Unit 3

Q1) Explain the objectives of the United Nations. Discuss the powers and functions of any
one organ of the United Nations. (5+10)

Q2) Examine the composition, role and functions of the general assembly

Q3) Critically examine the objectives of the United Nations and comment on tis performance
in light of the objectives

Q4) State the objectives of the United Nations and critically examine its role in the light of its
objectives (5+10)

Q5) Critically examine the role and functions of the security council of the United Nations

Q6) ) Describe the composition, powers and functions of the Security Council of the Untied
nations

Q7) Name the principal organs of the united nations. What are the objectives of the UN?
Discuss the role and functions of the security council (2+3+10)

Q8) prepare notes on the composition role and function of every organ of the UN

Ans3: The tragedy of the Second World War created in the minds of the people a deep
resentment against war. Prominent leaders of the world felt it was necessary to form a world
body consisting of all states to prevent further wars of this magnitude.

The London Declaration of 12 June 1941 marked the first formal attempt to create the
UN, with nations fighting against Hitler aiming to establish a world free of wars and based on
social and economic equality. This was followed by the Atlantic Charter of 14 August 1941,
emphasizing the need for an international body to maintain global peace and security.
Subsequent steps included the Declaration by United Nations in 1942, which saw the first
official use of the term "United Nations," which was coined by the then President of the
USA, Franklin D Roosevelt. This was then followed by other important declarations such as
the Moscow and Tehran Declarations in 1943. The Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944 laid
out the blueprint for the international body, leading to the signing of the UN Charter by 51
states at the San Francisco Conference on 26 June 1945. The Charter came into force on 24
October 1945, following ratification by the five permanent members of the Security Council
and the majority of signatories.
The purposes or objectives of the UN have been laid down in Article 1 of the UN Charter.
While the UN has had some success in achieving these objectives, there have also been areas
where the UN has not been able to fulfill its objectives. Hence, the objectives of the UN shall
be discussed below, along with the UN’s successes and failures in implementing these
objectives:

A) To maintain international peace and security: To maintain international peace and

security, which is the first objective of the UN as laid down in Article 1 of the UN
Charter, one of the primary goals of the UN is to prevent conflicts, mediate disputes,
conduct peacekeeping operations, and take effective collective measures for the
prevention and removal of threats to peace.
B) To develop friendly relations among nations: The UN aims to foster positive relations
among nations by promoting principles of equality, sovereignty, and self-
determination. It advocates for the peaceful resolution of disputes and encourages
mutual respect for the rights and sovereignty of all nations, regardless of their size,
wealth, or power.
C) To cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian
problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms: This
objective highlights the importance of global cooperation in addressing common
challenges such as poverty, disease, inequality, and human rights abuses.
D) To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends:
The UN serves as a central forum for coordinating and aligning the efforts of nations
in pursuit of the objectives outlined above. It provides a platform for dialogue,
negotiation, and decision-making on matters of global concern, helping to ensure that
collective action is taken to address shared challenges and achieve common goals.

