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The Genesis of the
United Nations
Prof. Philip Yang
National Taiwan University
2015/7/18
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
War World Ⅱ led to the
establishment of the United
Nations (UN).

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UN sought to correct the
League’s deficiencies, but it
was a completely new creation,
not just a revised League.
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The Birth of the United Nations

The Charter was signed on 26 June
1945 by the representatives of the 50
countries. Poland, which was not
represented at the Conference, signed
it later and became one of the original
51 member states.

The United Nations was established
on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries.
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The UN Charter
Preamble
19 separate Chapters (XIX)
111 Articles, often with subparagraphs
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the "U.N." is often referred to
as "the Organization," states
party as "Members"
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The UN Charter

Preamble
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Chapter I: Purposes and Principles
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Chapter II: Membership
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Chapter III: Organs
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Chapter IV: The General Assembly
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Chapter V: The Security Council
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Chapter VI: Peaceful Settlement of
Dispute
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Chapter VII: Action with Respect to
the Threat to the Peace, Breaches
of the Peace, and Acts of
Aggression
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Chapter VIII: Regional
Arrangements
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Chapter IX: International
Economic and Social Cooperation
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Chapter X: The Economic and
Social Council
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Chapter XI: Declaration Regarding
Non-Self-Governing Territories
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Chapter XII: International
Trusteeship System
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Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship
Council
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Chapter XIV: The International
Court of Justice
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Chapter XV: The Secretariat
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Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous
Provisions
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Chapter XVII: Transitional
Security Arrangement
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Chapter XVIII: Amendments
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Chapter XIX: Ratifications and
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Signature
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Basic Goals (Art. 1)
1. to maintain international
peace and security;
2. to develop friendly
relations among nations;
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3. to cooperate in solving
international problems and
in promoting respect for
human rights;
4. and to be a centre for
harmonizing the actions of
nations.
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Principles of the UN (Art. 2)
Sovereign equality
 Peaceful settlement of disputes
 Refrain from the threat or use of
force
 Support UN enforcement
actions
 Non-intervention of domestic
jurisdiction
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Int’l Peace and Security
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All member states (1) shall
refrain from the threat or
use of force
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(2) shall settle their
international disputes by
peaceful means.
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UN Is Not a World Govt
The United Nations is not a
world government and it
does not make laws.
 It does, however, provide
the means to help resolve
international conflicts and
formulate int’l policies.
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The United Nations
Organizations
Prof. Philip Yang
National Taiwan University
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The UN System
The UN made up of six main organs ：
General Assembly, Security Council,
International Court of Justice, Economic
and Social Council, Trusteeship Council,
and Secretariat
The UN programs and funds
The UN specialized agencies
The UN, its programs and funds, and the
specialized agencies compose the "UN
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The UN Programs
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The UN programs and funds –
established by the UN
such as the UN Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), the UN Development Fund
(UNDP), and the World Food
Programme (WFP) – working for
development, humanitarian
assistance and human rights.
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The UN Specialized Agencies
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The UN specialized agencies –
maintain working relationship with
the UN, related to the UN through
special agreements
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UN specialized agencies coordinate
their work with the UN but are separate,
autonomous organizations.
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The General Assembly
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Characteristics：
quasi-legislative, deliberative
Principles：
political equality and majority rule,
plenary
Decision-making：
one state/one vote, simple majority
(majority of two-thirds is required for
Important Questions)
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Functions of GA
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a. Discussion and recommendation: However,
it has two limitations, one is that it may make
no recommendation on any dispute or
situation that is concurrently under
consideration by the Security Council; the
other is it is limited to recommendations that
are not binding on member states.
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b. Supervision and review of all activities of
the UN: It acts as a central coordinating body
and ti receives and reviews annual reports
from other organs.
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c. Deciding financial matter: Budgetary powers
may be used as instruments of control
substantive areas.
 d. Elective functions: it can elect the nonpermanent members of the security council, all
members of the ECOSOC, and non administering
members of the Trusteeship Council.
 e. Admission of states to membership in the UN.
 f. Charter amendment and revision: It can
propose amendments by a two-thirds vote.
However, any such proposal must be ratifies by
two-third of the member governments, including
all the permanent members of the Security
Council.
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The Security Council
Characteristics：
-- limited membership (five permanent
and ten nonpermanent)
-- binding decisions
Decision-making：
-- SC’s permanent members possesses
an absolute veto over substantive
Issues (excluding procedural
questions)
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Functions of SC
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a. To maintain international peace
and security.
b. It’s charged with the obligation to
formulate plans for the international
regulation of armaments.
c. It participates in the elective
process that it shares with the
General Assembly.
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The Economic and Social Council
Characteristics：collaborative body with
authority to create commissions to
promote human rights and economic and
social cooperation
Members：54 members elected by the GA
for 3 years
Decision-making：one member one vote,
majority rule
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Functions：
1. Making or initiating studies and reports
relating to international economic, social
cultural educational, health issues, and
human rights.
2. Making recommendations with respect
to any such matters
3. Preparing draft conventions relating to
economic and social issues
4. Calling international conferences on
matters falling within its competence 30
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The International Court of Justice
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Characteristics：principal
judicial organ, semiautonomous
status, accession is limited to
states
 Members：15 Justices from
different states through a
complicated nomination and
selection process
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Functions：
 1. Adjudicating disputes
arising under the Charter
and international law, but
lack compulsory jurisdiction
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2. Providing advisory opinions
on legal questions to the UN
organs
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The Trusteeship Council
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Characteristics：
Ensuring the interests of the
non-self-governing territories
Members：UN member states
that administer trust territories
and permanent members of the
SC that are not administering
trust territories
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Functions：
1. Debating and deliberating different
strategies for decolonization
2. Monitoring the effects of the
process on trust populations
3. Supervising the process by
issuing binding decisions
 Decision-making：one-member/
one-vote, majority-rule arrangement
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The Secretariat
Characteristics：the UN bureaucracy
Members：the Secretary General whose
task is to represent the UN and the
bureaucratic staff recruited on the basis
efficiency, competence, integrity, and
geographic diversity
Functions：Carrying out the UN’s
complex tasks and functions
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Departments of the UN Secretariat
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Department of Political Affairs
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Department for Disarmament Affairs
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Department of Peace-keeping Operations
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Department of Economic and Social Affairs
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Department for General Assembly and
Conference Management
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Department of Public Information
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Department of Management
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs
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Discussion Question
The UN as at times been strongly
criticized, especially from the political
right in the US. Former interim US
ambassador to the UN John Bolton
argued in 1994: "There is no such thing
as the United Nations. There is only the
international community, which can only
be led by the only remaining superpower,
which is the United States." Was Bolton
right? What arguments could be made for
the continuing relevance and importance
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