United Nations
United Nations
➡ The United Nations (UN) is a global organisation tasked with maintaining
international peace and security while fostering friendly relations among nations. It is
the largest, most recognized and most powerful intergovernmental organisation in
the world.
➡ Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the
United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st
century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development,
human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies,
gender equality, governance, food production, and more.
➡ The UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General
Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and other bodies
and committees. By enabling dialogue between its members, and by hosting
negotiations, the Organization has become a mechanism for governments to find
areas of agreement and solve problems together.
➡ The UN's Chief Administrative Officer is the Secretary-General.
➡ 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
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➡ Functions of the United Nations (UN)
➡ United Nations – Principal Organs
➡ United Nations Specialized Agencies
➡ United Nations – Important Agencies & Programmes
➡ United Nations Conventions
➡ India and the UN
➡ Challenges Faced by UN
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➡The UN was formed following the devastating World War II,
with the aim of preventing future global-scale con icts.
➡It was a successor to the ine ective League of Nations.
➡The representatives of 50 governments met in San Francisco
on 25 April 1945, to draft what would become the UN
Charter.
➡The Charter was adopted on 25 June 1945 and came into
e ect on 24 October 1945.
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United Nations Functions
In accordance with the Charter, the organization’s
objectives include maintaining international peace and
security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian
aid, promoting sustainable development, and upholding
international law. At its founding, the UN had 51 member
states; this number grew to 193 in 2011, representing the
vast majority of the world’s sovereign states.
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United Nations Structure
The UN is structured around ve principal organs:
1. General Assembly
2. United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
3. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
4. International Court of Justice
5. UN Secretariat.
A sixth principal organ, the Trusteeship Council,
suspended operations on 1 November 1994, upon the
independence of Palau, the last remaining UN trustee
territory.
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General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the chief policy-making
and representative body of the UN.
• It is the only UN body where all the UN members are represented. So,
all 193 member countries are represented here.
• The GA is headed by a President who is elected for a one-year tenure.
• The GA is headquartered in New York, USA.
• The UNGA meets once a year in September.
◦ This annual GA session happens in the General Assembly Hall in
New York.
• The Assembly also meets at other times of the year depending on the
tasks.
• The UNGA can make recommendations to countries on matters within
its competence.
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• Functions of the UNGA:
◦ Consider and approve the UN budget and establish the nancial assessments of
member countries;
◦ Elect the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and the members of
other UN organs and councils and, on the recommendation of the UNSC, appoint the
Secretary-General;
◦ Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for
maintaining international security and peace, including disarmament;
◦ Discuss any question relating to international peace and security;
◦ Discuss any question within the scope of the UN Charter;
◦ Conduct studies and make recommendations to encourage global political
cooperation, the codi cation and development of international law, the realization of
human rights & fundamental freedoms, and international collaboration in the social,
economic, cultural, humanitarian, health and educational elds;
◦ Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might
hamper the friendly relations between nations;
◦ Consider reports from the various UN organs.
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• Voting in the UNGA:
1. Every member has one vote in the GA.
2. Most questions are decided by a simple majority, however,
budgetary questions, election to the UNSC, and ECOSOC
require a 2/3rd majority vote.
3. In recent times, the UNGA has been striving to make
decisions based on consensus among all member countries.
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Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
The ECOSOC is the main body responsible for coordination, policy dialogue, policy
review and recommendations on social, economic, and environmental issues, and
also the implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
1. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its
specialized agencies in the economic, social, and environmental elds,
supervising subsidiary and expert bodies.
2. It is the UN’s pivotal platform for re ection, debate, and innovative thinking on
sustainable development.
3. The ECOSOC has 54 members that are elected by the General Assembly.
4. Voting is by a simple majority and each member has one vote in the ECOSOC.
5. The work of the UN’s specialized agencies like the FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF, the
ILO, etc. are coordinated by the ECOSOC.
6. The ECOSOC presidency is for one year, and it is headquartered in New York.
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International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The ICJ is the chief judicial organ of the United Nations.
1. The ICJ’s seat is at The Hague, the Netherlands. (It is the
only UN principal organ not located in New York, USA.)
2. All 193 UN members are automatically a party to the ICJ.
3. ICJ’s functions:
◦ To settle in accordance with international law the legal
disputes submitted to it by States.
◦ To give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it
by duly authorized international organs and agencies.
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Secretariat
The Secretariat comprises the UN Secretary-General and the thousands of sta who work at the UN
HQ in New York.
1. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative o cer of the UN.
◦ The Secretary-General is appointed by the GA on the recommendation by the UNSC.
◦ He/she has a ve-year renewable tenure.
◦ The current and the ninth Secretary-General is a Portuguese national, António Guterres.