Now, let us examine the success and failures of the UN in achieving its objectives
a) Maintenance of peace and security: The UN Security Council (UNSC) bears the
primary responsibility for global peace and security, per Article 24(1) of the UN
Charter. Comprising 15 members, 5 are permanent (the P5), wielding veto power:
the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France. While
historically inactive during the Cold War, the UNSC has passed resolutions to aid
peace processes, resolve disputes, and impose sanctions. Notably, during Iraq's
 occupation of Kuwait in 1990, the UNSC condemned the action and authorized
member states to use force to halt it. However, criticism has arisen for impeding
decisive action in cases of P5 disagreement on international law violations. For
instance, in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia's veto power has hindered
effective UNSC action. Russia, as a permanent member, has used its veto power to
block resolutions critical of its actions in Ukraine, leading to a lack of consensus
and paralysis in the Council. Similarly, in Gaza, a resolution for a humanitarian
ceasefire was vetoed by the US to support Israel, following attacks by Hamas and
Israel's retaliatory actions. These instances underscore challenges in UNSC
operations, where veto-wielding members can block resolutions critical of their
actions, leading to impasses and inaction despite humanitarian crises or threats to
peace.
b) To develop friendly relations among nations: In this area, the UN has provided a
platform for dialogue and cooperation among nations, facilitating diplomatic
relations and fostering mutual understanding and respect. By acting as a forum for
dialogue and diplomacy, the UN has certainly helped in developing friendly
relations among nations. However, the power imbalances, competing interests
among member states and the perception of double standards in UN actions have
undermine its credibility in promoting equal rights and self-determination for all
peoples and hindered the development of truly friendly relations among nations
c) To cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian
problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms:
To diminish the underlying causes of future conflicts that might lead to such
threats to the peace or breach of peace, the founding fathers of the UN also
provided mechanisms for economic and social progress and development and to
promote higher standards of living. This job has been assigned to the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) - third main organ of UN ECOSOC directs
initiatives to foster economic growth in developing countries, administer
humanitarian aid projects, promote human rights, combat discrimination, and
advance science and technology. Through initiatives like the Millennium
Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, the UN has made
significant strides in addressing poverty, disease, and environmental degradation.
It has facilitated international cooperation to combat diseases like HIV/AIDS and
Ebola, improve education and healthcare access, and promote sustainable
 development. Additionally, the UN has created a comprehensive body of human
rights law, including the International Bill of Human Rights, consisting of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two International Covenants.
However, despite these achievements, the UN faces challenges in coordinating
international efforts, mobilizing resources, and addressing the root causes of
poverty and inequality. In promoting human rights, it has faced criticisms for
insufficient enforcement mechanisms and instances of human rights violations
going unchecked, revealing areas where the organization has struggled to
effectively uphold its principles.
d) To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common
ends: While the UN provides a forum for dialogue and cooperation among
member states, its effectiveness in harmonizing actions and achieving consensus
on critical issues has been limited by geopolitical divisions and power struggles.
As has been mentioned before, the veto power of the permanent members of the
Security Council, for example, has often led to deadlock and hindered decisive
action on pressing global issues such as climate change, humanitarian crises, and
armed conflicts. Efforts to reform the UN's decision-making processes and
enhance its legitimacy and effectiveness have faced resistance from powerful
member states, further complicating efforts to achieve consensus and cooperation.

In conclusion, while the United Nations has made significant contributions to international
peace, cooperation, and development, its performance in achieving its objectives has been
mixed. While it has achieved successes in some areas, such as peacekeeping and
development, it has faced challenges and criticisms in others, such as conflict prevention and
consensus-building. The UN continues to adapt and evolve in response to changing global
dynamics, striving to fulfill its mission of promoting peace, prosperity, and justice for all.

Q2) Examine the composition, role and functions of the general assembly (15)

Ans: Chapter IV of the UN Charter embodies the provisions pertaining to the

compositions, powers. and functions of the General Assembly. Established in

1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly occupies a
central position as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative
organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 members of the United
Nations, it provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of
international issues covered by the Charter.

Regarding the composition of the Assembly, Article 9 states that the

General Assembly shall consist of all the members of the United Nations and
each member, big or small, shall have not more than five representatives in the
General Assembly. However each member state can only cast one vote.

According to Article 18 of the charter, ‘Decisions of the General

Assembly on important questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the
members present and voting.’ The charter also outlined the ‘important
questions’ on which decisions of the Assembly require a two-third majority of
the members present and voting. These questions are: (1) recommendations with
respect to the maintenance of international peace and security; (2) the election
of the non-permanent members of the Security Council; (3) the election of the
members of the Economic and Social Council; (4) the admission of new
members to the UN; (5) the suspension of the rights and privileges of
membership; (6) the expulsion of members; (7) questions relating to the
operation of the trusteeship system; and (8) budgetary questions. According to
provisions of the charter, decisions on other questions shall be made by a simple
majority of members present and voting. The General Assembly, as per Article
21 of the charter, ‘shall adopt its own rules of procedure. It shall elect its
President for each session’. Nowadays, the regular session of the GA begins in
the third week of September, under the charge of the President of the previous
session. The first task of a new Assembly is to elect its own President to assume
the Chair for the next twelve months. A new Assembly also elects several vice
presidents and some chairmen for the standing committees. The regular annual
session of the Assembly is held in New York. As per Article 20 of the charter,
special sessions of the assembly may be convened by the Secretary-General at
the request of the Security Council or a majority of the members of the UN.

