The United Nations website

For general information go to:
http://www.un.org/
Then choose a language (English, French or Spanish for the concorso!) So if you choose English you are in
http://www.un.org/en/
Look at the 'in the news' section on the right. Is there anything that you want to read? If not, click on the Key Issues section towards the bottom (or choose an area within that section). Is there anything you are interested in? Still nothing? OK, go to the UN News Centre:

http://www.un.org/news/

or the UN Daily News

http://www.un.org/apps/news/archive.asp

Now you can look at the latest issue of the UN Daily News or any issue from the last 11 years! So there must be something that you are interested in.

Print or save any article that you like and analyze the language, making notes, checking vocabulary and deciding which expressions are high frequency items (i.e. words or expressions which are repeated in various articles) that you want or need to learn.

You may also want to look at l‘ONU in Breve on:

http://www.unric.org/html/italian/onuinbreve/onubreveindice.html

you can use this for translation. Here is the English version to check (The UN in Brief). If you don’t like translation, simply read the English version and take notes on useful language:

http://www.un.org/Overview/uninbrief/

Here is the text:

UN IN BRIEF

 Not so well known . . .

Most of us have heard about United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. But the many other ways the UN affects all our lives are not always so well known. This booklet takes a look at the United Nations — how it is set up and what it does — to illustrate how it works to make the world a better place for all people.

The United Nations is central to global efforts to solve problems that challenge humanity. Cooperating in this effort are more than 30 affiliated organizations, known together as the UN system. Day in and day out, the UN and its family of organizations work to promote respect for human rights, protect the environment, fight disease and reduce poverty. UN agencies define the standards for safe and efficient air travel and help improve telecommunications and enhance consumer protection. The United Nations leads the international campaigns against drug trafficking and terrorism. Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist refugees, set up programmes to clear landmines, help expand food production and lead the fight against AIDS.

In September 2005, the members of the UN will meet in New York both to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the world body, and to take decisions aimed at implementing the collective vision expressed in the Millennium Declaration of September 2000.  At that time, Member States, represented at the highest level — including 147 Heads of State and Government — set out measurable goals in every area of UN endeavour.  Now, the international community meets again at a second high-level summit to ensure that those goals are attained.  To that end, the Secretary-General has presented a set of recommendations for change, aimed at achieving the possible.  “In Larger Freedom” calls for specific action in the areas of development, security and human rights — and in recrafting international institutions, including the UN, to more effectively pursue those priorities.  (The entire report is available online at www.un.org/largerfreedom).

 1. HOW THE UN WORKS

The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 191 countries.

When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us. At the UN, all the Member States — large and small, rich and poor, with differing political views and social systems — have a voice and a vote in this process.

The United Nations has six main organs. Five of them — the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat — are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague in the Netherlands. 

The General Assembly

All UN Member States are represented in the General Assembly — a "parliament of nations" which meets regularly and in special sessions to consider the world's most pressing problems. Each Member State has one vote. Decisions on such key issues as international peace and security, admitting new members and the UN budget are decided by two-thirds majority. Other matters are decided by simple majority. In recent years, a special effort has been made to reach decisions through consensus, rather than by taking a formal vote.  The Assembly cannot force action by any State, but its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion and represent the moral authority of the community of nations.

During the main part of its 2004 session, the Assembly took up more than 150 different topics, including United Nations reform, restoring respect for the rule of law, the needs of small island developing States, climate change and related humanitarian dangers, and participation by all States in the global trading system. It addressed the situation in many different countries and regions, including Iraq and the Darfur region of the Sudan.

The centrepiece of the Assembly’s 60th anniversary session, in 2005, is a five-year review by world leaders of its 2000 Millennium Declaration, including action on a comprehensive set of recommendations submitted by the Secretary-General to reduce poverty, address security threats, stem human rights abuses, and approve major changes to strengthen the functioning of the United Nations.

The Assembly holds its annual regular session from September to December. When necessary, it may resume its session or hold a special or emergency session on subjects of particular concern. Its work is also carried out by its six Main Committees, other subsidiary bodies and the UN Secretariat.

The Security Council

The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The Council may convene at any time, whenever peace is threatened. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to carry out the Council's decisions.

There are 15 Council members. Five of these — China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — are permanent members. The other 10 are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Member States continue to discuss changes in Council membership and working methods to reflect today's political and economic realities.

Decisions of the Council require nine yes votes. Except in votes on procedural questions, a decision cannot be taken if there is a no vote, or veto, by a permanent member.

When the Council considers a threat to international peace, it first explores ways to settle the dispute peacefully. It may suggest principles for a settlement or undertake mediation. In the event of fighting, the Council tries to secure a ceasefire. It may send a peacekeeping mission to help the parties maintain the truce and to keep opposing forces apart.

