United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded on October 24, 1945, following the conclusion of World War II. It was established to promote international cooperation and maintain peace and security among nations. The UN is headquartered in New York City, United States, and has a membership of nearly 200 member states. Here are key points about the United Nations:

  1. Charter: The UN’s founding document is the United Nations Charter. The Charter outlines the organization’s goals, principles, and functions. It is a legally binding treaty that member states agree to uphold.
  2. Purposes: The UN has four main purposes, as outlined in its Charter:
    • To maintain international peace and security.
    • To promote and facilitate international cooperation in areas such as economic and social development, human rights, and humanitarian assistance.
    • To ensure that member states adhere to international law and treaties.
    • To serve as a forum for member states to address global issues and disputes through diplomatic means.
  3. Membership: The UN’s membership consists of sovereign states that voluntarily join the organization. Each member state has one vote in the General Assembly, the UN’s primary deliberative body.
  4. Principal Organs: The UN has several principal organs, including:
    • General Assembly: Composed of all member states, the General Assembly discusses and makes recommendations on a wide range of international issues.
    • Security Council: Responsible for maintaining international peace and security, the Security Council has 15 members, with five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) holding veto power.
    • Secretariat: The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the UN and implements its programs and policies.
    • International Court of Justice: Also known as the World Court, it settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by the General Assembly, Security Council, or other UN bodies.
  5. Agencies and Programs: The UN includes numerous specialized agencies, programs, and funds, each with its own mandate and functions. Notable examples include UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
  6. Peacekeeping: The UN is involved in peacekeeping operations around the world. These missions are aimed at maintaining or restoring peace and security in conflict zones. UN peacekeepers come from member states and wear blue helmets or berets.
  7. Human Rights: The UN plays a central role in promoting and protecting human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948, serves as a foundational document in this regard. The UN Human Rights Council is a key body for addressing human rights issues.
  8. Sustainable Development: The UN is committed to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental sustainability. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines these goals.
  9. Global Challenges: The UN addresses a wide range of global challenges, including conflict resolution, disarmament, environmental protection, public health, humanitarian assistance, and development.
  10. Diplomacy and Mediation: The UN provides a platform for diplomatic negotiations and mediation to resolve international conflicts and disputes through peaceful means.

The United Nations is a vital international organization that plays a central role in addressing global challenges and promoting international cooperation. It serves as a forum for diplomacy, humanitarian efforts, and the pursuit of peace, security, and development worldwide.

 

Challenging the Right to Strike: the UK Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
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Challenging the Right to Strike: the UK Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

The Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, currently passing through the UK Parliament, seeks to establish minimum service levels for transport provision following widespread industrial action on the country’s railways. The UK government describes the Bill as necessary ‘to keep Britain moving during transport strikes’. While the legislation’s effectiveness has been questioned elsewhere, the Bill…

In the spotlight: the UK’s human rights and modern slavery record under review
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In the spotlight: the UK’s human rights and modern slavery record under review

04 November 2022 In our latest blog, Jo Baker, International Advocacy Manager, takes a look at the UN’s five-year human rights reviews, which will spotlight the UK in 2022. Image credit: Melinda Nagy, via Shutterstock. Every five years, the UK has a human rights health check at the United Nations, performed by other countries, and…

More Than Meets the Eye: The Immense Web of Human Trafficking and Its Vast Implications
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More Than Meets the Eye: The Immense Web of Human Trafficking and Its Vast Implications

“The existing social order is a swindle and its cherished beliefs mostly delusions.” – George Orwell  Human trafficking is an issue that takes many forms and typologies across the world and society. Traditionally, human trafficking is thought of as falling into one of two categories: sex trafficking, trafficking in persons for commercial sexual exploitation, or…

Human trafficking: ‘All-out assault’ on rights, safety and dignity, says UN chief
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Human trafficking: ‘All-out assault’ on rights, safety and dignity, says UN chief

Human trafficking is a horrific crime and “an all-out assault on people’s rights, safety and dignity,” Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, the eve of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

Refugees at risk: UN uncovers human trafficking at camp in Malawi
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Refugees at risk: UN uncovers human trafficking at camp in Malawi

Now measures are underway to dismantle the human trafficking networks operating within the Dzaleka Refugee Camp, identify and rescue their victims, and bring those responsible to justice. “The situation was much worse than we first envisaged,” says UNODC’s Maxwell Matewere, who initially visited the camp in October 2020, where he trained camp staff and law…

Vancouver Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking – Department of Justice
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Vancouver Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking – Department of Justice

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Vancouver, Washington man was sentenced to federal prison today for facilitating and benefitting from the sex trafficking of multiple children. Keonte Desmond Scott, 24, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2016, after he was released from prison, Scott…

Your Monday Briefing: A ‘Toothless’ Trip to Xinjiang – The New York Times
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Your Monday Briefing: A ‘Toothless’ Trip to Xinjiang – The New York Times

The U.N.’s top human rights official cozied up to Beijing on a trip to China. Good morning. We’re covering the U.N. human rights chief’s trip to China, India’s expanded protections for sex workers and Ukraine’s offensive in Kherson.  Police officers patrolling in Xinjiang last year.Thomas Peter/Reuters U.N.’s tempered criticism of China The United Nations’ top…

Springfield Rotary donation to help survivors of human trafficking – KEZI TV
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Springfield Rotary donation to help survivors of human trafficking – KEZI TV

  SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Thanks to a donation from a local rotary club, the Springfield Police Department can continue to help survivors of human trafficking. The Springfield Rotary Club 364 gave $1,000 to the CHETT Program. This is the last dispersal of funds to Springfield Police’s human trafficking survivors. The money will be used to…

Bangladesh and Costa Rica cooperate against migrant smuggling and human trafficking
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Bangladesh and Costa Rica cooperate against migrant smuggling and human trafficking

Vienna (Austria), 25 March 2022 – Globally, many migrants experience violence, exploitation, and abuse during and after their migratory journey. As elsewhere, smuggled migrants and people on the move in vulnerable situations face significant dangers and threats while transiting across borders in Central America or the Caribbean, trying to reach their final destination – the…

“Affected for life,” UNODC’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit and Danish Doc Production’s anti-human trafficking training film
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“Affected for life,” UNODC’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit and Danish Doc Production’s anti-human trafficking training film

  UNODC’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit together with Danish Doc Production has produced an anti-human trafficking training film, Affected for Life. The film was produced in the context of UNODC technical assistance, primarily for use in the delivery of training to criminal justice actors, but also to be shown more broadly as an…