Organization

The UN charter established six principal organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

All member states are represented in the General Assembly, which is the main deliberative body of the UN. The General Assembly meets annually in regular sessions and in special sessions at the request of a majority of its members or of the Security Council. The assembly has no enforcement authority; its resolutions are recommendations to member states. The charter permits the assembly to establish agencies and programs to carry out its recommendations. Among the most important of these agencies are the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In 1993 the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was created, heading the Center for Human Rights in Geneva.

The UN's operating costs are met by contributions from member states, although special programs such as UNICEF and the UNDP are usually financed through voluntary contributions. Most members pay less than 1 percent of the budget, and only 14 countries contribute more than 1 percent. The largest contributors are the United States (25 per cent) and Japan (14 per cent). Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Spain, and Canada contribute more than 2 percent.

The Security Council, which is in continuous session, is the UN's central organ for maintaining peace. The council has 15 members, of which 5–China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States–have been accorded permanent seats. Non-permanent members serve nonconsecutive two-year terms, with five new members elected by the General Assembly every year. Decisions of the council require nine votes on procedural matters, but any one of the five permanent members can veto a more substantive issue. The Security Council is responsible for matters of peace and security. It encourages disputing nations to settle their differences through peaceful means, including negotiations, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and judicial settlement. The council may, however, enforce its recommendations, either by nonmilitary means, such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, or by the use of military force. Such action is subject to the concurring votes of the five permanent council members, and thus emphasizes the significance of the great-power veto.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which meets annually, coordinates the economic and social activities of the UN. ECOSOC recommends action on topics such as medicine, education, economics, and social needs. ECOSOC also establishes specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The Trusteeship Council, originally responsible for supervising 11 territories placed under international trust at the end of World War II, is currently inactive because all of the original trust territories and dependencies have gained full sovereignty or have become part of a larger state.

The International Court of Justice, situated in The Hague, the Netherlands, is the judicial body of the UN. The court hears cases referred to it by UN members, who retain the right to decide whether they will accept the court's ruling as binding.

The Secretariat carries out the programs and the administrative tasks of the UN. The body is headed by the secretary general, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The secretary general acts as the UN spokesperson and can present situations that threaten peace to the Security Council.