The Council can take measures to enforce its decisions. It can impose economic sanctions or order an arms embargo. On rare occasions, the Council has authorized Member States to use "all necessary means," including collective military action, to see that its decisions are carried out.

The Council also makes recommendations to the General Assembly on the appointment of a new Secretary-General and on the admission of new Members to the UN.

The Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council, under the overall authority of the General Assembly, coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN family of organizations. As the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, the Council plays a key role in fostering international cooperation for development. It also consults with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), thereby maintaining a vital link between the United Nations and civil society.

The Council has 54 members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. It meets throughout the year and holds a major session in July, during which a high-level meeting of Ministers discusses major economic, social and humanitarian issues.

The Council's subsidiary bodies meet regularly and report back to it. The Commission on Human Rights, for example, monitors the observance of human rights throughout the world. Other bodies focus on such issues as social development, the status of women, crime prevention, narcotic drugs and sustainable development. Five regional commissions promote economic development and cooperation in their respective regions.

The Trusteeship Council

The Trusteeship Council was established to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories administered by seven Member States and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government or independence. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence, either as separate States or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last to do so was the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands — Palau — which was administered by the United States and became the 185th UN Member State.

Its work completed, the Trusteeship Council now consists of the five permanent members of the Security Council. It has amended its rules of procedure to allow it to meet as and when the occasion may require.

The International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is the main judicial organ of the UN. Its 15 judges are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting independently and concurrently. The Court decides disputes between countries, based on the voluntary participation of the States concerned.  If a State agrees to participate in a proceeding, it is obligated to comply with the Court's decision. The Court also gives advisory opinions to the United Nations and its specizlied agencies. 

The Secretariat

The Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the United Nations as directed by the General Assembly, the Security Council and the other organs. At its head is the Secretary-General, who provides overall administrative guidance.

The Secretariat consists of departments and offices with a total staff of about 7,500 under the regular budget, drawn from some 170 countries.Duty stations include UN Headquarters in New York, as well as UN offices in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi and other locations.

The UN system

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and 13 other independent organizations known as "specialized agencies" are linked to the UN through cooperative agreements. These agencies, among them the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, are autonomous bodies created by intergovernmental agreement. They have wide-ranging international responsibilities in the economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related fields. Some of them, like the International Labour Organization and the Universal Postal Union, are older than the UN itself.

In addition, a number of UN offices, programmes and funds — such as the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) — work to improve the economic and social condition of people around the world. They report to the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council.

All these organizations have their own governing bodies, budgets and secretariats. Together with the United Nations, they are known as the UN family, or the UN system. Together, they provide technical assistance and other forms of practical help in virtually all economic and social areas.

2. WHAT THE UN DOES FOR PEACE

Preserving world peace is a central purpose of the United Nations. Under the Charter, Member States agree to settle disputes by peaceful means and refrain from threatening or using force against other States.

Over the years, the UN has played a major role in helping defuse international crises and in resolving protracted conflicts. It has undertaken complex operations involving peacemaking, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. It has worked to prevent conflicts from breaking out. And after a conflict, it has increasingly undertaken action to address the root causes of war and lay the foundation for durable peace.

UN efforts have produced dramatic results. The UN helped defuse the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Middle East crisis in 1973. In 1988, a UN-sponsored peace settlement ended the Iran-Iraq war, and the following year UN-sponsored negotiations led to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. In the 1990s, the UN was instrumental in restoring sovereignty to Kuwait and played a major role in ending civil wars in Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mozambique, and resolving or containing conflict in various other countries.

When, in September 1999, a campaign of violence forced some 200,000 East Timorese to flee their homes following a vote on self-determination, the UN authorized the dispatch of an international security force, which helped restore order. Subsequently, a UN Transitional Administration oversaw the territory’s transition to independence on 20 May 2002 as Timor-Leste.  And when terrorists attacked the United States on 11 September 2001, the Security Council acted quickly – adopting a wide-ranging resolution which obligates States to ensure that any person who participates in financing, planning, preparing, perpetrating or supporting terrorist acts is brought to justice.

Disarmament

Halting the spread of arms and reducing and eventually eliminating all weapons of mass destruction are major goals of the United Nations. The UN has been an ongoing forum for disarmament negotiations, making recommendations and initiating studies. It supports multilateral negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament and in other international bodies. These negotiations have produced such agreements as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (1996) and treaties establishing nuclear-free zones.

