The United Nations
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. The League of Nations was formed in 1920 after the end of the First World War.
2. Each member state of the UN can send up to five representatives to the general assembly.
3. The Security Council is often referred to as the 'enforcement wing' of the UN.
4. The five permanent members of the Security Council are USA, UK, France, China, and Russia.
5. The objective of the ECOSOC is to free the world from 'want'.
6. The WHO is a specialized agency of the UN.
B. Match the following.
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
|
1. San Francisco Conference |
a. organ of the UN. [3] |
|
2. UN headquarters |
b. 15. [5] |
|
3. Security Council |
c. Five. [4] |
|
4. permanent members of the Security Council |
d. New York City. [2] |
|
5. number of judges at the international court of justice |
e. 1945. [1] |
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. 24 October/22 March/21 June is celebrated as the United Nations Day.
2. The olive branches on the UN flag symbolize peace/wealth/truth.
3. The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected by the General Assembly for a 3/4/5 year term.
4. The International Court of Justice is located in New York City in USA/The Hague in Netherlands/Paris in France.
5. The Secretariat/General Assembly/International Court of Justice is the chief administrative organ of the UN.
D. State whether the following are true or false.
1. All the members of the UN are members of the general assembly. [T]
2. French is one of the official languages of the UN. [T]
3. The Trusteeship Council is the most important organ of the UN. [F]
4. UNESCO and UNICEF are specialized agencies of the UN. [T]
5. Most of the world's problems have disappeared with the end of the cold war. [F]
E. Short answer questions:
1. Mention one important organ of the UN.
= One important organ of the UN is the General Assembly.
2. Who are the members of the General Assembly of the UN?
= All members of the UN are the members of the General Assembly of the UN.
3. What is a negative vote by one of the permanent members of the Security Council known as?
= A negative vote by one of the permanent members of the Security Council is known as right to veto.
4. Why was the Trusteeship Council established ?
= The Trusteeship Council was established to look after the territories that were under foreign rule and to help them attain self-government.
5. Why did the UN impose economic sanctions against the South African government ?
= By imposing economic sanctions against the South African government, it played a significant role in challenging the apartheid policy and liberating the South African people from apartheid rule.
6. What is the relevance of the UN in today's world?
= Because, today terrorism stalks the world like a hydra, a many-headed demon that threatens to destroy human civilization.
F. Long answer questions:
1. "The magnitude and scale of destruction during the Second World War created a great revulsion for war and passionate yearning for peace. In this context discuss:"
a) The signing of the Atlantic Charter:
= Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the former President of the United States of America, met abroad a battleship, off Newfound land in the Atlantic Ocean. They signed a document called Atlantic Charter on 14th August 1941. The Charter was based on the principles of mutual respect and cooperation among nations and peaceful resolution of all disputes.
b) The basic rights or the four freedoms guaranteed by the Atlantic Charter.
= The Atlantic Charter agreed that when the war ended, every human being must be guaranteed the basic rights or the four freedoms. The basic rights included: i) freedom from want, ii) freedom of speech, iii) freedom of religious belief, and iv) freedom from fear.
c) The San Francisco conference and establishment of the United Nations:
= In June 1945, 50 nations met in Sn Francisco to sign the Charter of the UN. Poland which was not represented at the conference , signed it later and became one of the 51 member states. On 24 October, 1945, the United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights. 24th October is celebrated as United Nations Day.
2. With reference to the United Nations discuss:
a) The UN flag:
= UN flag depicts two bent olive branches which are open to the top with a world map between them. The white olive branches and the world map are on a light blue background. The branches of the wreath symbolize peace.
b) Any four objectives of the UN that are outlined in the Preamble of the UN charter.
= The four objectives of the UN outlined in the Preamble of the UN Charter are -
i) To maintain internal peace and security.
ii) To develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of equality.
iii) To promote human rights and fundamental freedom for the people of the world.
iv) To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which has twice brought sufferings to humans.
c) The obligations of all nations that follow from these objectives.
= The obligations of all nations that follow from these objectives are -
i) All nations big or small are equal.
ii) They must all obey the Charter.
iii) All disputes must be settled peacefully.
iv) No force should be used.
3. "With reference to the General Assembly and Security Council of the UN, answer the following questions:"
a) Mention any four functions of the General Assembly:
= The four functions of the General Assembly of the UN are -
i) To discuss internal problems.
ii) To make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
iii) To consider and approve the UN budget.
iv) To supervise the work of the other organs of the UN.
b) Explain the veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council. What happens when the Security Council can not take any action of the veto?
= A negative vote by any one of the permanent members would lead to a cancellation of the resolution. This right to prevent action being taken is known as the right to veto.
When no action can be taken by the Security Council because of the veto, the General Assembly can deal with the crisis. It can take whatever action may seen appropriate to restore and maintain world peace.
c) State three important function of the Security Council of the United Nations:
= The three important functions of the Security Council of the United Nations are -
i) To investigate international disputes and recommend ways of settling such disputes peacefully.
ii) To call on member states to apply economic sanctions against the aggressor.
iii) To take military action against the aggressor, if necessary.
4. With reference to the organs of the United Nations, discuss:
a) Any three functions of the Economic and Social Council(Ecosoc) of the United Nations:
= Three important functions of the Economic and Social Council are -
i) To promote economic growth and social progress.
ii) To create a spirit of respect for Human Rights.
iii) To solve problems related to health, illiteracy, drugs, employment, status of women etc.
b) The composition and function of the International Court of Justice :
= The International Court of Justice(ICJ) consists of 15 judges from different countries, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Each judge has a 9 year term. No two judges can be from the same country.
The main functions of this court are -
i) To settle disputes brought to it by member nations.
ii) To give legal advice to the other organs of the UN, on request.
c) Any four significant achievements of the United Nations:
= Any four significant achievements of the United Nations are -
i) Although it has not been able to prevent war, in many cases, it has takes effective action to restore peace, e.g. the Korean War, the Suez Canal crisis, the Gulf War, etc.
ii) Many countries, e.g., Indonesia, Algiers, Morocco, have achieved their independence with support from the UN.
iii) It has worked consistently for the protection and preservation of human rights around the world.
iv) It has worked actively to end the nuclear arms race and encouraged the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.