The%20Role%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20(UN)

1
The Role of the United Nations (UN)
2
United Nations (UN)

• Established in 1945, it has 192 member nations.
• The UN is not an international government and it
  does not make laws.
• Countries sign to become a member of the UN. They
  are required to accept the obligations of the UN
  Charter.
• It is actually a forum where all member states
  have the opportunity to voice their opinions and
  where they can vote on global issues that affect
  the populations of the world.
• It provides an opportunity to help resolve
  international conflicts and formulate policies on
  matters that effect all people.

3
Globalissues addressed by the UN include

• Agriculture
• Children
• climate change
• culture
• education,
• Environment
• family, human rights,
• international law,
• least developed countries, population, refugees,
• social development and sustainable development.

4
(No Transcript)
5
UNs four key areas ofaction

• International peace and security
• Human rights
• Humanitarian action
• Economic and social development.

6
International peace and security

• One of the fundamental aims of the UN is to
  uphold international peace and security. Its work
  in this area falls into four stages
• Conflict prevention mediating between countries
  and helping to prevent tension from escalating
  into war
• Peace-making helping resolve conflicts that have
  erupted
• Peace-keeping and enforcement helping countries
  torn by conflict generate the conditions for
  permanent peace, and
• Peace-building helping with recovery,
  reconstruction and development.
• Read pg 358 activity 10.2B

7
(No Transcript)
8
How does the UN works for peace and why it is
important to the health and development of
individuals.
9
Human rights

• According to the UN, human rights are inherent
  to all human beings, whatever our nationality,
  place of residence, sex, national or ethnic
  origin, colour, religion, language, or any other
  status. We are all equally entitled to our human
  rights without discrimination. These rights are
  all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

10
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Proclaimed
by the UN General Assembly in 1948.

• They include
• The right to life, liberty and nationality
• Freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• The right to work and to be educated
• The right to food and housing
• The right to participate in government

11
(No Transcript)
12
Humanitarian action

• Humanitarian disasters can be caused be flood,
  drought, earthquake or conflict, a humanitarian
  disaster means lost lives, displaced populations,
  communities incapable of sustaining themselves
  and great suffering.
• By the end of 2006, 12.8 million people had been
  displaced within their own countries, and 9
  million had become refugees by fleeing across
  international borders
• Natural disasters, mostly weather-related, affect
  more than 200 million people each year

13
The UN responds to disasters in 2 ways

• Initially it provides immediate relief to the
  victims such as food, shelter, medicines and
  logistical support. (eg evacuation, restoring of
  basic amenities.)
• Secondly the UN seeks more effective strategies
  to prevent these types of situations occurring
  again.
• Read pg 361 complete activity 10.2 D and E

14
Economic and social development

• The UN works towards economic and social goals by
  helping countries to formulate policies, set
  standards and through economic aid. There are a
  number of bodies and programs that aim to enhance
  the development of countries and their people.
  Some examples of these are
• The Millennium Development Goals to promote
  sustainable human development
• UNICEF, which is the main organisation working
  towards the long term survival, protection and
  development of children
• The UN settlements program, which assists people
  living in health-threatening housing conditions.
• Pg 365 Activity 10.2F