Chapter 6- International Organisations

The present UN Secretary General is António Guterres of Portugal

As Secretary-General António Guterres took up his functions as the head of the Organization
on 1 January 2017, he launched an appeal for peace. His wish for 2017: let it be a year in
which we all strive to overcome differences. «Peace must be our goal and our guide.

António Guterres, the former Portuguese prime minister, current UN secretary general
He is ninth UN Secretary-General from January 1 2017

Q. Write the full form of the following UN bodies

UNESCO- United Nations Educational, OPCW- Organisation for the prohibition of
Scientific and Cultural Organisation Chemical Weapons
UNRISD- United Nations Research Institute for WMO- World Meteorological Organisation
Social Development
UNHCR- United Nations High Commissioner UNEP- United Nations Environment
for Refugees Programme

Q. Correct and re-write the following statements:

1. The UN Security Council has seven permanent members. A majority of the permanent
members can ‘Veto’ any decision of the Security Council.
Ans. The UN Security Council has five permanent members. Any one of the permanent
members can ‘Veto’ any decision of the Security Council.

2. In the UN Security Council the five permanent members are- China, USA, Australia, UK
and Russia.
Ans. In the UN Security Council the five permanent members are- China, USA, France, UK
and Russia.

3. The air force of the NATO countries led by Soviet Union bombarded targets around
Czechoslovakia
Ans. USA; Yugoslavia

Q. Who said the following lines:

“The United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell.”
Ans. Dag Hammarskjold, the UN’s second Secretary-General.

Q. What are the objectives of international organisations?

Ans. a) To maintain international peace and security.
(b) To provide a platform for different nations to develop friendly relations and resolve
conflicts peacefully.
c) To achieve international cooperation for solving international problems of an economic,
social and humanitarian character.
d) To establish justice and respect for international obligations and Human Rights.
e) To bring the nations together to deal with problems such as global warming, Disease
An international organisation can help produce information and ideas about how to
cooperate. It can provide mechanisms, rules and a bureaucracy, to help members have more
confidence that costs and benefits will be shared properly.

Q. "An International organisation is not a super state with authority over its members".
Justify.
Ans. The given statement is true to the extent the international organisation is created by and
responds to states. It comes into being when states agree to its creation. But, once created, it
can help member states resolve their problems peacefully. It help countries to cooperate with
one another. It helps in resolving wars and establishing peace.

Q. Trace the evolution of the United Nations.

Ans. 1. After the First World War the League of Nations was established. But it failed to
prevent the outbreak of Second World War.
2. The UN was founded as a successor to the League of Nations.
3. 1941- Atlantic Charter signed - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British PM
Winston S. Churchill
4. 1942- ‘Declaration by United Nations’ signed by 26 Allied countries.
5. 1943- Tehran Conference Declaration of the Three Powers (US, Britain and Soviet Union)
6. 1945- Yalta Conference of the ‘Big Three’ (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin)
7. 1945 June 26: Signing of the UN Charter by 50 nations (Poland signed on October 15; so
the UN has 51 original founding members)
8. 1945 October 24: the UN was founded (hence October 24 is celebrated as UN Day)
9. By 2006 there were 192 members. Presently, there are 193 members.

Q. When did India become a member of the UN.

Ans. 30 October 1945

Q. List the main objectives of the UN.

Ans. 1. To maintain international peace and security
2. To prevent international conflict and to facilitate cooperation among states.
3. If war broke out, to limit the extent of hostilities.
4. To bring countries together to improve the prospects of social and economic development
and sustainable development all over the world.
5. Protect and promote Human Rights

Q. List the principal organs of the United Nations and describe their functions.
Ans. The main organs of the UN are:
1. the General Assembly,
2. the Security Council,
3. the Economic and Social Council,
4. the Trusteeship Council, (suspended in 1994)
5. the International Court of Justice, and
6. the UN Secretariat.
1. General Assembly- i. is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of
the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly.
ii. all members have one vote each. Its decisions are not binding on the members.
iii. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new
members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.
Decisions on other questions are by simple majority.
2. Security Council –i. responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.
ii. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one
vote. All Member States have to adopt Council decisions.
iii. The Security Council determines the existence of a threat to peace or act of aggression.
iv. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends
methods of adjustment or terms of settlement.
v. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the
use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.
3. Economic and Social Council i. is the principal body for coordination on economic, social
and environmental issues, internationally agreed development goals.
ii. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized
agencies in the economic, social and environmental fields.
iii. It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. It is the United
Nations’ central platform for debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
4. Trusteeship Council i. was established to provide international supervision for 11 Trust
Territories, and ensure that steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government
and independence.
ii. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence.
iii. The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994. By a resolution
adopted in 1994, the Council agreed to meet only when required.
5. International Court of Justice- i. is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
ii. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands).
iii. 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 United
Nations organs and specialized agencies.
6. Secretariat- i. comprises the Secretary-General and international UN staff members who
carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the other
principal organs. Ii. The Secretary-General is chief administrative officer of the
Organization, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security
Council for a five-year, renewable term.
iii. UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and
on peacekeeping missions all around the world.

