United Nations and International Bodies
Overview
The United Nations (UN) is the most important international organisation in the world, established after World War II to maintain international peace and promote cooperation among nations. For MP TET Social Studies, this topic carries direct relevance as it connects civics understanding with global awareness—a key objective of upper-primary social studies curriculum.
Students must understand the UN's origin, its principal organs and their functions, and the work of major specialised agencies. Questions typically test factual recall (headquarters, founding date, member count) and functional understanding (which organ does what). This topic also links to India's role in international affairs and concepts of global citizenship emphasised in NCF 2005.
Mastering this topic requires memorising key facts about the six principal organs and understanding how specialised agencies address specific global challenges like health, education, and labour rights.
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Key Concepts
- **Origin of UN**: Founded on 24 October 1945 after World War II; replaced the failed League of Nations; headquarters in New York City, USA.
- **Charter and Membership**: UN Charter is the founding document; currently 193 member states; India is a founding member (joined 30 October 1945).
- **Four Main Purposes**: Maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among nations; achieve international cooperation; serve as a centre for harmonising actions of nations.
- **Six Principal Organs**: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Secretariat.
- **Veto Power**: Five permanent members of Security Council (P5) have veto power—any one can block a resolution.
- **Specialised Agencies**: Autonomous organisations linked to UN through special agreements; work in specific fields like health, education, labour, and finance.
- **India and UN**: India has contributed significantly to UN peacekeeping missions; has been a non-permanent member of Security Council eight times; seeks permanent membership in an expanded Security Council.
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Key Facts
### Principal Organs of the United Nations
| Organ | Composition | Key Functions | Headquarters | |-------|-------------|---------------|--------------| | **General Assembly** | All 193 members (one vote each) | Discusses international issues; approves budget; elects non-permanent SC members | New York | | **Security Council** | 15 members (5 permanent + 10 non-permanent) | Maintains peace and security; can impose sanctions; authorise military action | New York | | **ECOSOC** | 54 members (elected for 3 years) | Coordinates economic, social, and related work of UN agencies | New York | | **Trusteeship Council** | Currently suspended (1994) | Supervised trust territories until independence | New York | | **International Court of Justice** | 15 judges (9-year terms) | Settles legal disputes between states; gives advisory opinions | The Hague, Netherlands | | **Secretariat** | UN staff headed by Secretary-General | Day-to-day administration of UN | New York |