United nations

United Nations

SIMSR | PGDM-B | 2011-13

Abhishek Rajan (#103)

Kshitij Registrar (#121)

Prashant Rathor (#137)

Genesis

Organization and Objectives

Organs and Agencies of the UN

Significant Conventions and Agreements

Agenda

Significant Conventions and Agreements

Established to replace the flawed League of

Nations

Franklin D. Roosevelt first coined the term

'United Nations'

Genesis

'United Nations'

Officially came into existence on 24 October

1945

Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 193 Member States to express their views, through the 5 main organs ,other bodies and committees

The UN's most visible public figure is the Secretary-General, currently Ban-Ki-Moon of South Korea, who attained the post in

Organization

The UN's most visible public figure is the Secretary-General, currently Ban-Ki-Moon of South Korea, who attained the post in 2007

Headquarters : New York City, with further main offices at Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna

The organization is financed from assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states, and has six official languages

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish

Stated Objectives

Peacekeeping and security

Social and economic development

Human rights and humanitarian assistance

International LawInternational Law

Organs of the UN

One major problem of the League of Nations was the

lack of division of responsibility, no way to coordinate

military or economic actions between countries

UN was created with 5 major ‘organs’ to avoid these

issuesissues

The Security Council

The General Assembly

The Secretariat

The Economic and Social Council

The International Court of Justice

**The United Nations Trusteeship Council (is currently inactive)

General Assembly

Function:

to oversee the budget of the United Nations,

appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council

receive reports from other parts of the United Nations

make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions

Composition: Made up of every country in the United Nations

Head: President of the United Nations General AssemblyHead: President of the United Nations General Assembly

Working:

Its composition, functions, powers, voting, and procedures are set out in

Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter

Every country gets one vote

On important questions, a two-thirds majority of those present and voting is

required.

Cannot make binding decisions- all agreements are only recommendations

The recommendations of the General Assembly are seen as the moral authority

in international disputes

General Assembly

The General Assembly meets under its president or Secretary-

General in regular yearly sessions the main part of which lasts

from September to December and resumed part from January

until all issues are addressed (which often is just before the next

session's start).

It can also reconvene for special and emergency special It can also reconvene for special and emergency special

sessions.

During the 1980s, the Assembly became a forum for the North-

South dialogue – the discussion of issues between industrialized

nations and developing countries. These issues came to the fore

because of the phenomenal growth and changing makeup of the

UN membership.

Security Council

Function:

Responsible for maintaining international peace and security

Composition:

5 permanent (US, Britain, France, Russia, China)

10 non-permanent

Head: Rotates between membersHead: Rotates between members

Working:

Makes binding decisions about international disputes

Recommend mediations, send peacekeeping missions, impose economic sanctions and arms embargos

Decisions must be passed by 9/15 members and all of the 5 permanent members

A negative vote, or veto, also known as the rule of "great power unanimity", by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal

The Economic and Social Council

Function: It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions

Established: 1945

Head: President of ECOSOC (six month term)

Composition:

ECOSOC has 54 members ECOSOC has 54 members

• Working:

it holds a four-week session each year in July

Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Also works with non-governmental bodies, making it a key connection between the UN and civil society

Oversees set up of organizations to address economic and social issues internationally

The Secretariat

Function:

It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their meetings.

It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and other U.N. bodies

Composition:Composition:

The United Nations Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide.

Working:

Each UN member country is enjoined to respect the international character of the Secretariat and not seek to influence its staff.

The Secretary-General alone is responsible for staff selection.


Functions:

Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General Assembly.

Location: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), located in The Location: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), located in The Hague, Netherlands

Composition: The ICJ is composed of fifteen judges elected to nine year terms by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council from a list of persons nominated by the national groups in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

No. of Judges: 15 elected judges

Jurisdiction: Worldwide, 192 State Parties

Working:

Its purpose is to adjudicate disputes among states.