Other treaties prohibit the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons (1992) and bacteriological weapons (1972); ban nuclear weapons from the seabed and ocean floor (1971) and outer space (1967); and ban or restrict other types of weapons. By February 2005, 144 countries had become parties to the 1997 Ottawa Convention outlawing landmines. The UN encourages all nations to adhere to this and other treaties banning destructive weapons of war. The UN is also supporting efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons — the weapons of choice in the vast majority of conflicts worldwide. The UN Register of Conventional Arms and the system for standardized reporting of military expenditures help promote greater transparency in military matters.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, through a system of safeguards agreements, ensures that nuclear materials and equipment intended for peaceful uses are not diverted for military purposes. And in The Hague, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons collects information on chemical facilities worldwide and conducts routine inspections to ensure adherence to the chemical weapons convention.

Peacemaking

UN peacemaking brings hostile parties to agreement through diplomatic means. The Security Council, in its efforts to maintain international peace and security, may recommend ways to avoid conflict or restore or secure peace — through negotiation, for example, or recourse to the International Court of Justice.

The Secretary-General plays an important role in peacemaking. The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that appears to threaten international peace and security, use good offices to carry out mediation or exercise quiet diplomacy behind the scenes — either personally or through special envoys. The Secretary-General also undertakes preventive diplomacy aimed at resolving disputes before they escalate.

Peace-building

The UN is increasingly undertaking activities that address the underlying causes of conflict.

Development assistance is a key element of peace-building. In cooperation with UN agencies, donor countries, host governments and NGOs, the United Nations works to support good governance, civil law and order, elections and human rights in countries struggling to deal with the aftermath of conflict. At the same time, it helps these countries rebuild administrative, health, educational and other services disrupted by war.

Some of these activities, such as the UN's supervision of the 1989 elections in Namibia, mine-clearance programmes in Mozambique and police training in Haiti, take place within the framework of a UN peacekeeping operation and may continue when the operation withdraws. Others are requested by governments — as in Guinea-Bissau, where the UN maintains a peace-building support office.

Peacekeeping

The Security Council sets up UN peacekeeping operations and defines their scope and mandate in its efforts to maintain international peace and security. Most operations involve military duties, such as observing a ceasefire or establishing a buffer zone while negotiators seek a long-term solution. Others may require civilian police or other civilian personnel to help organize elections or monitor human rights. Operations have also been deployed to monitor peace agreements in cooperation with the peacekeeping forces of regional organizations.

Peacekeeping operations may last for a few months or continue for decades. The UN operation at the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, for example, was established in 1949, and UN peacekeepers have been in Cyprus since 1964. In contrast, the UN was able to complete its 1994 mission in the Aouzou Strip between Libya and Chad in a little over a month.

Since the UN first deployed peacekeepers in 1948, nearly 130 countries have voluntarily provided up to 1 million soldiers, police officers and civilians. They have served, along with thousands of civilians, in some 60 peacekeeping operations.As of February 2005, 103 countries were contributing nearly 67,000 uniformed personnel — a record number.

UN action for peace

In Africa

UN peace efforts have taken many forms over the years, including the long campaign against apartheid in South Africa, active support for Namibian independence, a number of electoral support missions and 23 peacekeeping operations. The most recent operations were established in Liberia (2003), Côte d’Ivoire and Burundi (2004), and the newly authorized United Nations Mission in the Sudan (March 2005).

Of course, the UN had already been on the ground in Sudan, to address what the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator had called the worst non-natural humanitarian crisis in the world. The global humanitarian community — including the UN, non-governmental organizations, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent family — had already fielded 9,000 aid workers, nearly 1,000 of them international. And in March 2005, acting on findings of widespread human rights violations, the Security Council referred the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan since 1 July 2002 to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The UN has also undertaken wide-ranging diplomatic efforts to restore peace in the Great Lakes region, and it is helping to prepare for a referendum on the future of Western Sahara.  Elsewhere in Africa, UN field missions continue their peace-building activities in the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia and the West Africa region.

In Asia and the Pacific

Since 2002, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has worked to promote national reconciliation and to fulfil the tasks entrusted to the United Nations in the 2001 Bonn Agreement — including the areas of human rights, the rule of law and gender — as well as managing all UN humanitarian, relief, recovery and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, in coordination with the Afghan government.

UNAMA integrates all UN activities in Afghanistan, including those of 16 UN agencies, working together with their Afghan governmentcounterparts andwith national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

When a peacekeeping mission in Tajikistan completed its work in 2000, a UN office was opened to provide the political framework and leadership for various peace-building activities. And UN military observers continue to monitor the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In East Timor, UN-brokered talks between Indonesia and Portugal culminated in a May 1999 agreement which paved the way for a popular consultation on the status of the territory. UN-supervised voter registration led to an August 1999 ballot in which 78 per cent of East Timorese voted for independence — leading to the establishment of the independent state of Timor-Leste on 20 May 2002.  A United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) remains in the country to assist in the establishment of core administrative structures, including the justice system and law enforcement, while contributing to the maintenance of stability and security.

