International Political Institution

United Nations Organizations

International Monetary Fund
World Bank
International Court of Justice
 
The UN
 The United Nations Organizations (UNO)

• The United Nations was established on 24 October

1945 by 51 countries.
• As a result of initiatives taken by the governments
of the states that had led the war against Germany
and Japan. (victors of WWII)
• 193 countries were members of the United Nations
• Headquarter : New York (USA)
• Secretary General: Ban Ki Moon
 Purpose of the UN
• To preserve peace and eliminate war
• To save the succeeding generations from the scourge of
war.
OR
• According to the Charter, the UN had four
purposes:
• 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;
• to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
• UN in 1960 pleaded colonial powers for granting
Independence to Colonial Countries in 1960
• The UN Committee on Decolonization (1961): "Non-Self-
Governing Territories", the largest and most populous of
which is Western Sahara.
• The UN Environment Program (UNEP), (1972)
• The UN-sponsored Kyoto Protocol (1997) sets legal-
binding for emissions reduction targets on ratifying states.
• The UN also declares and co-ordinates international
observances, periods of time to observe issues of
international interest or concern i.e. World Tuberculosis
Day, Earth Day, the International Year of Deserts and
Desertification
 The Origin of the UN
• The failure of LoN and the WW II
• The WW II compelled the world for having an int. org
• The Atlantic Charter: August 14, 1941, (Churchill and F. D. Roosevelt),
 Objective of collective cooperation
 Principles of equability of nations
 Universal peace
 To destroy Nazism and
 To avoid territory through acquiring

 The Charter set goals for the post-war world and inspired many of
the international agreements that shaped the world thereafter. The
GATT), the post-war independence of European colonies, and much
more are derived from the Atlantic Charter.
• The United Nations Declaration/ San Francisco
Conference (Jan 01, 1942): signed by Roosevelt,
Churchill, Maxim Litvinov, and Soong
 Objectives: mutual cooperation among states
 No secret agreements with enemies
 Importance
 The word United Nations was used for the first
time
 Signatory and ratification of Original membership
• Moscow Declaration (Oct 30, 1943), representative of Britain,
America Russia and China
 Objectives: to take joint action against the enemy
 Urgent need of establishing of world org:
 Based upon the principle of equability
 Open for all states
 And be able to maintain int’l peace and security
• The Tehran Conference (Dec 01, 1943): Churchill, Roosevelt and
Stalin again emphasis were on the establishment of World Org.
• Dumbarton Oaks Conference (August 21, 1944) conference held in
two phase
 Russia, Britain and America
 China, Britain and America
 Importance:
 All the matters related to the composition, functions,
principles organs etc. were discussed
 Britain, china, Soviet and America approved the proposed
name as The United Nations
 Functions of the UN was defined
 Also organs of UN was agreed i.e. General Assembly, Security
Council, ECOSOC, Secretariat and Int’l Court of Justice but
with some unresolved questions
• The Yalta Conference (Feb 11, 1945): Churchill, Roosevelt
and Stalin in order to give final touch to the proposed World
Org
• San Francisco Conference (June 25, 1945): preside over by
Lord Halifax and the charter of the UN adopted unanimously
• Came into force after the big five and other states sign and
ratify it which was completed on Oct. 24, 1945
 Membership of the UN
• Original Members: those who signed the San Francisco
Conference Jan. 1, 1942.
• States admittance to the UN: affirmative vote of SC and two
third (2/3) majority of Gen. assembly
Prerequisite to become member of the UN;
 (1) It must be a state,
 (2) Must be peace loving,
 (3) Must accept the obligations of the charter,
 (4) Must be willing to carry out these obligations of the charter
and
 (5) It must be able to carry to these obligations.
 UN operates on the principles of;

 Sovereign equality of all members irrespective of size or

strength
 Fulfillment of the obligations of the UN
 Peaceful settlement of int’l disputes
 Principles of Non-intervention
 Non-intervention in domestic affairs of states
• Is withdrawal possible from UN?