Q. Name some specialised agencies of the UN.

Ans. World Health Organisation (WHO),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC),
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR),
the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and
the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

REFORM OF THE UN
Two basic kinds of reforms
1. Reform of the Organisation’s structures and processes
2. A review of the issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the Organisation.

1. Reform of the Organisation’s structures and processes:

The biggest discussion has been on the functioning of the Security Council. Related to this has been the
demand for an increase in the UN Security Council’s permanent and non-permanent membership so that
the realities of contemporary world politics are better reflected in the structure of the organisation. In
particular, there are proposals to increase membership from Asia, Africa and South America. Beyond this,
the US and other Western countries want improvements in the UN’s budgetary procedures and its
administration.
2. A review of the issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the Organisation:
On the issues to be given greater priority or to be brought within the jurisdiction of the UN, some countries
and experts want the organisation to play a greater or more effective role in peace and security missions,
while others want its role to be confined to development and humanitarian work (health, education,
environment, population control, human rights, gender and social justice).

REFORM OF STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES

Q. Mention any four realities that have changed the world politics after the cold war .
OR Q. How are the political realities different after the cold War?
Ans.1. The Soviet Union has collapsed.
2. The US is the strongest power.
3. The relationship between Russia, the successor to the Soviet Union, and the US is much
more cooperative.
4. China is fast emerging as a great power, and India also is growing rapidly.
5. The economies of Asia are growing at an unprecedented rate.
6. Many new countries have joined the UN (as they became independent from the Soviet
Union or former communist states in eastern Europe).
7. A whole new set of challenges confronts the world (genocide, civil war, ethnic conflict,
terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, environmental degradation, epidemics).

Q. Discuss the resolution adopted by General Assembly in 1992 over reform of the UN.
Ans. In 1992, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution. The resolution reflected three
main complaints:
1. The Security Council no longer represents contemporary political realities.
2. Its decisions reflect only Western values and interests and are dominated by a few powers.
3. It lacks equitable representation.

CRITERIA FOR NEW MEMEBERS

Q. Describe any six criteria for the new membership of Security Council as suggested after
1997.
Ans. Growing demands for the restructuring of the UN, on 1 January 1997, the UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan initiated an inquiry into how the UN should be reformed. A new
member, it has been suggested, should be:
1. A major economic power
2. A major military power
3. A substantial contributor to the UN budget
4. A big nation in terms of its population
5. A nation that respects democracy and human rights
6. A country that would make the Council more representative of the world’s diversity in
terms of geography, economic systems, and culture
BUT there were some drawbacks or criticisms- Questions were raised such as how big an
economic or military power should a country be to qualify for Security Council membership;
What should be the level of budget contribution; was big population an asset or liability; how
would equitable representation (in geographical terms) be ensured; Why should greater seats
not be given to developing world; How can different civilizations be given representation in
the world body.

JURISDICTION OF THE UN
Q. Assess the steps suggested since 2005 to make UN more relevant in the changing context.
Ans. With the completion of 60yrs of its existence the members of UN met in September
2005 to review the situation and suggested some significant steps to make UN more relevant
in the changing context.
 Creation of peace building commission.
 Acceptance of the responsibility of the international community in case of failures of
national governments to protect their own citizens from atrocities.
 Establishment of a Human Rights council (operational since 19 June 2006)
 Agreement to achieve the Millennium Development goals.
 Condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
 Creation of a Democracy Fund.
 An agreement to wind up the Trusteeship Council.
 Reforming the UN Security Council especially the ‘Veto Power’ to reflect the
changing political scenario after the Cold War.
BUT these are contentious issues for the UN – Questions such as the role and scope of the
Peace Building Commission do- There are a number of conflicts all over the world. Which
ones should it intervene in? Is it possible or even desirable for it to intervene in each and
every conflict; role of the international community in dealing with atrocities; defining,
promoting and protecting human rights, how realistic are the Millenium Development Goals,
how to define and prevent terrorism, how to use funds to promote democracy etc have been
raised.

