How the United Nations Works

The United Nations is a formidable organization. Most of the world's nations are members of the UN, which works for the well-being of about 6 billion people. Its annual budget is approximately $ 2.5 billion, and its tasks range from settling the world's quarrels to feeding the hungry, educating the young, and caring for the sick. The functioning of such a large and international organization is, naturally, quite complex.

Essentially, the guidebook of the UN is the Charter of the United Nations. Every nation which chooses to become a member of the United Nations must abide by the rules of the Charter. It clearly states what, how, when, and by whom things should be done. Just as many of our countries have constitutions dictating how things are to take place in a given society, the United Nations' Charter says how it should function. Needless to say, the UN has evolved during its half-century of existence. However, to this day, the UN's basic rules remain fundamentally unchanged from the way they were fifty years ago.

The Charter states that the goal of the organization is to make the world safer and better by stopping conflicts, by promoting cooperation and good relations between the nations of the world and by encouraging the implementation of human rights. (Article 2) The UN strives to do so through humanitarian action and diplomacy.

Plough Shares

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Its mandate does not go far beyond the fundamental principles which are inscribed in the Charter, and the organization may not intervene in countries' domestic affairs; the United Nations recognizes the sovereignty of its members. Therefore, it may not, for instance, overthrow the government in a corrupt country ruled by a dictatorship on the grounds that it is not in conformity with UN policies. However, it may write unfavourable reports on this country and, if need be, revoke the countries' membership to the organization. It is to be noted that the UN cannot make any laws. It can, however make suggestions and policies which reflect the world's moral opinion and which in turn may influence people and governments. In some rare instances, the UN may take action in order to bring about peace. If it does so, all of the members are required to give assistance in such action and may not give help to the state or territory against which the United Nations is taking action.

There are six main subsidiary organs in the international organization. There is the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, the Secretariat and the Trusteeship Council. All of these organs work together and allow the proper functioning of the United Nations. They are called organs because they function almost like organs in the human body; they each has its own function, and they work together to make the UN operate as a body.