UNA-Canada Fact Sheets

> The Workings of the UN

Charter of the United Nations, 1945.

"We the Peoples of the United Nations determined...
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war...
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights...
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations rising from...sources of international law can be maintained, and...
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom...."

The United Nations was founded in 1945 for the purposes of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, and achieving international cooperation to solve economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems, while promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. Membership is open to all states that accept the obligations of the UN Charter. Canada has supported these international initiatives and continues to participate actively in UN-sponsored initiatives. The following is a brief description of some of the UN’s principal activities.

Peace and Humanitarian Aid

The UN has protected more than 35 million refugees fleeing war, famine, and/or persecution. It has also provided assistance in the resettlement and, where possible, the repatriation of these refugees. Almost every year since its inception, the UN has been called upon to help with disaster relief. Whether famine, hurricane, flood, or earthquake, the UN has been there to help. From removing landmines to imposing nuclear test-ban treaties, the UN has been active for 50 years in the field of disarmament. Canadian diplomats and officials at the UN have been long-time advocates of a comprehensive test-ban treaty, a radical reduction of nuclear forces, and a ban on chemical weapons. Canadians have also played a significant role in monitoring chemical weapons abuses and nuclear tests. In the past 40 years, the UN has been involved in 42 peacekeeping missions. Through UN peacekeeping, Canadians have played a central role in preserving peace around the world.

Justice and Human Rights

All UN bodies promote policies which recognize the need for the participation of women, children, and indigenous peoples. Such participation is necessary if development is to be just and sustainable. By proclaiming "International Years," the UN has raised awareness of important social issues and placed these concerns on the global agenda. The UN’s commitment to human rights is reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Passed as a resolution by the General Assembly in 1948, the Declaration was heralded as a revolutionary change in international law. It recognized, for the first time, that human rights are an international concern, and has since become a part of the basic law of many nations, including Canada. The post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1994 as a result of the 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, reinforcing the commitment of the UN to fight human rights abuses by members and others.

Sustainable Development

The United Nations is committed to people-oriented development as a key to meeting the objectives of peace, human rights, environmental protection, reduced population growth, and social integration. The UN has promoted the empowerment of women, giving them greater reproductive choice. This reflects the UN’s philosophy that such empowerment is likely to curb rapid population growth far more effectively than coercive population control strategies. Through such events as the "Earth Summit," the UN has succeeded in catalyzing the global effort to integrate environmental considerations into economic and social planning. Canadians have worked closely with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to lend support to locally-based social programmes, to deliver more effective health care and other assistance to children around the world. Cultural development has been promoted by agencies like the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which sponsored the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997). By providing assistance and advice to countries undergoing a transition to democracy—such as Cambodia, El Salvador, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa—the UN has helped foster democratic development. The United Nations has also been committed to economic development. Its Development Programme (UNDP) provides extensive assistance to developing countries in the form of financial and technical support for projects in such fields as sanitation, water, land reclamation, transport, agriculture, and housing. The World Bank lends money to poorer countries to help promote sustainable development and to reduce poverty.

Organs of the United Nations

The United Nations is comprised of six main organs, of which the General Assembly is the nucleus. Every member has a seat, and one vote, in the General Assembly. Decisions on ordinary matters require a simple majority, whereas important issues require a two-thirds majority. The General Assembly, however, cannot order members to do things, it can only make recommendations which reflect world opinion. The Assembly is responsible for appointing the Secretary-General (upon recommendation of the Security Council), calling for world conferences, and approving the budget for the organization. It also sets policies and programmes for the UN Secretariat, sets goals and directs activities for development, and receives reports from the other organs and agencies.

The Security Council is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It is composed of five permanent members and ten temporary members which are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. The five permanent members of the Security Council are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each of the permanent members can veto the Council’s decisions. Security Council resolutions require the support of nine members to pass, unless one of the permanent members exercises its right to veto. Under the Charter of the United Nations, members of the UN agree to accept and carry out all decisions of the Council. The Council is the only UN body that can give a binding order to a member nation. Canada has been on the Security Council five times, the latest term being 1989/1990, and is running for a seat for 1999/2000.

The 54-member Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) directs and coordinates the UN’s economic and social work, in addition to its specialized agencies and related institutions. ECOSOC works under the authority of the General Assembly and usually holds one substantive and two organizational sessions per year. The Council is responsible for overseeing five regional economic commissions, a number of functional commissions, and a few standing committees. Members are elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms, with one-third of the terms expiring each year. Canada was elected to the body in 1994 and again in 1996.

The Trusteeship Council once ensured that Governments responsible for administering Trust Territories took steps to prepare them for independence or self-government. With the last Trust Territory, Palau, having been granted independence in 1994, the Trusteeship Council is now in abeyance.

