United Nations Structure and Functions

Secretariat

• Located in the United Nations Headquarters in New York City
• Responsible for the day-to-day running of the UN
• Staff are independent from the Member States
• Headed by the Secretary General who is the UN's chief administrative officer

General Assembly

• Composed of all UN member states
• Decides on important questions using a two-thirds majority
• Decides on other questions using a simple majority
• Resolutions are not legally binding on member states unless they are adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter.

Security Council

• Has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security
• Has 15 members:
  • 5 permanent members (P5): China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States
  • 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms
• Decisions are made by resolutions which are binding on all UN member states
• Each member has one vote and procedural matters require a simple majority (9 out of 15 members)
• Substantive matters require a nine-vote majority, including the affirmative votes of all five permanent members
• A permanent member can use a veto to prevent the adoption of a resolution.

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• Coordinates the work of the UN specialized agencies
• Focuses on economic and social development and cooperation

Trusteeship Council

• Was designed to assist and administer territories until their independence
• No longer active

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• The main judicial organ of the UN
• Consists of 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council
• Has two main functions:
  • Adjudicate contentious cases between states
  • Issue advisory opinions
• Decisions in contentious cases are binding on the states involved
• Advisory opinions are not binding
• The ICJ has a special role in enforcing its decisions
  • UN Member states are obligated to comply with ICJ rulings.
  • If a state refuses to comply, Article 94(2) of the UN Charter allows the Security Council to recommend measures to be taken against the non-compliant state.

Subsidiary Organs

• The subsidiary organs of the UN are created by the principal organs of the UN
• Examples:
  • International Law Commission (ILC)
  • Human Rights Council (HRC)
• Subsidiary organs do not have final responsibility over any UN matter
• Their budgets are generally included in the regular UN budget.

Test your knowledge on the key components of the United Nations, including the Secretariat, General Assembly, and Security Council. This quiz covers their responsibilities, decision-making processes, and membership structure. Challenge yourself to understand how these entities work together to maintain international peace and security.