United Nations

The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II to replace the League of Nations. Its 51 founding countries committed themselves to the maintenance of peace and international security, the improvement of living standards, and the support of social progress and human rights. Its member states have now risen to 192, and the main goal of the United Nations and its different agencies is to encourage networks both among different countries as well as within single nations to work on fundamental issues such as peacekeeping, conflict prevention, sustainable development, human rights protection and gender equality, disaster relief, and disarmament. The Preamble to the UN Charter states that the organization will “employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.” The image of “international machinery” highlights how the different states are part of the same mechanism and contribute to its efficiency. The great number of representatives from different countries create networking opportunities between member states. Diplomacy and networking are thus synonyms in the UN context.

Member states give voluntary financial contributions to sustain the UN and can voice their opinions during the meetings of the General Assembly, which is the main deliberative assembly, and when other UN bodies and committees are convened. In addition to the General Assembly, where each member state has one vote, there are four other important organs. The Security Council elaborates resolutions concerned with peace and security. The Economic and Social Council fosters international cooperation and economic growth with a particular focus on developing countries. The Secretariat supplies strategic studies and information to UN members and policy makers.

The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ, and it is located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, while the other four main organs have their headquarters in New York. The Trusteeship Council, while still an organ of the UN, has been inactive since the mid-1990s, as all the territories it used to control have reached self-government. Other important and well-known UN bodies and agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Food Program (WFP). The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. The Secretary General is the spokesperson for the UN and acts as the leader of [Page 903]the organization. Elected every five years by the General Assembly, the Secretary General has acquired over the years a central role as mediator of conflicts between member states, and as a diplomat who should be able to build consensus over issues of global importance.