Cases related to war crimes, illegal state interference and ethnic cleansing


ethnic cleansing

Participation by states is optional, but if a state chooses to go, the decisions made by the court are binding

Also provides advisory opinions to other organs upon request

Agencies of United Nations

There are approximately 60 agencies of United Nations. Of them there are seven specialized agencies :-

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

International Labour Organization (ILO)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)International Monetary Fund (IMF)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

World Bank (WB)

World Health Organization (WHO)

UNCITRAL

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL),

established by the United Nations General Assembly by its resolution 2205

(XXI) of 17 December 1966

It is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of

international trade law.

In order to increase commercial trade opportunities worldwide, UNCITRAL is

formulating modern, fair, and harmonized rules on commercial transactionsformulating modern, fair, and harmonized rules on commercial transactions

Its responsibilities include preparing and promoting the use and adoption of

legislative and non-legislative instruments in a number of key areas of

commercial law.

Those areas include dispute resolution, international contract practices,

transport, insolvency, electronic commerce, international payments, secured

transactions, procurement and sale of goods

UNCITRAL-Responsibilities

These instruments are negotiated through an international process

involving a variety of participants, including member States of

UNCITRAL, non-member states, intergovernmental organizations, and

non-governmental organizations.

Responsibilities:

Conventions, model laws and rules which are acceptable worldwideConventions, model laws and rules which are acceptable worldwide

Legal and legislative guides and recommendations of great practical

value

Updated information on case law and enactments of uniform

commercial law

Technical assistance in law reform projects

Regional and national seminars on uniform commercial law

UNCITRAL-Members

Members are selected from among States Members of the

United Nations. UNCITRAL’s original membership comprised

29 States and was expanded by the General Assembly of the

United Nations in 1973 to 36 States and again in 2002to 60

States.

The 60 member States include 14 African States, 14 Asian The 60 member States include 14 African States, 14 Asian

States, 8 Eastern European States, 10 Latin American and

Caribbean States and 14 Western European and other States.

India, China, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, Japan ,

Singapore are some of its members.

UNCITRAL-Methods of work

UNCITRAL’s work is organized and conducted at three levels.

The first level is UNCITRAL itself, often referred to as the

Commission, which holds an annual plenary session.

The second level is the intergovernmental working groups,

which to a large extent undertake the development of the

topics on UNCITRAL’s work programme.topics on UNCITRAL’s work programme.

The third is the secretariat, which assists the Commission and

its working groups in the preparation and conduct of their

work.

UNCITRAL-Methods of work

Working Groups

The six working groups and their current topics are as

follows:

Working Group I - Procurement

Working Group II - Arbitration and Conciliation

Working Group III - Online Dispute Resolution

Working Group IV - Electronic Commerce

Working Group V - Insolvency Law

Working Group VI - Security Interests

UNCITRAL

Sale of Goods United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale

of Goods (Vienna, 1980)

UNCITRAL Legal Guide on International Countertrade Transactions

(1992)

Transport of goods United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea

(Hamburg, 1978)

Dispute Resolution UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules (1976)

UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration

(1985)

UNCITRAL Notes on Organizing Arbitral Proceedings (1996)

Electronic Commerce UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce (1996)

UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures (2001)

UNCTAD

Established in 1964, UNCTAD (United Conference on Trade

and Development) promotes the development-friendly

integration of developing countries into the world economy.

193 countries are member of UNCTAD.

India, China, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, India, China, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Japan,

Germany, Russia, South Africa are some of its important

members.

The Secretary-General of UNCTAD is Dr. Supachai

Panitchpakdi (Thailand), who took office on 1 September

2005.

Its headquarter is at Geneva.

UNCTAD-Key Functions

It functions as a forum for intergovernmental

deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and

exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building.

It undertakes research, policy analysis and data

collection for the debates of government representatives collection for the debates of government representatives

and experts.

It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific

requirements of developing countries, with special

attention to the needs of the least developed countries

and of economies in transition.