The powers and functions of the general assembly will be discussed below:

a) Discussion and debate The General Assembly is best known for its
discussions and debates. It is considered to be the biggest and most
important of all international platforms, where different countries across
the world can exchange views and engage in discussion in debates about
events happening all over the world. Article 11 of the UN Charter states
that General Assembly may discuss any questions relating to the
maintenance of international peace and security. This provision indicates
that the Assembly may discuss anything under the sun. It also performs
the duty of referring actions to the Security Council. For such reference,
debates are necessary, and that is why debates constitute an integral part
of the overall functions of the Assembly
b) Legislative functions A second important function of the General
Assembly is the codification and development of international law. This
function, according to Nicholas, brings the General assembly nearest to
the law-making activities of a national legislature. This is why this
Assembly is often called a quasi legislature. According to Article 13 of
the charter, ‘encouraging the progressive development of international
law and its codification’ constitutes an important legal activity of the GA.
Article 13 further empowers the Assembly to make recommendations for
the ‘realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without
distinction as to race, sex, language or religion’. The General assembly
even established the International Law Commission in 1948 to codify
international law. The same year, it also passed the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights to set a general guideline for the protection of human
rights all over the world.
c) Political function: The General Assembly (GA) also engages in political
functions. Initially designed as a 'deliberative organ,' political
responsibilities were primarily assigned to the Security Council.
However, due to the Security Council's limitations, the GA gained
importance. In 1950, during the Korean War, the GA passed the Uniting
for Peace Resolution. It contained a provision that the General Assembly
can meet in twenty-four hours if the Security Council is prevented by the
 veto from exercising its primary responsibility of maintaining
international peace and security. This resolution empowered the
Assembly to take important political decisions bypassing the Security
Council. Equipped with this resolution, the Assembly pushed itself into
the field of political activities which the charter intended to reserve for
the council. Although the Assembly failed in sustaining its ‘supremacy’
achieved through the resolution in the later years, it nevertheless started
dabbling in the political affairs of the UN after the Uniting for Peace
Resolution was passed.
d) Elective function: The Assembly shares some important elective
functions with the Security Council. It, along with the council, can elect
the Secretary-General, the judges of the International Court of Justice,
and admit new members to the UN. It can also elect 10 non permanent
members of the Security Council and fifty-four members of the Economic
and Social Council. In both the cases, principles of ‘geographical
equality’ are maintained. The Assembly also elects members of the
Trusteeship Council.
e) Supervisory functions: The General Assembly controls and supervises the
activities of almost all other organs of the UN. It is to the Assembly that
the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the
Trusteeship Council submit their reports.
f) Miscellaneous functions: The Assembly has several other functions
which may be together called the miscellaneous functions. It scrutinizes
and passes the budget of the UN, fixes rates of subscription for member-
states, and discusses budgets of the specialized agencies. It has a role in
the amendment of the UN Charter as well. The charter can be amended
with the consent of a two-thirds majority of members of the General
Assembly along with the approval of all five permanent members of the
Security Council.
Q3) Examine the composition, role and functions of the security council (15)
Ans: The Security Council, a very important organ of the UN for maintaining
international peace and security, has a very limited membership, unlike the
General Assembly. Article 23 of the Charter elaborately states the composition
of the Security Council. According to this Article, the council shall consist of
fifteen members—five permanent and ten non-permanent. Currently, the
permanent members of the Security Council are the United States of America,
Russia (it had taken the place of the former Soviet Union), Britain, France and
People’s Republic of China. The concept of big powers assuming permanent
membership of the council was created by the founders of the UN to achieve
big-power unanimity, which they thought would help adequately in maintaining
international peace and security. The ten non-permanent members of the council
are elected for a term of two years, on the basis of equitable geographical
distribution. None of them is re-elected immediately after the expiry of its two-
year term. Each member-state of the Security Council shall have one