The United Nations also helped the government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville parties reach a comprehensive agreement covering issues of autonomy, referendum and weapons disposal.

In Europe

A United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus continues to supervise the ceasefire lines, maintain the buffer zone and undertake humanitarian activities on that divided island. Its presence provides a conducive environment for the diplomatic efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Advisers, aimed at promoting negotiations and achieving a comprehensive settlement. 

The UN worked strenuously towards resolving the conflict in the former Yugoslavia while providing relief assistance to millions of people. From 1992 to 1995, UN peacekeepers helped bring peace and security to Croatia, protect civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ensure that the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was not drawn into the war. Following the 1995 Dayton-Paris peace agreements, four UN missions helped secure the peace.

Today, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) continues to work with the people of Kosovo to create a functioning, democratic society with substantial autonomy.  Established in 1999 following the end of NATO air bombings and the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces, UNMIK brings together efforts by the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations  under the umbrella of the UN.

In Abkhazia, Georgia, while the UN military observer mission carries out its peacekeeping mandate, diplomatic efforts have continued to find a comprehensive settlement of the Georgian/Abkhaz conflict.

In the Americas

UN peacemaking and peacekeeping have been instrumental in resolving protracted conflicts in Central America. In 1989, in Nicaragua, the peace effort led to voluntary demobilization of the resistance movement, whose members turned in their weapons to the UN. In 1990, a UN mission observed Nicaragua's elections — the first UN-observed elections in an independent country. In El Salvador, peace talks mediated by the Secretary-General ended 12 years of fighting and a UN peacekeeping mission verified implementation of all agreements. And in Guatemala, UN-assisted negotiations ended a 35-year civil war.

Following the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from Haiti on 29 February 2004, the Security Council, responding to a request by Haiti’s interim President, authorized the immediate deployment of a multinational force to support a peaceful and constitutional process in the country under secure and stable conditions.  The Council subsequently established a United Nations stabilization mission in Haiti, which took over responsibility from the multinational force in June 2004.  The UN mission has worked to enable the holding of elections in 2005 and the transfer of power to an elected President on 7 February 2006.

In the Middle East

UN concern over the Arab-Israeli conflict spans nearly six decades and five full-fledged wars. The UN has defined principles for a just and lasting peace, including two benchmark Security Council resolutions — 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) — which remain the basis for an overall settlement.

The UN has supported other initiatives aimed at solving underlying political problems, and has despatched various peacekeeping operations to the region. The UN's first military observer group was set up in 1948 and maintains its presence in the area to this day. The UN's first peacekeeping force was also set up there, during the Suez crisis of 1956. Two peacekeeping forces are currently in the region. One, established in 1974, maintains an area of separation on the Golan Heights between Israeli and Syrian troops. The other, established in 1978, contributes to stability in southern Lebanon and in 2000 verified the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.

On the diplomatic front, the United Nations actively participates in efforts to reach a negotiated solution as a member of the “Quartet” — comprising the UN, the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation. In 2003, a “Road Map” to a permanent two-State solution, presented by the Quartet, was accepted by both parties but has not yet been implemented. Meanwhile, the UN continues, through the actions of the Security Council and other bodies, as well as of the Secretary-General and his Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, to promote a peaceful resolution of the situation.

In Iraq, following the most active phase of the war there, the Security Council, on 14 August 2003, established the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).  Its aim was to coordinate humanitarian and reconstruction aid and assist with the political processes aimed at establishing an internationally recognized sovereign Iraqi government. Days later, on 19 August, the UN headquarters in Baghdad was the target of a terrorist attack that resulted in 22 deaths, including the head of mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and more than 150 injured.

Following the attack, the Secretary-General withdrew most United Nations international personnel based in Baghdad, maintaining only a small team to provide essential humanitarian assistance. Nevertheless, the UN continues to provide assistance from both within and outside Iraq, including the delivery of food, water and health care throughout the country — relying principally on its Iraqi staff.

The end of occupation and the formal restoration of Iraqi sovereignty on 28 June 2004 marked a new phase in Iraq’s transitional process, leading to direct elections on 30 January 2005. With the support of UNAMI, the Secretary-General’s Special Represenative and the UN Electoral Assistance Division, and despite the constant threat of violence, Iraqis turned out to exercise their political rights.  The resulting Transitional National Assembly will draft a permanent constitution that will be presented to the people in a national referendum later in the year.

3. WHAT THE UN DOES FOR JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

Through UN efforts, governments have concluded many multilateral agreements that make the world a safer, healthier place with greater opportunity and justice for all of us. This comprehensive body of international law, including human rights law, is one of the UN's great achievements.