The International Court of Justice, usually referred to as the World Court, is composed of 15 judges elected by the Security Council and the General Assembly. The Court sits in The Hague in the Netherlands and its judges serve for nine years. The Court hears all cases referred to it by the General Assembly and the Security Council. In specific cases, nations can agree to accept the Court’s decision as binding.

The UN Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, is the administrative centre of the United Nations and looks after the UN’s day-to-day activities. The current and seventh Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, acts as the UN’s chief administrative officer and may bring any matter perceived to threaten international peace and security to the Security Council. The UN Secretariat staff members are drawn from over 170 countries. In total, there are about 60,000 employees working for the United Nations System, including 1700 Canadians.

Subsidiary Programmes and Organs

A number of Subsidiary Programmes and Organs were created by the General Assembly and report directly to the General Assembly and/or ECOSOC. These bodies are listed below, along with a summary of their activities and their founding dates.

Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA, 1991)
seeks to mobilize and coordinate the actions of the international community so that it may immediately respond to the needs of victims of natural disasters and emergency situations; seeks to lessen the vulnerability of the poor, to address the real causes of disasters, and to monitor the transition from emergency relief to rehabilitation and development.

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 1949)
provides protection and material assistance to refugees; negotiates with governments to resettle or repatriate refugees

UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat, 1977)
addresses housing and related problems of the poor (both urban and rural) in developing countries

UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 1946)
provides technical and financial assistance to developing nations for programmes benefiting children and mothers; focuses on such areas as nutrition, water sanitation, education, and maternal and child health

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, 1964)
codifies principles of international trade and establishes agreements that stabilize commodity prices

UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, 1984):
an autonomous agency associated with the UNDP and successor to the Voluntary Fund for the UN Decade for Women supports projects benefiting low-income women in developing countries

UN Development Programme (UNDP, 1965)
represents the UN system’s central funding, planning, and coordinating agency for technical aid

UN Environment Programme (UNEP, 1972)
monitors environmental changes and works to develop environmentally-sustainable development practices throughout the world

UN Population Fund (UNFPA, 1966)
assists developing nations to gather demographic data; prepares and facilitates population programmes

UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR, 1965)
aims to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations by carrying out training programmes for government and UN officials and researching a number of international issues

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, 1949)
provides education, health, and welfare assistance to Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East

UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW, 1976)
sponsors research, training, and information activities intended to study, monitor, and enhance the role of women in development

UN University (UNU, 1972)
autonomous academic institution which has a global network of associated institutions, research units, scholars, and fellows, but no faculty or degree students of its own

World Food Programme (WFP, 1961):
jointly sponsored by the UN and the FAO
supports development projects by supplying emergency food relief and food aid

Specialized Agencies

Intergovernmental Agencies form an integral part of UN operations. The specialized agencies of the United Nations are separate, autonomous Organizations which work with the UN and each other through the coordinating machinery of the Economic and Social Council. These agencies, and a summary of their activities are listed below.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 1945)
seeks to improve the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of food and agricultural products; to promote rural development; to eliminate hunger; and to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, 1957):
not a specialised agency, but under the aegis of the United Nations
guides the development of peaceful uses for atomic energy; establishes safety standards and promotes the exchange of scientific and technical information on nuclear energy

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, 1944)
sets international safety standards, recommends performance standards for air and ground crews, and formulates rules of the air

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD, 1977)
seeks to improve food production; makes loans and grants to projects promoting agriculture, livestock development, irrigation, and fisheries
International Labour Organization (ILO, 1919):
became a specialised agency in 1946, aims to assist member countries in such areas as vocational training, occupational health and safety, and social security; sets international labour standards

International Maritime Organization (IMO, 1948)
sets standards for maritime safety, efficient navigation, and the prevention and control of pollution from ships; promotes cooperation on matters pertaining to shipping

International Monetary Fund (IMF, 1944)
seeks to promote international monetary cooperation and to facilitate the expansion of trade; provides financing to countries with balance of payment difficulties, and assists with economic management

International Telecommunications Union (ITU, 1865):
founded as the International Telegraph Union, fosters the creation and improvement of telecommunication networks in developing countries; allocates the radio-frequency spectrum and assigns a position to geostationary satellites

UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 1945)
promotes collaboration among nations in the fields of education, science, culture, and communications

UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 1966)
promotes the industrialization of developing countries; facilitates technology transfers, access to external financing, and training programs as means of assisting the developing world

Universal Postal Union (UPU, 1874):
became a specialised agency in 1948, regulates international mail delivery, standardises postal services, and provides training and expert advice to postal systems in developing countries

World Bank Group (which includes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, 1944; International Development Association, IDA, 1960; and the International Finance Corporation, IFC, 1956)