knowt logo

the United Nations

general assembly: recommends

  • all 193 member states (1 country = 1 vote)

  • non-binding resolutions

branches

  • economic and social council

  • international criminal court

    • handles individuals who have been charged with crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, genocide, etc.

    • judges are chosen as individuals, not as citizens of a certain country

    • ad hoc (temporary, case-by-case) tribunals existed before the ICC

  • international court of justice

    • only responsible for country vs. country

    • non-binding results, selective jurisdiction (countries can choose not to abide by rulings on a case-by-case basis)

    • victor’s justice

  • UN organs + specialized agencies

    • eg. UNICEF, WHO

security council: decides

  • binding resolutions

  • P5 (5 permanent members, have veto power) — Russia, France, UK, China, US

    • plus ten rotating members based on regional blocks within UN (eg. Latin America), serve for 2-year terms

    • based on 1945 distribution of power, not representative of the modern world

  • allocates peacekeeping forces

secretary general: implements

  • currently António Guterres

the United Nations

general assembly: recommends

  • all 193 member states (1 country = 1 vote)

  • non-binding resolutions

branches

  • economic and social council

  • international criminal court

    • handles individuals who have been charged with crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, genocide, etc.

    • judges are chosen as individuals, not as citizens of a certain country

    • ad hoc (temporary, case-by-case) tribunals existed before the ICC

  • international court of justice

    • only responsible for country vs. country

    • non-binding results, selective jurisdiction (countries can choose not to abide by rulings on a case-by-case basis)

    • victor’s justice

  • UN organs + specialized agencies

    • eg. UNICEF, WHO

security council: decides

  • binding resolutions

  • P5 (5 permanent members, have veto power) — Russia, France, UK, China, US

    • plus ten rotating members based on regional blocks within UN (eg. Latin America), serve for 2-year terms

    • based on 1945 distribution of power, not representative of the modern world

  • allocates peacekeeping forces

secretary general: implements

  • currently António Guterres

robot