Human rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1948, sets out basic rights and freedoms to which all women and men are entitled — among them the right to life, liberty and nationality; to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to work and to be educated; the right to food and housing; and the right to take part in government.

These rights are legally binding by virtue of two International Covenants, to which most States are parties. One Covenant deals with economic, social and cultural rights and the other with civil and political rights. Together with the Declaration, they constitute the International Bill of Human Rights.

The Declaration laid the groundwork for some 80 conventions and declarations on human rights, including the two International Covenants; conventions to eliminate racial discrimination and discrimination against women; conventions on the rights of the child, against torture and other degrading treatment of punishment, the status of refugees and the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide; and declarations on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, the right to development, and the rights of human rights defenders.

With its standards-setting work nearly complete, the UN is shifting the emphasis of its human rights efforts to the implementation of human rights laws. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, who coordinates UN human rights activities, works with governments to improve their observance of human rights, seeks to prevent violations, and works closely with the UN human rights mechanisms. The UN Commission on Human Rights, an intergovernmental body, holds public meetings to review the human rights performance of States, to adopt new standards and to promote human rights around the world.  The Commission also appoints independent experts — "special rapporteurs" — to report on specific human rights abuses or to examine the human rights situation in specific countries.

UN human rights bodies contribute to early warning and conflict prevention, as well as in efforts to address the root causes of conflict. A number of UN peacekeeping operations have a human rights component.  In all, UN human rights field activities are currently being carried out in 30 countries or territories.  They help strengthen national capacities in human rights legislation, administration and education; investigate reported violations; and assist governments in taking corrective measures when needed.

Promoting respect for human rights is increasingly central to UN development assistance. In particular, the right to development is seen as part of a dynamic process which integrates civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and by which the well-being of all individuals in a society is improved. Key to the enjoyment of the right to development is the eradication of poverty, a major UN goal.

International law

The UN Charter specifically calls on the United Nations to undertake the progressive codification and development of international law. The over 500 conventions, treaties and standards resulting from this work have provided a framework for promoting international peace and security and economic and social development. States that ratify these conventions are legally bound by them.

The International Law Commission prepares drafts on topics of international law which can then be incorporated into conventions and opened for ratification by States. Some of these conventions form the basis for law governing relations among States, such as the convention on diplomatic relations or the convention regulating the use of international watercourses.

The UN Commission on International Trade Law develops rules and guidelines designed to harmonize and facilitate laws regulating international trade. The UN has also pioneered the development of international environmental law. Agreements such as the convention to combat desertification, the convention on the ozone layer, and the convention on the transborder movement of hazardous wastes are administered by the UN Environment Programme.

The Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which addresses the problem of global warming, went into effect on 16 February 2005. It requires industrialized countries to reduce their combined emissions of six major greenhouse gases during the five-year period from 2008 to 2012 to below 1990 levels. As of its entry into force, 140 countries had ratified the accord.

The Convention on the Law of the Sea seeks to ensure equitable access by all countries to the riches of the oceans, protect them from pollution and facilitate freedom of navigation and research. The Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs is the key international treaty against drug trafficking.

The United Nations remains at the centre of international efforts to create a legal framework against terrorism. More than a dozen global conventions on the issue have been negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations, including the 1979 Convention against the Taking of Hostages, the 1997 Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, and the 1999 Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and work is in progress on a comprehensive anti-terrorism treaty.

In 2001, following the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States, the Security Council adopted a wide-ranging anti-terrorist resolution, under the enforcement provisions of the UN Charter. It included provisions to prevent the financing of terrorism, criminalize the collection of funds for such purposes, and to immediately freeze terrorist financial assets.  The Council has called on States to accelerate the exchange of information regarding terrorist movements and decided that States should afford one another the greatest measure of assistance for criminal investigations or proceedings relating to terrorist acts.

Ending impunity

Massive violations of humanitarian law during the fighting in the former Yugoslavia led the Security Council in 1993 to establish an international tribunal to try persons accused of war crimes in that conflict. In 1994, the Council set up a second tribunal to hear cases involving accusations of genocide in Rwanda. The tribunals have found several defendants guilty and sentenced them to prison. The Rwanda Tribunal in 1998 handed down the first-ever verdict by an international court on the crime of genocide, as well as the first-ever sentence for that crime.

A key United Nations goal — an international mechanism to impose accountability in the face of mass violations of human rights — was realized in 1998 when governments agreed to establish an International Criminal Court. The Court provides a means for punishing perpetrators of genocide and other crimes against humanity. In voting to set up the Court, the international community made it clear that impunity — the assumption that crimes will go unpunished — is no longer possible for those who commit atrocities. The Statute of the Court entered into force on 1 July 2002. In March 2005, acting on findings of widespread human rights violations, the Security Council referred the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan to the Prosecutor of the Court.