REFORMS SUGGESTED
1. Reform of the Organisation’s structures and processes: Reform in the Security Council:
(a) Increasing membership of Security Council: demand for an increase in the UN Security
Council’s permanent and non-permanent membership to reflect the changes in contemporary
world politics in the structure of the organisation. There are 5 permanent members and 10
non- permanent members. There are proposals to increase membership from Asia, Africa and
South America.
(b) The US and other Western countries also want improvements in the UN’s budgetary
procedures and its administration.
(c) Change in the Nature of Membership: The main privileges of the 5 permanent members
are permanency and veto power. The non-permanent members are elected for two years term
such that they represent all continents of the world. There is a demand that the veto power
of the five permanent members be abolished. Many consider the veto to be against the
concept of democracy and sovereign equality in the UN and thought that the veto was no
longer right or relevant.
(d) Criteria for membership in the Security Council: A new member should be:
i. A major economic power
ii. A major military power
iii. A substantial contributor to the UN budget
iv. A big nation in terms of its population
v. A nation that respects democracy and human rights
vi. A country that would make the Council more representative of the world’s diversity in
terms of geography, economic systems, and culture
2. A review of the issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the Organisation:
(a) On the issues to be given greater priority or to be brought within the jurisdiction of the
UN, some countries and experts want the organisation to play a greater or more effective role
in peace and security missions, while others want its role to be confined to development and
humanitarian work (health, education, environment, population control, human rights, gender
and social justice).
(b) The members of UN met in September 2005 to review the situation and suggested some
significant steps to make UN more relevant in the changing context such as
Creation of Peace Building Commission;
Establishment of a Human Rights Council;
Creation of Democracy Fund etc

Q. What is veto power? Why has it not been abolished?

Ans. All members of the Security Council have one vote. However, the permanent members
can vote in a negative manner so that even if all other permanent and non-permanent
members vote for a particular decision, any permanent member’s negative vote can stall the
decision. This negative vote is the veto.
But permanent members will not agree to the abolition of Veto. Also, the world may not be
ready for such a radical step even though the Cold War is over. Without the veto, the
great powers would lose interest in the world body, and they would do what they pleased
outside it, and that without their support and involvement the body would be ineffective.

Q. Describe India’s stand on the restructuring and reform of the United Nations.
Ans. India supports the restructuring of the UN on several grounds.
1. It believes that a strengthened and revitalised UN is desirable in a changing world.
2. India supports greater role for the UN in promoting development and cooperation among
states. India believes that development should be central to the UN’s agenda as it is important
for the maintenance of international peace and security.
3. Composition of the Security Council: has not changed while the UN General Assembly
membership has expanded considerably. India considers that this has harmed the
representative character of the Security Council. It also argues that an expanded Council,
with more representation, will enjoy greater support in the world community.
5. The membership of the UN Security Council was expanded from 11 to 15 in 1965. But,
there was no change in the number of permanent members. Since then, the size of the Council
has remained same.
A majority of the UN General Assembly members now, are developing countries. Therefore,
India argues that they should also have a role in shaping the decisions in the Security Council
which affect them.
6. India supports an increase in the number of both permanent and non-permanent members.
It argued that the activities of the Security Council have expanded in the past few years. The
success of the Security Council’s actions requires the political support of the international
community. Any plan for restructuring of the Security Council has to be broad-based. Eg. the
Security Council should have more developing countries in it.

Q. As a citizen of India, how would you support India’s candidature for the permanent
membership of the Security Council? Justify your proposal.
Ans. India fulfils all the criteria for a new member.
1. It is the 2nd most populous country in the world having one-fifth of the world population.
2. India is also the world’s largest democracy.
3. It has participated in different initiatives of the UN such as in the peacekeeping missions.
4. India’s economic growth justifies its claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council.
5. India has also made regular financial contributions to the UN and never faltered on its
payments.
6. Permanent membership of the Security Council also has symbolic importance. It signifies a
country’s growing importance in world affairs. This gives an advantage to a country in the
conduct of its foreign policy: the reputation for being powerful makes you more influential.

