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

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