United Nations (UN), international organization of nation-states, based on the sovereign equality of its members. Under its charter, the UN was established “to maintain international peace and security”; “to develop friendly relations among nations”; and “to achieve international cooperation in solving … economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian [problems]” and in “encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms”. Members are pledged to fulfil the obligations they have assumed, to settle international disputes by peaceful means, to refrain from the threat or use of force. Now the UN had 185 members.

Everyone recognizes that times have changed and the UN need reforms, but the United States behaves in a very undiplomatic way. After secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali moved too slowly on an array of reforms, Washington refused to pay its UN bills in full. Now, at America’s insistence, Boutros Boutros-Ghali has been sacked. A Washington favorite Kofi Annan from Ghana became a new Secretary General of the UN.

Now the UN is in a serious financial crisis. Many member states, including the United States, withhold part of their contributions due to national fiscal problems and dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the UN system. 1,3 billion $ of the UN budget is spent mainly for a huge bureaucratic personnel. The same sum is spent for peacekeeping operations. Only America should cover a backlog of dues and assessments that total 1,5 billion $. Even the America’s debt can lead the UN on a brink of bankruptcy. American television tycoon, founder and owner of CNN channel Ted Turner declared about its intention to allocate funds of 1 billion $ (set aside funds) for the UN during following 10 years, 100 million $ every year. Ted Turner declared that his contribution wouldn’t affect the debt of the USA and his state should pay it in full.

Organization

The charter established six principal UN 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 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 only recommendations to member states. The charter permits the assembly to establish agencies and programmes to carry out its recommendations; among the most important are the following: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The Security Council is the UN's central organ primarly responsible for maintaining peace. The council has 15 members, of which 5—China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States—have been accorded permanent seats. Periodically proposals have been made for new permanent members to be added (e.g. Germany, Japan), and old ones removed (e.g. France, Britain) to reflect the changing balance of world power, but to date no substantive revision has been made.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which meets annually, has 54 members; ECOSOC coordinates the economic and social activities of the UN and its 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 Labour Organization (ILO).

The Trusteeship Council originally was responsible for supervising 11 territories but now all of the dependencies had achieved either full sovereignty or self-government as 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 serves the other UN organs and carries out the programmes and policies of the organization. The body is headed by the secretary-general, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.

The UN and Peace and Security

Under the charter, the Security Council is primarily responsible for matters of peace and security. Articles 33-38 of the charter authorize the Security Council to encourage disputing nations to settle their differences through peaceful means, including negotiations, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and judicial settlement. In carrying out this responsibility, the council may delegate representatives or set up special committees to investigate disputes and recommend means of settlement.

When the council determines that a dispute threatens peace, it may, under Articles 39-51, enforce its recommendations, either by nonmilitary means, such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, or by the use of military forces. This is the only place where the charter authorizes enforcement action.

UN peacekeeping operations have been carried out in the Middle East, Cyprus, the Congo (now Zaпre), Angola, Western Sahara, South Africa, Mozambique, Somalia, Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia.

Finally I can say that the United Nations is not a world government; rather, it is a very flexible instrument through which nations can cooperate to solve their mutual problems.

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