• Expulsion of a members: require nine affirmative vote of SC

and 2/3 majority of General Assembly.

• Suspension of members: SC and 2/3 GA but a member can

be restored by SC without consensus of GA
 UN as “Government”

• The “Legislature”
– Security Council
– The General Assembly
• The “Executive”
– The General Secretary and Agencies
• The “Judiciary”
– International Court of Justice
 Main Bodies of the UN

• The Charter of the UN constitutes six active

principal organs

•These are supported by several sub organs and

special organizations

•Except for the International Court of Justice all

headquarters are situated in New York
 Security Council
 Composed of 15 members
 5 permanent and 10 chosen members
The 5 permanent members include the People’s Republic of
China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States.
Each permanent member has the power to veto any measure.
The only body that can make global binding decisions
 Functions of UNSC

 To investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to

international friction;
 To recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of
settlement;
 To formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate
armaments;
 To determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of
aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
 To call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other
measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop
aggression;
 To take military action against an aggressor;
 To recommend the admission of new Members;
 To recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the
Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the
Judges of the International Court of Justice.
 Two hypocrites at the UN

• Developing countries: complaining about the lack of

democracy in the UN and often repressing their own
people at home. (dictatorship of powerful)

• Powerful countries: defenders of human rights and

democracy in other countries but not keen to extend
the same notions at the UN
 General Assembly

• Scrutiny of the UN budget

• The regular plenary meeting holds annual meetings in autumn.
• Each member of the GA shall have one vote
• Decisions of the GA on important questions shall be made by a
two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.
 These questions shall include: recommendations for int. peace
and security, the election of the non-permanent members of the
Security Council,
 the election of the members of the Economic and Social Council,
the election of members of the Trusteeship Council,
 the admission of new Members to the UN, the suspension of the
rights and privileges of membership,
 the expulsion of Members, questions relating to the operation of
the trusteeship system, and budgetary questions.
 If We Were to Create a New International Organization . .
Debate……

Present Voting Rules in the Possible Options for a New

UNGA International Organization?

• One member, one vote
• Certain categories require
2/3 vote
• Otherwise simple majority
• Consensus???
• Base votes on population???
• Base votes on financial
contributions to the
budget???
• Should we create a
bicameral international
organization???
 The Secretariat
• The office staff of the UN
• most important administrative organ
• organizational support of the other UN Bodies
• Consist of more than 50,000 employees
• Look after the administrative work
• Preparing minutes of meetings,
• Translations and information
• Headed by Secretary General
• Run by Secretary General and international public servants
• The main spokesman for the UN
• Appointed for five years
• He or She is not from a major powers
• the Secretary-General has the highest executive functions in
the UN system
 International Court of Justice (ICJ)

 The principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN)

 The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in the Hague
(Netherlands)

 The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international

law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give
advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by
authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies

 The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms

of office of nine years by the United Nations General
Assembly and the Security Council.
 French and English are official languages.
 History of ICJ
• The idea for the creation of an int. court to arbitrate int.
disputes first arose during the various conferences that
produced the Hague conventions in late 19th and early 20th
century.
• The body subsequently established, the permanent court of
arbitration, was the precursor of the permanent court of
international justice which was established by LoN.
• From 1921 to 139 the PICJ issued more than 30 decisions
and delivered nearly as many as many advisory opinion.

• All members of the UN are parties to the statute of the ICJ,

and non-members may also become parties.
 Powers and Functions of ICJ

• Adjudication in contentious cases between states

(art. 34)

• Advisory opinions to UN organs and UN related

Organizations (art. 65)
 Jurisdiction 36 (2) concerning
• Interpretation treaties

• Every question of public international law

• Establishment of facts, which contain violation

of public international law

• Content and amount of compensation

 How the Court works?