◦ The Secretary-General can bring to the attention of the UNSC any issue which can be a
threat to international peace and security.
2. The sta who work at the Secretariat are hired internationally and also locally depending upon
the job.
3. They work at stations all over the world.
4. Their work ranges from peacekeeping operations, surveying economic and social trends,
mediating in international disputes, conducting international conferences to laying the
groundwork for international agreements.
5. The Secretariat has ve regional commissions:
◦ ECA – Economic Commission for Africa
◦ ECE – Economic Commission for Europe
◦ ECLAC – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
◦ ESCAP – Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Paci c
◦ ESCWA – Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
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Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 under the UN
Charter to administer the 11 Trust Territories after the Second
World War.
1. These were former colonies or dependent territories.
2. Since the Council was created, many territories have
become independent and are self-governing.
3. The last Trust Territory to become independent was Palau in
1994.
4. Hence, the Trusteeship Council suspended operations in
1994 and decided to meet as and when the occasion
arises.
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UNSC
➡ The United Nations Security Council has emerged as the key arena and
barometer for evaluating the promise and progress of accommodating new,
rising powers in the international system.
➡ The case of India provides one of the best examples of a rising power
coming to terms with its increased power, role and expectations of
itself and of other powers, in negotiating its place in the reformed Council
as a permanent member.
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UNSC
➡ The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining
international peace and security, but it faces steady calls for reform to
better meet twenty-first-century challenges.
➡ The United Nations Charter gives primary responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security to the Security Council, which may
meet whenever peace is threatened.
➡ It is empowered to impose binding obligations on the 193 UN member
states to maintain peace.
➡ The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of
international peace and security.
➡ The council assesses threats to international security, addressing issues
that include civil wars, natural disasters, arms control, and terrorism.
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Organisation
• The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at London.
Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence
at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
• It also travelled to many cities, holding sessions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
in 1972, in Panama City, Panama, and in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.
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Structure
• In its initial form, the SC was formed of 11 members, among them 5 permanent
ones and 6 non-permanent ones.
• In 1963 the Charter of the United Nations has been amended in order to allow
an increase of the number of non-permanent members from 6 to 10.
• Until today, this has been the only successful attempt to reform the Council.
• The five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom,
and the United States—collectively known as the P5. Any one of them can
veto a resolution.
• The council’s ten elected members, which serve two-year, non-consecutive
terms, are not afforded veto power.
• Current non-permanent members:
◦ India, Norway, Ireland, Mexico and Kenya
◦ Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam,
whose terms end in 2021.
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Main Reform groups of the UN Security Council
• The Group of 4 - G4 (Brazil, Germany, India and Japan) proposes an increased number
of permanent members of the Council.
• It supports an extended SC of 25 members, among them 6 new permanent members (G4
members and 2 African states) and 4 newly elected.
• The Group “Uniting for Consensus” (UFC) – lead by Italy, Argentina, Pakistan, Mexico
supports an extended Council of 25 members, with the addition at the level of non-
permanent members and /or the introduction of a new category of members, the semi-
permanent members.
• African Union (“Ezulwini Consensus”) supports an extended SC of 26 members. Africa
will receive 2 permanent seats, accompanied by the right to veto and 2 non-permanent
seats.
• ACT represents a Trans-Regional group of 21 states, which promotes the need for a
review of the working methods of the Council, in order to increase its members’
responsibility in front of the entire UN membership and the transparency of its work.
• The main controversy is related to the total number of seats of a reformed Council and
their distribution on categories.
• At UN level the SC reform has been debated in 5 components: categories of members,
the right to veto, the level of extension, working methods and the relation to the General
Assembly.
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Why reforms needed in UNSC?
• As a result of its shortcomings, reform of the Security Council has been
deemed necessary. In 2009, some 140 member states requested to move
on to text-based negotiations to pursue reform.
• Since its establishment, the geopolitical realities have changed drastically,
but the Council has changed very little.
• It is much regulated by 5 permanent members of the council which is not in
balance with the rest of world.
• Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) encompasses five
key issues:
1. Categories of membership
2. Question of the veto held by the five permanent members
3. Regional representation
4. Size of an enlarged Council and its working methods
5. Security Council-General Assembly relationship
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Issues related to reforms:
• The main issue of reform is aimed at increasing accountability and
transparency of, and participation, in the UN scheme.
The spectrum of reform broadly incorporates two aspects:
1. It relates to the working method of the Security Council and its
relationship with the General Assembly.
◦ This aspect largely focusses on the regulation of the use of the
’veto’ power and raises several questions on the limits imposed on
the use of the power.
◦ It requires a simple resolution.
2. The issue of expansion and category of the membership of the Security
Council from the present 15, including 5 permanent members and 10
non-permanent ones, the latter with two-year, election- based tenures.