UNCTAD-Main Activities

Trade and commodities

Investment and enterprise development

Macro economic policies, debt environment and

financing

Initiative in Technology and AssistanceInitiative in Technology and Assistance

Providing support to LDC (Least Developed Countries)

UNCTAD-Secretariat

The secretariat undertakes research, policy analysis

and data collection to provide substantive inputs

for the discussions of the experts and government

representatives in these intergovernmental bodies.

It also provides a series of technical assistance It also provides a series of technical assistance

programmes and projects in support of developing

countries, paying particular attention to the special

handicaps of the least developed countries.

UNCTAD-Relationship with other

Organization

World Trade Organization: In April 2003, the organizations signed a

Memorandum of Understanding providing for cooperation and

consultations on their technical assistance activities and for the

conduct of joint studies on selected issues.

International Trade Centre: Both UNCTAD and WTO are represented in

the Joint Advisory Group supervising ITC’s work, and UNCTAD has a the Joint Advisory Group supervising ITC’s work, and UNCTAD has a

number of joint technical assistance activities with ITC.

UN Regional Commissions and UNDP UNCTAD cooperates with these

international entities on a project-by-project basis, be it in relation to

research projects, joint workshops and seminars, or technical

assistance

UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is

the United Nations' global development network. It

advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge,

experience and resources to help people build a better life.

UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on

their own solutions to global and national development their own solutions to global and national development

challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the

people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.

Its headquarter s is at New York.

UNDP-Key Functions

Democratic Governance

Poverty Reduction

Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Sustainable growthSustainable growth

Fight against HIV/AIDS

Human Development Report-Human Development Index(HDI)

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

Signed December 10, 1982

Location Montego Bay, Jamaica

Rights and

responsibilities of nations

in their use of the worlds Location Montego Bay, Jamaica

Effective November 16, 1994

Condition 60 ratifications

Parties 162

DepositarySecretary-general of the

United Nations

LanguagesArabic, Chinese, English,

French, Russian and Spanish

in their use of the worlds

oceans

Guidelines for business

and environment

Management of marine

natural resources

History

17th century – ‘Freedom of the seas' concept

‘Cannon Shot' rule - Cornelius van Bynkershoek,

Dutch jurist

20th century – Nations desired to extend

national claimnational claim

include mineral resources

to protect fish stocks

provide the means to enforce pollution controls

United Nations Conference on

the Law of the Seas “UNCLOS”

UNCLOS I

First Conference on the Law of the Sea – Geneva,

Switzerland, 1958

UNCLOS II

Second Conference on the Law of the Sea – Geneva,

Switzerland, 1960

UNCLOS II

Third Conference on the Law of the Sea – New York,

USA, 1973

UNCLOS III

Significant issues covered were:

Setting limits

Navigation

Archipelagic status and transit regimes

Exclusive economic zones (EEZs)

Continental shelf jurisdiction

Deep seabed mining

The exploitation regime

Protection of the marine environment

Scientific research

Settlement of disputes

UNCLOS III

UNCLOS III

United Nations Convention against

Corruption

Drafted 31 October 2003

Signed 9 December 2003

Location Mérida, Mexico

Effective 14 December 2005

First legally binding

international anti-

corruption instrument

8 Chapters and 71 ArticlesEffective 14 December 2005

Condition 30 ratifications

Signatories 140

Parties 158

DepositarySecretary-general of the

United Nations

LanguagesArabic, Chinese, English,

French, Russian and Spanish

Measures and Provisions

Prevention

Criminalization and law enforcement measures

International cooperation

Asset recoveryAsset recovery

Technical assistance and information exchange

Establish an inter-governmental organization

concerning specific commodities

Promote non-discriminatory trade, enhance

international cooperation, improve commodity

economy, encourage increased demand

UN Commodity Agreements

economy, encourage increased demand

Consensus on quantities traded, prices, and stock

management

UN Commodity Agreements

Members Signed Effective

International Coffee Agreement 2007 77 28-Sep-07 02-Feb-11International Coffee Agreement 2007 77 28-Sep-07 02-Feb-11

International Cocoa Agreement 2010 33 25-Jun-10 01-Oct-12

International Sugar Agreement 1992 62 20-Mar-92 20-Jan-93