The UN System
In order to fulfil its mandate, the UN Charter created the following bodies: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. These bodies (known as "organs") continue to form the core of the UN system today. All are headquartered in New York, apart from the International Court of Justice, which is located in The Hague.
The General Assembly consists of all members of the UN, and, as such, is the focal point for much of the UN's activity. It has the authority to discuss any issues within the scope of the UN Charter. The Assembly also receives and considers reports from the other organs of the UN, approves the regular budget of the UN and elects important office bearers including the Secretary-General and the non-permanent members of the Security Council. The Assembly holds its regular sessions from mid-September to mid-December. Special or emergency sessions are held when necessary. Even when the Assembly is not in Session, its work continues in special committees and other bodies.
The Security Council is the principal organ of the UN charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, and stands apart from the remainder of the UN organs as its decisions are binding legally on member states. The Council encourages parties to a dispute to reach agreement through peaceful means, by facilitating negotiation or authorising peacekeeping operations once a truce has been established. However, it also has the power to enforce its decisions if necessary - for example, by imposing sanctions or authorising collective military action. The five permanent members of the Council are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms on the following basis: five members from African and Asian states, one from Eastern Europe, two from the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and two from Western European and Other states (such as Australia). The Council can be convened at any time, and can meet in virtually continuous sessions if required.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has primary responsibility in the UN for promoting global economic and social development. ECOSOC initiates studies and reports on international economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related matters and makes recommendations to the General Assembly and to the specialised agencies concerned. A range of functional and regional commissions report to ECOSOC, and ECOSOC is responsible for coordinating the work of the range of specialised agencies which work in areas as diverse as health, finance, agriculture and civil aviation. The Council holds its regular annual session between May and July.
The Trusteeship Council was set up to monitor trusteeship arrangements and ensure that Governments responsible for administering Trust Territories took adequate steps to prepare them for self-government or independence. The Trusteeship Council officially discharged its mandate in 1994, when the last of the original 11 UN Trusteeships—Palau—gained its independence, and has not met since then.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the UN. Its Statute forms an annex to the UN Charter and sets out the rules by which the Court functions. Its central task is to hear and adjudicate legal issues between UN member states, which are submitted to the Court on a voluntary basis. It also provides legal advice to the General Assembly and the Security Council, and other UN bodies with the consent of the General Assembly. The ICJ does not adjudicate upon the rights and duties of individual citizens.
The Secretariat is the major administrative organ of the UN, consisting of the Secretary-General and UN staff, who work for the other five organs of the UN and administer their programmes. The 15,000 staff of the United Nations are drawn from more than 180 countries around the world.
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