◦ This requires a UN Charter amendment with two-thirds majority in
the General Assembly.
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Indian perspectives on Council Reforms
• The Indian attempts at reforming the Council date as back as 1979, when
India along with other NAM countries submitted a draft resolution to the
General Assembly calling for an increase in the non-permanent
membership from 10 to 14.
• The 1990s also saw Indian attempts at pressing for UN reforms.
• In order to move the TBN process forward, India has articulated its
positions on diverse aspects of the Security Council reforms.
• On the issue of categories of membership, India has argued that an
overwhelming majority of Member-States have already supported
expansion in both categories.
• India claims that around 85% of total submissions that are part of the text
and the annex have supported expansion in both categories.
• India supports increase in both permanent and non-permanent
membership of UN Security Council.
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Permanent seat of India in UNSC
• Chairmanship of the all- important Security Council Committee on Counter-
terrorism, and four out of P-5 members stopping just short of endorsing the
candidature of India.
• The question of India's permanent membership of the UNSC would be
considered only after an agreement on the nature and extent of
expansion of the Council is arrived at in accordance with the provisions of
the UN Charter which requires approval by two-third of the
membership of the UN.
• India is actively engaged in Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN)
process and has been working alongside other reform-oriented countries
through its membership of the G-4 bloc as well as with cross regional
grouping of developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
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India’s current position in UNSC
• India was the sole candidate from the Asia-Pacific region vying for a non-
permanent membership.
• Its candidature was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific
Group in June, 2019.
• This is the eighth time India has been elected a non-permanent member
of the UNSC.
• Previously, it has been elected as a member for the period of 1950-1951,
1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and
2011-2012.
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Why India should be given the permeant seat at UNSC?
• Along with China and Japan, only India can justifiably represent Asia. Hence, it has
rightly asserted its claim to a permanent seat.
• India, with its ancient civilization, rich heritage, deep rooted democratic system and
growing economic potential has the credentials to champion the cause of developing
nations.
• India is world's largest democracy and the UN is based on the idea of democracy and
giving equal opportunities to everyone.
• India accounting around 17% (approx.) of the words global population, gives a reason
to ask for a membership. It is world’s largest participant in UN peacekeeping
operations.
• Maintains the third largest armed forces in the world after US, China and Germany. And
has a significant contribution to UN helping people in war stricken nations in the middle
east.
• India being one of the most responsible nuclear power nation has been accepted into
the folds of elite 45 nations of nuclear suppliers group to set up nuclear oriented
facilities for peaceful purposes.
• India is one of the world’s fast growing economies with a large consumer base.
• India’s membership will remove the hegemony of select club of world powers and
allow the emerging regional powers to have more say in global matters.
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Benefits to India if it becomes a permanent member of UNSC
• India, if accepted as a new permanent member, must enjoy the same powers and prerogatives as the
existing members.
• A permanent seat at UN will give India a due recognition strategically and politically. India will have a
greater say in various geo-political events that are tackled keeping in mind threat posed to West and Europe
only.
• Until now, no country has tried to not take any concrete action against the State-sponsored terrorism of
Pakistan. Though US has realigned its approach in the recent times, China continues to take undue political
advantage and resorts to creating hurdles in measures aimed at countering State-sponsored terrorism of
Pakistan.
• Policies and measures adopted that are hostile to developed countries are often vetoed. Thus only those policies
and measures materialize that have little bearing on them. Responsibility is often transferred to developing
nations like India.
• A permanent seat at UN is not only important from safeguarding India’s security interests point of view, many
countries awe a permanent membership. So that, their voice does not go unheard in UNSC.
• This will encourage more strategic and economics ties with India. An example of this is that China and
Pakistan have no historical ties but yet Pakistan has befriended China just to counter India in global geo-political
sphere.
• The challenges faced by the Indian subcontinent are not duly represented in UNSC. It has become a
hegemony of West and Europe. China uses it just as a tool to muster more political and strategic support and
hardly works in serving the purpose of UNSC.
• The membership will help India to reduce the dominance of China in subcontinent regions like Indian Ocean
and South China Sea.
• It will have a huge positive impact on issue of Kashmir regarding the Pok and Baluchistan. The continuous
conflicts that goes on border with China and Pakistan will see a downfall.
• The membership to the UNSC will help India in becoming a member of NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group).
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Obstacles for India in getting permanent membership of UNSC
• Among the five permanent member, China is the only one, who uses veto
power against India's efforts to become a permanent member.
• It is argued by critics that India has still not signed the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT), also had rejected the CTBT in 1996.
• And in fact, was the target of unanimous Security Council Resolution 1172
after it conducted nuclear tests in 1998. But, India’s nuclear diplomacy
after the May 1998 tests successfully turned India from a pariah state to
being increasingly a part of the non-proliferation regime.
