EN1320 1-23-2014

Unit 5. Assignment 2: United Nations

1. The United Nations consists of how many member states?

193

2. What are the four main purposes of the United Nations?

 to maintain international peace and security;

 to develop friendly relations among nations;
 to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
 and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

3. What are the official languages of the United Nations?

Arabic;

Chinese;

English;

French;

Russian and

Spanish.

4. In the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda and the Balkans, what is the role of the Special Advisor
on genocide prevention? (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2004/567)

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 The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide acts as a catalyst to raise awareness of the causes and
dynamics of genocide, to alert relevant actors where there is a risk of genocide, and to advocate and
mobilize for appropriate action.

5. List and describe two humanitarian relief efforts that the United Nations is currently assisting
with.

Since its first coordinated humanitarian relief operations in Europe following the devastation and
massive displacement of people in the Second World War, the United Nations has been relied on
by the international community to respond to natural and man­made disasters that are beyond the
capacity of national authorities alone. Today, the Organization is a major provider of emergency
relief and longer­term assistance, including food, shelter, medical supplies and logistical support,
primarily through its operational agencies, and a catalyst for action by Governments and other
relief agencies.

During the 1990s, civil conflicts have become a central cause of emergency situations. By 1997,
an estimated 50 million people had been forced to flee their homes ­­ 1 out of every 120 people
on earth. In 1997 alone, the United Nations launched 10 new consolidated inter­agency appeals
which raised more than $800 million to assist 15 million people in some 15 countries. In recent
years, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has provided
international protection and assistance to over 20 million people annually ­­ refugees as well as a
growing number of displaced people. The World Food Programme has regularly delivered two
thirds of the world's emergency food assistance, saving millions of lives.

Providing immediate assistance to victims of an emergency is the first, essential step. But
humanitarian action by the United Nations systems goes beyond relief, to involve long­term
rehabilitation and development. In 1997, natural disasters such as storms, floods, landslides and
earthquakes killed some 13,000 people and caused $30 billion in economic losses. Some 90 per
cent of this total occurred in developing countries, a striking indicator of the degree to which
poverty, population pressures and environmental degradation magnify the scale of suffering and
destruction.

A central component of United Nations policy is to ensure that emergency relief contributes to
recovery and longer­term development in the affected area. Economic and social development
remains the best protection against disaster ­­ whether natural or, as is increasingly the case, man­
made.

The United Nations also assists countries in incorporating disaster prevention and preparedness
into their overall development plans. In an effort to raise awareness of the need for prevention
and preparedness, the General Assembly declared the 1990s as the International Decade for
Natural Disaster Reduction. The Decade's objective is to reduce loss of life, economic damage
and social disruption caused by natural disasters. Major themes include assessing the risk of and

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 EN1320 1-23-2014

vulnerability to such hazard; vulnerability and risk assessment; political commitments; and shared
knowledge and technology transfer.

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Yokohama, Japan, 1994) helped to develop new
strategies to reduce the effects of disasters. At the Decade's end in 1999, the international
community will evaluate its achievements and map a comprehensive strategy for the next century.

6. In the area of human development, what are some programs that the United Nations is working
on to assist the plight of women’s education?

Women and girls displaced by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines are being advised on how to
protect themselves from gender­based violence. Tens of thousands of women and girls are
currently still not living at home following the typhoon which killed thousands of people and left
millions homeless.

UN Radio, 29 January 2014

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A quiet revolution: Women in Bangladesh

Since the World Conference on Women in Mexico in 1975 – which was a milestone in the battle
for equality – Bangladesh has been at the forefront among the least­developed countries (LDCs)
in addressing gender disparities.

ILO, 29 January 2014

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Syria: Civilians to be allowed out of Homs, UN­Arab League envoy says

The Syrian Government has agreed to allow women and children in the besieged Syrian city of
Homs to leave "immediately", the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the
League of Arab States today said after a second day of face­to­face talks in Geneva.

UN, 26 January 2014

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