The Court may entertain two types of cases:

1. Legal disputes between States submitted to it by
them (contentious cases)

2. Requests for advisory opinions on legal questions

referred to it by United Nations organs and
specialized agencies (advisory proceedings).
• Contentious cases
 Only States (States Members of the United Nations
and other States which have become parties to the
Statute of the Court or which have accepted its
jurisdiction under certain conditions) may be parties
to contentious cases.
 The Court is competent to entertain a dispute only if
the States concerned have accepted its jurisdiction.
• Advisory Proceedings
 Advisory proceedings before the Court are open
solely to five organs of the United Nations and to
16 specialized agencies of the United Nations family.
 The United Nations General Assembly and Security
Council may request advisory opinions on “any legal
question”. Other United Nations organs and
specialized agencies can only ask for advice on their
special area.
 Criticism on ICJ
• Limited jurisdiction
• No consensual basis
• Case is not admissible ---- claimant has no
standing. (must be binding on all parties
involved)
 UN Trusteeship Council

 Responsible for supervising the administration of Trust

Territories placed under the Trusteeship System.
• Major goals : to promote the
advancement of the inhabitants of Trust Territories and
their progressive development
towards self-government or independence.
• The aims of the Trusteeship System have been fulfilled to such
an extent that all Trust Territories have attained self-
government or independence, either as separate States or by
joining neighboring independent countries. South Africa vs.
Namibia

• The Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994, with

the independence of Palau, the last remaining United Nations
trust territory, on 1 October 1994.
 Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC)
• Coordinates the work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, 10
functional commissions and five regional commissions
 Receives reports from 11 UN funds and programmes
 Issues policy recommendations to UN Bodies and Member
States
 Is controlled by the General Assembly
 Does not hold executive authority

 The ECOSOC is the central forum for discussing economic

and social issues within the UN
a. Tasks and functions
• promotion of living standards, full employment, economic and
social progress
• solutions to int. economic, social and health problems
• Int. cultural and educational cooperation
• encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms.
• consults with academics, business sector representatives and
more than 2100 registered NGO’s
• Example: Millennium Development Goals, ICT Task Force
[Information and communication Technologies], African
Development, Poverty eradication and sustainable development
Structure and members
c. Subsidiary Bodies of the ECOSOC
• Functional Commissions
Statistical Commission
Commission on Population and Development
Commission for Social Development
Commission on the Status of Women
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Commission on Science and Technology for Development
Commission on Sustainable Development
United Nations Forum on Forests
• Standing Committees
Committee for Programme and Coordination
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental
Agencies
• Governmental Experts
Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous
Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical
names
 Comparison between LoN and the UN

• The covenant of the • The UN was not formed

LoN was a part of treaty as a result of any peace
of Versailles treaty
• An org. of the states • Org. of the people
• Three principal organs: • Six principals organs
assembly, Council and
Secretariat
• Ordinary limited to the • Peace, war, economic,
political activities educational, cultural
activities etc.
• Principal of unanimity • Majority votes
• Great powers did not • Charter of the UN
possess veto power confers the power of
veto Permanent
members of UNSC
• The powers of • GA… a deliberative
Assembly and Council body while the UNSC
were not clearly responsible for peace
demarcated and security
• Actions could be taken • Both in preventive and pre-
against the members when emptive situations.
they resorted to war.