The UN has also contributed to the elaboration of conventions relating to international humanitarian law, such as the 1948 Convention on Genocide and the 1980 Inhumane Weapons Convention (concerning weapons which are excessively injurious or have indiscriminate effects).

Other action for justice and equal rights

In 1945, 750 million people lived in Non-Self-Governing Territories. Today, that number has been reduced to just over 1 million, in large measure due to the crucial role played by the UN in encouraging the aspirations of dependent peoples and helping speed their independence. Since 1960, when the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, some 60 former colonial Territories have attained independence and joined the UN as sovereign Members.

A UN-led campaign lasting more than 30 years helped end the system of racial segregation in South Africa known as apartheid. In 1994, a UN mission observed that country's first all-race elections.

Since its founding, the UN has been working to affirm the fundamental equality of all people and to counter racism in all its forms. In 2001, a World Conference mandated by the General Assembly examined ways to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.

4. WHAT THE UN DOES FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Humanitarian disasters can occur anywhere, at any time. Whether the cause be flood, drought, earthquake or conflict, a humanitarian disaster means lost lives, displaced populations, communities incapable of sustaining themselves and great suffering.

Emergency assistance

In the face of disaster, the UN family of organizations supplies food, shelter, medicines and logistical support to the victims — most of them children, women and the elderly.

To pay for this assistance and deliver it to those in need, the UN has raised billions of dollars from international donors. During 2003 alone, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched 22 inter-agency appeals, raising nearly $3.4 billion to assist 67.8 million people in 22 countries and regions. The Office is headed by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, who also serves as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

Providing humanitarian assistance requires that the United Nations overcome major logistical and security constraints in the field. Humanitarian workers have been denied access to people in need, and warring parties have deliberately targeted civilians and aid workers. Since 1992, some 220 UN civilian staff members have been killed while serving in humanitarian operations. In the year ending 30 June 2004, there were more than 120 assaults on UN personnel, including 10 cases of rape and sexual assault, as well as 139 incidents of harassment. There were seven violent attacks against UN compounds and convoys, and 52 forceful incursions into UN compounds.  In the effort to prevent human rights violations in the midst of crisis, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has played an increasingly active role in the UN response to emergencies.

The UN coordinates its response to humanitarian crises through a committee of all the key humanitarian bodies, chaired by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. Members include the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Other UN agencies are also represented, as are major non-governmental and intergovernmental humanitarian organizations, including the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 

Humanitarian response

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator is responsible for developing policy for humanitarian action and for promoting humanitarian issues — helping raise awareness, for example, of the consequences of the proliferation of small arms or the humanitarian effects of sanctions.

People who have fled war, persecution or human rights abuse — refugees and displaced persons — are assisted by UNHCR. At the start of 2004, there were 17.1 million people of concern to UNHCR in nearly 120 countries, including 4.4 million internally displaced — more than 1.2 million in Colombia alone.  Also included were 9.7 million refugees, 1.1 million returned refugees, and nearly a million asylum-seekers.

The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing emergency food assistance worldwide.  In 2003, it delivered 6 million tons of food aid to 110 million people in 83 countries – including 56 million hungry children.

During the past decade, 300,000 children were recruited as soldiers — a period in which war killed 2 million children and permanently injured or disabled an additional 6 million.  War and civil strife also resulted in 13 million internally displaced children and 10 million child refugees, many of whom were separated from their parents. UNICEF seeks to meet their needs by supplying food, safe water, medicine and shelter. UNICEF has also pioneered the concept of "children as zones of peace" and created "days of tranquillity" and "corridors of peace" to help protect children in war and provide them with essential services.

Disaster prevention and preparedness are also part of UN humanitarian action. When disasters occur, UNDP coordinates relief work at the local level, while promoting recovery and long-term development.

And in countries undergoing extended emergencies or recovering from conflict, humanitarian assistance is increasingly seen as part of an overall peace-building effort, along with developmental, political and financial assistance.

Perhaps the most dramatic natural disaster in recent years was the Indian Ocean earthquake-tsunami.  In the early hours of Sunday, 26 December 2004, a massive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck the west coast of northern Sumatra, triggering powerful tsunamis reaching 10 metres (33 feet) in height which moved through the Indian Ocean at over 500 kilometres (310 miles) an hour.  The tsunamis wrecked coastal areas in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Myanmar, Seychelles and Somalia.  As of April 2005, it was estimated that more than 217,000 had been killed, while 51,000 remained missing and more than half a million were homeless.