representative and one vote. The council, according to the charter, holds
periodic meetings, as and when necessary.
The system of voting in the Security Council, though controversial, needs a special
mention. Article 27 of the UN charter lays down the voting procedure of the UNSC. Each
member of the Security Council shall have one vote, and Decisions on procedural matters are
made by an affirmative vote of at least nine of the 15 members. Decisions on substantive
matters require nine votes, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members.
This is the rule of great Power unanimity, often referred to as the “veto” power.
Functions of the UNSC will be discussed below:
a) Maintenance of international peace and security: Article 24 entrusts the prime
responsibility to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the
principles and purposes of the United Nations. For this purpose, a Military Staff
Committee of the UN is placed under the control of the Security Council, although
use of military power would be the last resort of the council and the UN. The council
would try for peaceful settlement of disputes without the use of military power. For
this end, the charter elaborately laid down provisions for Pacific Settlement of
Disputes. A brief discussion on the different mechanisms for maintaining peace
follows:
I. Pacific settlement of disputes: Chapter VI of the UN Charter endows all
powers to the Security Council to go for pacific settlement of disputes
between or among rival states. Settlement of disputes is to be primarily
achieved through negotiation and conciliation.
II. Power of action in cases of threats to peace: If efforts for pacific settlement
of disputes fail, the Security Council can act accordingly to restore peace.
Chapter VII of the charter (articles 39 to 51) is full of appropriate methods
of ‘actions’ of the council. the Security Council under Article 39 shall
determine the existence of any threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of
aggression, and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures
shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore
international peace and security. But the council shall explore all other
possible measures to deter threats to international peace before taking
military actions. Under Article 41, the Security Council may decide what
measures, not involving the use of armed force, are to be employed to give
effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the members of the United
Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial
interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic,
radio and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic
relations. all these measures prove to be inadequate in restoring peace, the
council shall resort to military action, as per provisions of the charter,
against the offender. For this purpose, all the members of the UN are
requested by Article 43 of the charter to provide the Security Council with
armed forces and the rights of passage. As per Article 46, ‘Plans for the
application of armed forces shall be made by the Security Council with the
assistance of the Military Staff Committee’. The Security Council had to
approve military actions for breach of international peace on several
occasions in the recent past.
III. Power to work for disarmament: Universal disarmament is a necessary
condition to maintain international peace. The UN Charter gave the Security
Council powers to exercise regulation of armaments. Article 26 empowered
 the council to work for the regulation of arms globally. The Security Council
shall exercise these powers with the assistance of the Military Staff
Committee, as per provisions of this article
b) Elective functions: The council shares some elective functions with the General
Assembly. Along with the Assembly, it elects new members to the UN, the Secretary-
General of the organization, and judges of the International Court of Justice. It sends its
recommendations to the General Assembly on these matter
The founders of the UN wanted to make the Security Council the strongest of all UN
organs. But the council could not fulfill the hopes of its mentors. Several structural
and functional weaknesses are responsible for a largely ineffective council. To begin
with the structural problems, the limited membership of the council had come under
criticism. In an organization that has currently 192 member-states, the council
involves only fifteen countries as its members, and they take all crucial decisions on
issues relating to international peace and security. The decisions of the Security
Council are, therefore, never the decisions of the majority of countries of the UN.
Moreover, the concept of permanent membership to achieve greatpower unity did not
work at all due to Cold War politics.

Overall, the UNSC serves as the primary organ of the UN responsible for
addressing and responding to threats to international peace and security, with its
decisions carrying significant weight in the international community. However, its
effectiveness can be influenced by the dynamics among its permanent members and
the use of the veto power, which can sometimes lead to gridlock and inaction.