Case study: The UN

What is the United Nations (UN)?

the United Nations is an international governmental organisation established after the Second World War to maintain international peace and security

When was the United Nations established?

the United Nations was established after the Second World War in 1945

How many member states does the United Nations have?

the United Nations has 193 member states

What is the overall aim of the United Nations?

to maintain international peace and security

How does the United Nations act as a form of global governance?

through organisations that govern different global issues

What is the role of the General Assembly?

to discuss and debate issues of peace and security

Who is part of the General Assembly?

all 193 member states

Why is the General Assembly considered universally representative?

because all 193 member states are included

What is the role of the Security Council?

to solve threats to peace through voting and sanctions

How many members are in the Security Council?

15 members, 5 permanent members

What powers does the Security Council have?

economic sanctions, conflict resolution measures

What is the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

to settle legal disputes and breaches of international law between member states

What is the aim of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

to maintain peace between states and offer legal advice

What does UNESCO stand for?

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

What is the role of UNESCO?

to maintain peace through education, science and culture

What is one of UNESCO’s main aims?

to stand up for freedom of expression

What is the purpose of UN peacekeeping forces?

to restore stability and order in areas of disruption and post

Where are UN peacekeeping forces sent?

areas of instability and post

How has the UN promoted growth and stability?

sanctions, development goals, treaties, human rights protection

How have UN sanctions been used?

to punish countries that do not follow international law

Why were sanctions imposed on Iran?

to deter Iran’s use of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing

How do the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) promote stability and growth?

by aiming to improve quality of life globally

What issues do the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target?

literacy, poverty, famine, global issues

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

nation

How has the UN protected social rights?

through policies and legislation such as the Declaration of Human Rights

What is the Declaration of Human Rights?

a UN declaration protecting billions of people in ratified countries

How does the International Court of Justice (ICJ) protect social rights?

by punishing crimes against humanity

How have UN peacekeeping forces been criticised?

sexual assault, human trafficking, child prostitution, murder

What criticisms were made of the UN Kosovo Mission?

800 sexual abuse cases, 70 murders, 100 extortion or theft cases

Why do criticisms of peacekeeping forces worsen inequalities?

because vulnerable citizens are exploited further

Why has the UN been criticised for inactivity?

because it has failed to prevent some conflicts and humanitarian crises

What criticism was made about the 1971 Bangladesh genocide?

the UN failed to prevent it

What happened in Mavivi in the DR of Congo in 2014?

peacekeepers allegedly failed to respond to attacks that killed 30 people

How far away were UN peacekeepers during the Mavivi attack?

9 km away

How long did peacekeepers take to arrive in Mavivi?

two days later

Why was Saudi Arabia’s election to the UN Human Rights Council criticised?

because Saudi Arabia is associated with poor human rights records

How was the UK linked to Saudi Arabia joining the Human Rights Council?

through alleged secret voting trade deals

What does the Saudi Arabia controversy suggest about the UN?

that it lacks power and can be influenced politically

What is UN Watch?

an organisation monitoring the effectiveness of the United Nations

What did UN Watch help uncover in 2013?

the alleged secret voting trade deal between the UK and Saudi Arabia

How has the UN been accused of bias in the Israeli

Palestinian conflict?

How many Human Rights Council resolutions criticised countries between 2006 and 2016?

135 resolutions

How many Human Rights Council resolutions targeted Israel between 2006 and 2016?

68 resolutions

How many General Assembly resolutions were adopted between 2012 and 2015?

97 resolutions

How many General Assembly resolutions targeted Israel between 2012 and 2015?

83 resolutions

Why is criticism of Israel by the UN considered controversial?

because some argue Israel receives disproportionately high criticism compared to other countries and Palestine receives less attention