The UN system immediately sprang into action, addressing a wide range of humanitarian needs, including agriculture, coordination and support services, economic recovery and infrastructure, education, family shelter and non-food items, food, health, mine action, protection of human rights and the rule of law, security, and water and sanitation.  To that end, a “flash appeal” for $977 million was issued on 5 January 2005 to fund the critical relief work of some 40 UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  And on 1 February, the Secretary-General appointed former United States President William Jefferson Clinton as his Special Envoy for the tsunami-affected countries.

As Special Envoy, President Clinton’s task includes: ensuring coordination in the recovery effort at the policy level; supporting the transition from emergency relief to recovery and reconstruction; ensuring that donors disburse the money they have pledged and that it reaches the communities who need it most; mobilizing support for regional efforts to establish a mechanism for disaster prevention and mitigation; and ensuring that a proposed early warning system for the region is established in a coordinated and coherent manner. 

Palestine refugees

Relief work for Palestine refugees has been carried out since 1949 by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Today, the Agency provides essential health, education, relief and social services and implements income-generation programmes for more than 4 million Palestine refugees in the region. A UN Coordinator oversees all development assistance provided by the UN system to the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.

5.WHAT THE UN DOES FOR DEVELOPMENT

One of the UN's central mandates is the promotion of higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development. As much as 70 per cent of the work of the UN system is devoted to accomplishing this mandate. Guiding the work is the belief that eradicating poverty and improving the well-being of people everywhere are necessary steps in creating conditions for lasting world peace.

The UN has unique strengths in promoting development. Its presence is global and its comprehensive mandate spans social, economic and emergency needs. The UN does not represent any particular national or commercial interest. When major policy decisions are taken, all countries, rich and poor, have a voice.

Setting the agenda

The UN has played a crucial role in building international consensus on action for development. Beginning in 1960, the General Assembly has helped set priorities and goals through a series of 10-year International Development Strategies. While focusing on issues of particular concern, the Decades have consistently stressed the need for progress on all aspects of social and economic development. The UN continues formulating new development objectives in such key areas as sustainable development, the advancement of women, human rights, environmental protection and good governance – along with programmes to make them a reality.

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders adopted a set of Millennium Development Goals aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and ensuring environmental sustainability — through a set of measurable targets to be achieved by the year 2015. Among these are: halving the proportion of those who earn less than a dollar a day; achieving universal primary education; eliminating gender disparity at all levels of education; and dramatically reducing child mortality while increasing maternal health.

The General Assembly scheduled a five-year review of its 2000 Millennium Declaration to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations in 2005.

Assistance for development

The UN system works in a variety of ways to promote economic and social goals.

The mandates of the specialized agencies cover virtually all areas of economic and social endeavour. The agencies provide technical assistance and other forms of practical help to countries around the world. In cooperation with the UN, they help formulate policies, set standards and guidelines, foster support and mobilize funds. The World Bank, for example, provided $20.1 billion in development loans in fiscal year 2004 to nearly 100 developing countries.

Close coordination between the UN and the specialized agencies is ensured through the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), comprising the Secretary-General, the heads of the specialized agencies, funds and programmes, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Trade Organization.

The UN programmes and funds work under the authority of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to carry out the UN's economic and social mandate. To enhance overall cooperation, the Secretary-General in 1997 set up the UN Development Group, comprising the UN operational programmes and funds.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN's largest provider of grants for sustainable human development worldwide, is actively involved in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the lead UN organization working for the long-term survival, protection and development of children. Active in nearly 160 countries and territories, its programmes focus on immunization, primary health care, nutrition and basic education.

Many other UN programmes work for development, in partnership with governments and NGOs. The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest international food aid organization for both emergency relief and development. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is the largest international provider of population assistance. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) works to encourage sound environmental practices everywhere, and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) assists people living in health-threatening housing conditions.

To increase the participation of developing countries in the global economy, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) promotes international trade. UNCTAD also works with the World Trade Organization (WTO), a separate entity, in assisting developing countries' exports through the International Trade Centre.

Pooling resources

The UN system is increasingly pooling its efforts to tackle complex problems that cut across organizational areas of expertise and defy the efforts of any country acting alone.

The Joint UN Programme on AIDS pools the expertise of eight UN agencies and programmes to combat an epidemic that currently affects some 40 million people worldwide.  In 2004 alone, some 3 million people died of AIDS, while 5 million were newly infected with HIV. 

A Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, called for by the Secretary-General in 2001, is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities.  By 2005, it had committed some $3 billion in 128 countries to support aggressive interventions against these three diseases, which kill over 6 million people every year.  Joint initiatives to expand immunization and develop new vaccines have enlisted the support of business leaders, philanthropic foundations, non-governmental organizations and governments, as well as UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank.