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• India has emerged as a foremost, singularly acknowledged rising power
seen by most states, as making a legitimate claim to a place in the
changing architecture of global governance, including the UN Security
Council.
• The Indian interests in joining the reformed UN Security Council stem from
its globally impacting geography and demography, its rapidly
increasing traditional great power ambitions, and assuming its rightful
place in the comity of nations and significant contributions to the UN
system.
• The world body must take note that a large geographical entity
like India cannot just be ignored anymore. It must be conceded its
rightful place to play a larger role in world affairs for the benefit of mankind.
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India and the UN
India was among the founding members of the United Nations.
Even before achieving independence, India had signed the
Declaration by the United Nations at Washington, D.C. in 1944, and
also participated in the United Nations Conference on International
Organization at San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945. As
one of the original members of the United Nations, India
enthusiastically supports the purposes and principles of the UN
and has made signi cant contributions in implementing the goals of
the organisation. The UN eld networks in India are the largest
anywhere in the world through the many o ces, programmes and
funds currently at work in the country.
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Today, there are 26 UN agencies in India. Some of the milestones that
the UN has made in India through its agencies are elaborated upon
below:
1. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
1. When FAO began its India operations in 1948, its priority was
to transform India’s food and farm sectors through technical
inputs and support for policy development.
2. Over the years, FAO has made major inroads in resolving
issues such as access to food, nutrition, livelihoods, rural
development and sustainable agriculture. With the Sustainable
Development Goals in full swing, the FAO’s primary focus will
be on improving India’s sustainable agricultural practices.
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• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
• IFAD and the Government of India have achieved signi cant
results in investing in the commercialization of smallholding-
agriculture and building small farmers’ capacity to increase
incomes from market opportunities.
• IFAD-supported projects have also provided women with
access to nancial services, such as by linking women’s self-
help groups with commercial banks.
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• UNAIDS:
1. India has worked with the UN on the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The main aim of the
programme is to help prevent new HIV infections, care for
people living with HIV and mitigate the impact of the epidemic.
2. Between 2001 and 2012 the total number of cases of the
disease in India fell down by 50%, one of the highest in the
world at that time. So far, India has managed to continue the
trend.
• Asian and Paci c Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT):
1. This is a UNESCAP regional institute established in 1977. It
works in the elds of technology transfer, information and
innovation management.
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• International Monetary Fund: India has been working closely with the IMF. For
more on this, please check the linked article on IMF in the table above.
• UNESCO:
• India has been closely associated with the UNESCO. India has been
continuously re-elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO since 1946.
• A UNESCO Category I Institute dedicated to education for peace and
sustainable development was established in 2012 and is called the
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable
Development (MGIEP). It is located in New Delhi.
• There are also several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
• World Health Organisation (WHO): WHO has been working closely with the
Indian government to improve health outcomes. It has played a stellar part in
eradicating several diseases such as cholera, controlling others like malaria, TB,
etc. For more on WHO and India, you can check the WHO linked article from
the table above.
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India’s Contribution towards the UN
India has been an active member of the UN since its
inception. In 1946, India became the rst country to raise the
issues of racism and apartheid in South Africa in the UN
forum.
• India played an important part in the drafting of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
• The rst woman president of the UNGA was an Indian,
Vijayalakshmi Pandit, in 1953.
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• India has contributed immensely to UN Peacekeeping
Missions in various parts of the world.
◦ India has sent her peacekeeping troops to Korea, Egypt,
Congo, Haiti, Angola, Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Lebanon,
South Sudan, etc.
◦ India has been regularly one of the largest contributor of
troops to the missions.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence resonate deeply with
the UN’s principles. In 2007, the UN declared Gandhi’s birth
anniversary of October 2 as the ‘International Day of Non-
violence’.
• In 2014, the UNGA declared that 21st June would be observed
as International Yoga Day.
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• India has contributed immensely to UN Peacekeeping
Missions in various parts of the world.
◦ India has sent her peacekeeping troops to Korea, Egypt,
Congo, Haiti, Angola, Somalia, Liberia, Rwanda, Lebanon,
South Sudan, etc.
◦ India has been regularly one of the largest contributor of
troops to the missions.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence resonate deeply with
the UN’s principles. In 2007, the UN declared Gandhi’s birth
anniversary of October 2 as the ‘International Day of Non-
violence’.
• In 2014, the UNGA declared that 21st June would be observed
as International Yoga Day.
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• Expected Questions-
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G-4?
(A) India
(B)Pakistan
(C)Brazil
(D)Germany
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• Expected Questions-
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P-5?
(A) Germany
(B) USA
(C) Russia
(D)France
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