• Empowered to use forces

• Lacked arm forces for the maintenance of
peace and security
• Obligations to give forces
• No obligation to give
to the UN in order to
armed forces to the LoN maintain peace and security
on the request
• No provision in regard to • Article 51 confers on the
self-defense states the rights of
individual; or collective
defense
• No provision in regard to • Articles 52 and 53
any regional agreements allows it
• No attentions for
encouragement of • Stresses Human rights
human rights. and fundamental
freedoms.
• European in nature
• Mandate system
(French/British)
• PICJ
• Didn’t prohibit war but
simply put certain.
restrictions upon states to
resort to war.
• Regulate relations of only
parties to the Covenant.
• Universal in nature
• Trusteeship council
• ICJ
• Prohibits war but not in
case of self defense
• Regulates even the
relations of non-members
in respect of international
peace and security
 UN Successes
• Peace … Ukraine and Kazakhstan gave up the bomb
• Food aid . End of famine Every year, the UN feeds 104 million
people in 80 countries through WFP.
• Aid to Refugees … UNHCR has helped 17 million asylum-
seekers and refugees during 1949 to 2011
• Protecting Children .. (UNICEF) protects the rights of children
and enhance living standards of children. With the significant
contribution of UNICEF, the number of deaths for children
under the age of 5 has declined from nearly 12 million in 1990
to 6.9 million in 2011.
• Peacekeeping … Currently, the UN has 16 active peacekeeping
missions in hotspot like Syria, Kosovo, North Korea…
 UN Successes
• Running Elections … Incontrovertibly, free election is
one of the most basic political rights of everybody
around the world.
• Reproductive Health and Population Management
• War Crimes Prosecution (Rwanda Yugoslavia)
• Fighting AIDS (AIDS has decreased from 2.3 million in
2005 to 1.6 million in 2012)
• Bringing invisible issues to the forefront (landmine
victims, Marburg fever and Cholera sufferers, child
soldiers, modern-day slavery).
• Prosecutions of Charles Taylor and Slobodan Milosevic
 Failures of UN
• Rwanda Genocide ..1994
• Child Sex abuse in Congo ..Haiti, Bosnia, Cambodia
• Equality … among nations … ????
• Veto … discriminatory ??
• Terrorism .. Modern era of violence ??
• Nuclear proliferation ??
• Civil Wars and Disputes ??
• Child Abuse .. Child soldiers ??
 Failures of UN

• Long standing Unresolved disputes ..

Palestine, Kashmir ??
• Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim
by Serb forces in Srebrenica in 1995.
• Great Power Interventionism … new
justifications were created in 1990s ??
• Iraq War 2003 .. Pre-emption of US
• Failed to achieve economic development as
foreseen by economic and social council.
International Monetary
Fund
 Int. Monetary Fund (IMF) overview
• IMF is an org of 188 countries.
• Working to foster global monetary cooperation,
• Secure financial stability, facilitate int. trade,
promote sustainable growth and reduce poverty
around the world.
• Works to foster global growth and economic
stability.
• Provides policy advice to members to overcome
economic difficulties and also working with
developing countries to help them achieve
macroeconomic stability and reduce poverty.
World Bank
 WB
• Int. Org affiliated with the UN and designed to
finance projects that enhance the economic
development of member states.
• Provides technical assistance and policy advice and
supervises on behalf of int. creditors for the
implementation of free-market reforms.
• Together with the IMF and the WTO, it plays a
pivotal role in overseeing economic policy and
reforming public institutions in developing
countries and defining the global macroeconomic
agenda.
 Origins of WB
• Bretton Wood system 1944.
• WB started operations in June 1946.
• Its first loans were geared toward the post-war
reconstruction of western Europe.
 WB’s constituent institutions
• 1 - The Int. Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD)
• The IBRD provides loans at market rates of interest
to middle-income developing countries and
creditworthy lower-income countries.
• 2 - Int. Development Association (IDA)
• The IDA, founded in 1960, provides interest-free
long-term loans, technical assistance, and policy
advice to low-income developing countries in areas
such as health, education, and rural development
 WB’s constituent institutions
• 3 - International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• Operating in partnership with private investors, provides loans and
loan guarantees and equity financing to business undertakings in
developing countries.
• 4 - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
• Loan guarantees and insurance to foreign investors against loss
caused by non-commercial risks in developing countries are provided
by the MIGA.
• 5 - International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
(ICSID)
• is responsible for the settlement by conciliation or arbitration of
investment disputes between foreign investors and their host
developing countries.