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UN Headquarters, New York. The UN is involved in every aspect of international life from peacekeeping to the environment, from children's rights to air safety, but it cannot legislate. |
The United Nations (UN) is an organization of sovereign nations. It provides the machinery for its Member States to help solve disputes or problems, and deal with matters of concern to all humanity. It does not legislate.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the UN.
The General Assembly is the UN's main deliberative body. All Member States are represented in it and each has one vote.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) coordinates the economic and social work of the UN.
The Security Council has primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security. It has five permanent members each with the right to veto, and ten others elected for two-year terms. Member States are obligated to carry out its decisions.
The Secretariat services all organs of the UN except the ICJ, doing the day-to-day work of the UN, ranging from administering peace-keeping operations to organizing conferences.
The Secretary-General controls and directs the Secretariat, and is chief administrative officer at all meetings of the General Assembly, Security Council ECOSOC and the Trusteeship Council.
The Trusteeship Council was established to ensure that governments responsible for administering Trust Territories took adequate steps to prepare them for self-government or independence. This task having been completed in 1994, the Council will now meet as and when required.
The specialized agencies and programmes have wide international responsibilities for development, health and economic, social, cultural, educational, scientific and technical, and other fields.
Principal organs of the United Nations: |
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United Nations programmes and organs (representative list only)
Specialized agencies and other autonomous organizations within the system
Other commissions, committees and ad hoc and related bodies
Cooperative arrangements between the UN and the newly established WTO are currently under discussion
Security Council | ![]() ![]() Peace-keeping operations
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General Assembly | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Economic and Social Council | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
World Bank Group
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International Court of Justice | |
Secretariat | |
Trusteeship Council | |
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