests.

US Veto

The US did not exercise its veto until the 1970s, reflecting its early dominance and many friends. Since then, however, the US has used its veto more than any other permanent member, most frequently on resolutions relating to the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict and in defense of Israel.

The P5 (Permanent Five)

The United States, Great Britain, France, Russia (successor state to the seat of the Soviet Union in 1992), and the People's Republic of China (PRC, replacing the Republic of China [ROC in 1971]) are key to Security Council decisionmaking because each has veto power.

Functionalism

The theory that IGOs (intergovernmental organizations) can help states deal with practical problems in their international relations. Theory arose with the creation of the International Telegraph Union in 1865 and the Universal Postal Union in 1874. Public international unions spawned many procedural innovations, including international secretariats—permanent bureaucrats hired from a variety of countries to perform specific tasks.

World Conferences

These highlight and promote world discussion on issues. They enable smaller countries and groups to reach many others, and provide a forum for activists to share insights. UNEP (Rio) was the first to integrate NGOs in the program; now partnership is routine. The World conferences on women, the environment (Rio) and human rights are particularly famous. COP: Conference of Participants World Market Solutions (can everything be solved through the capitalist marketplace?) These reflect the majority of proposed solutions. What non-capitalist solutions are available? What is their plausibility?

The Trusteeship Council

This council was originally established to oversee the administration of the non-self-governing trust territories that carried over from the mandate system of the League of Nations. The Trusteeship Council and its system of supervision had provided a model for the peaceful transition to independence for colonial and dependent peoples, thus playing a role in the remarkable process of decolonization during the 1950s and 1960s. Thus, the very success of the Trusteeship Council spelled its demise.

The Atlantic Charter of August 14, 1941

This, a joint declaration by US president Franklin Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill calling for collaboration on economic issues and a permanent system of security, was the foundation for the Declaration by the United Nations in January 1942. This spawned the UN Charter, which was ratified in 1945.

The Damn United States

US Voting with the majority on roll call votes in the UN General Assembly reached its lowest point ever in 1990 at 10%, and has only improved slightly in subsequent years. US policy is also shaped by more general attitudes of American political culture, notably a belief in US exceptionalism. America's unique history, its record of democracy, and its support for human rights all give it a special role in international relations. This belief, reinforced in the early years of the twenty-first century by its lone superpower status and by neoconservatives in the Bush administration who championed the use of US power, has contributed to tendencies toward unilateralism. The dilemma is that the UN needs the support of the United States if it is to remain a vital institution.

The Security council

Under Article 24 of the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and the authority to act on behalf of all members of the UN.

The Uniting for Peace Resolution

Under this resolution, the General Assembly claimed authority to recommend collective measures when the Security Council was deadlocked by a veto. It was subsequently used to deal with crises in Suez and Hungary (1956), the Middle East, the Conco, and Palestine-Israel (1997).