Q. Why has India’s bid for permanent membership failed?

Ans. Despite India’s wish to be a permanent veto-wielding member of the UN, some
countries question its inclusion.
1. Pakistan, with which India has troubled relations, is not the only country that does not want
India to become a permanent veto member of the Security Council.
2. Some countries are concerned about India’s nuclear weapons capabilities.
3. Others think that its difficulties with Pakistan will make India ineffective as a permanent
member.
4. Yet others feel that if India is included, then other emerging powers will have to be
accommodated such as Brazil, Germany, Japan, perhaps even South Africa, whom they
oppose.
5. There are those who feel that Africa and South America must be represented in any
expansion of the permanent membership since those are the only continents not to have
representation in the present structure.
Due to these concerns, it may not be easy for India or anyone else to become a permanent
member of the UN in the near future.

Q. Describe the role of the United Nations in a uni- polar world.

OR Q. Relevance of UN in the Uni- polar world.
Ans. 1. Many countries hope that reform and restructuring of the UN will help it cope better
with a uni- polar world in which the US is the most powerful country without any serious
rivals.
US power cannot be easily checked.
1. With the disappearance of the Soviet Union, the US stands as the only superpower. Its
military and economic power allows it to ignore the UN or any other international
organisation.
2. Within the UN, the influence of the US is considerable. As the single largest contributor to
the UN, the US has unmatched financial power.
3. The fact that the UN is physically located within the US territory gives Washington
additional influence. The US also has many nationals in the UN bureaucracy.
4. With its veto power the US can stop any moves that it finds annoying or damaging to its
interests or the interests of its friends and allies.
5. The power of the US and its veto within the organisation also ensure that Washington has a
considerable degree of say in the choice of the Secretary General of the UN. The US can and
does use this power to “split” the rest of the world and to reduce opposition to its policies.
6. The UN is not therefore a great balance to the US.

7. Nevertheless, in a unipolar world in which the US is dominant, the UN can and has served
to bring the US and the rest of the world into discussions over various issues.
8. US leaders, in spite of their frequent criticism of the UN, do see the organisation as serving
a purpose in bringing together over 190 nations in dealing with conflict and social and
economic development.
9.As for the rest of the world, the UN provides an arena in which it is possible to modify US
attitudes and policies.
10. While the rest of the world is rarely united against Washington, and while it is difficult to
“balance” US power, the UN does provide a space within which arguments against specific
US attitudes and policies are heard and compromises and concessions can be shaped.
11. The UN is an imperfect body, but without it the world would be worse off. Due to
growing ‘interdependence’ - connections and links between societies and issues—it is hard to
imagine how more than seven billion people would live together without an organisation such
as the UN.
Technology promises to increase planetary interdependence, and therefore the importance of
the UN will only increase. Peoples and governments will have to find ways of supporting and
using the UN and other international organisations in ways that are consistent with their own
interests and the interests of the international community more broadly.

UN SECRETARIES- GENERAL AND COUNTRIES

SECRETARIES- GENERAL COUNTRIES MAJOR ISSUES
Trygve Lie Norway *Ceasefire between India
and Pakistan over Kashmir
*Criticised for his failure to
end Korean War
Dag Hammarskjold Sweden * Worked to resolve Suez
Canal Crisis
* Made efforts to settle
Congo Crisis
U Thant Burma (Myanmar) * Tried to resolve the Cuban
Missile Crisis and Congo
Crisis
* Critical of US during the
Vietnam War
Kurt Waldheim Austria * Tried to resolve problem
in Namibia and Lebanon
* relief operation in
Bangladesh
Javier Perez de Cuellar Peru * Independence for Namibia
* Mediated between Britain
and Argentina
Boutros Boutros Ghali Egypt *Issued a report ‘Agenda on
Peace’
* Successful operation in
Mozambique
Kofi A. Anan Ghana * Global Fund to fight
AIDS, TB and Malaria
* declared US led invasion
on Iraq illegal
* established Peacebuilding
Commission and Human
Rights Council in 2006
Ban Ki Moon South Korea *Ban has taken strong views
on global warming, and on
the Darfur conflict, helped
persuade Sudanese president
Omar al-Bashir to allow
peacekeeping troops to enter
Sudan.
* Set up inquiry on Israel’s
attack on Gaza.
António Guterres Portugal *threat of nuclear war from
the Korean peninsula,
*rising instability in the
Middle East

Q. Identify and Mark the above countries on the World Map given below.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Q. Write short notes on:
(i) International Monetary Fund (IMF) (ii) World Bank
(iii) World Trade Organisation (WTO) (iv) Amnesty International
(v) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (vi) Human Rights Watch
Q. Refer to Pg. 85 of the textbook and draw the fig. of the United Nations System
NOTE: Read the chapter thoroughly