The Global Environment Facility, a $4.5 billion fund administered by UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank, helps developing countries carry out environmental programmes.  And the UN system works closely with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development  (NEPAD), an African Union initiative that serves as a framework for international support for African development. 

THE SPECIALIZED AGENCIES

Autonomous organizations linked to the UN through special agreements:

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN)

Works to improve agricultural productivity and food security, and to better the living standards of rural populations.

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)

An autonomous intergovernmental organization under the aegis of the UN, it works for the safe and peaceful uses of atomic energy.

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)

Sets international standards for the safety, security and efficiency of air transport, and serves as the coordinator for international cooperation in all areas of civil aviation.

IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development)

Mobilizes financial resources to raise food production and nutrition levels among the poor in developing countries.

ILO (International Labour Organization)

Formulates policies and programmes to improve working conditions and employment opportunities, and sets labour standards used by countries around the world.

IMF (International Monetary Fund)

Facilitates international monetary cooperation and financial stability and provides a permanent forum for consultation, advice and assistance on financial issues.

IMO (International Maritime Organization)

Works to improve international shipping procedures, raise standards in marine safety and reduce marine pollution by ships.

ITU (International Telecommunication Union)

Fosters international cooperation to improve telecommunications of all kinds, coordinates usage of radio and TV frequencies, promotes safety measures and conducts research.

UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

Promotes education for all, cultural development, protection of the world's natural and cultural heritage, international cooperation in science, press freedom and communication.

UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization)

Promotes the industrial advancement of developing countries through technical assistance, advisory services and training.

UPU (Universal Postal Union)

Establishes international regulations for postal services, provides technical assistance and promotes cooperation in postal matters.

WHO (World Health Organization)

Coordinates programmes aimed at solving health problems and the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health. It works in such areas as immunization, health education and the provision of essential drugs.

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Promotes international protection of intellectual property and fosters cooperation on copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs and patents.

World Bank Group

Provides loans and technical assistance to developing countries to reduce poverty and advance sustainable economic growth.

WMO (World Meteorological Organization)

Promotes scientific research on the Earth's atmosphere and on climate change, and facilitates the global exchange of meteorological data.

WTO (World Tourism Organization)

Serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.

The UN is working to make the world
a better place

• The UN formulated the historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), as well as some 80 conventions and treaties that help protect and promote specific human rights.
• UN peacekeeping is a vital instrument for peace. Currently, nearly 67,000 UN military and civilian personnel, provided by 103 countries, are engaged in 16 operations around the world.
• UN environmental conventions have helped reduce acid rain in Europe and North America, cut marine pollution worldwide, and phase out production of gases destroying the Earth's ozone layer.
• The UN and its agencies, including the World Bank and the UN Development Programme, are the premier vehicle for furthering development in poorer countries, providing assistance worth $30 billion a year.
• More international law has been developed through the UN in the past six decades than in all previous history.
• With support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization – a joint effort of UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank Group, private foundations, the pharmaceutical industry and governments – over 670,000 deaths were averted among children born between 2001 and 2003.
• In 2003, the WFP reached 110 million people with food aid – a record in its 40-year history.
• Air traffic the world over is safer, thanks to rules and regulations agreed on trough the International Civil Aviation Organization.
• UN appeals raised nearly $3.4 billion during 2003 alone for emergency assistance to victims of war and natural disaster.
• Smallpox was eradicated from the world through a global campaign coordinated by WHO.
• Five million people who would have been paralyzed are walking today because of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988 by WHO, UNICEF, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Rotary International - reducing the incidence of polio worldwide by more than 99 per cent.
• Expenditures of the UN System for economic and social programmes to help the world's poorest countries - through UNICEF, WFP, UNDP and others - amount to $7.3 billion a year. That's les than 0.8 per cent of the world military expenditures, estimated at $956 billion.

For more information about the United Nations, contact the UN Information Centre or UN Association in your country or the UN Public Inquiries Unit (Room GA-53, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA; e-mail: inquiries@un.org). You may also consult the UN Home Page on the Internet (www.un.org), which has links to the websites of UN offices, programmes and specialized agencies.  More detailed information on the UN can be obtained from other UN publications such as Basic Facts about the United Nations and Building Sustainable Peace, available from UN Publications (www.un.org/Pubs) in New York (fax: 212-963-3489; e-mail: publications@un.org) and Geneva (0041-22-917-2614; e-mail: unipubli@unog.ch).

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Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information

Printed on recycled paper by the United Nations Reproduction Section, New York

United Nations, May 2005 - DPI/2393 – 20M

Prepared by the Department of Public Information