This key resource for anyone interested in the United Nations, global issues, or world politics provides accessible and comprehensive coverage of the history, growth, and development of ideas and institutions governing the globe.

The United Nations has been an essential actor in world politics for 75 years. Its entities have eliminated smallpox, protected the ozone layer, promoted arms control, and helped to save the lives of over 90 million children. Yet, it is frequently criticized as ineffective and antiquated. This book provides a balanced and systematic overview of the UN's contributions and challenges, highlighting areas where it plays an essential role in global governance as well as areas of redundancy and needed reform.

This book provides readers with a clear, well-organized reference resource to the entire UN system-its principal organs, specialized agencies, programs and funds, and key issues of engagement. Through individual entries, it examines the history of UN engagement, ranging from peace and security to migration and climate change. It moves beyond a simple description of UN entities as it assesses the development of ideas (such as that of sustainable development), as well as responses to changes in world politics. Finally, it presents both the significant successes of UN work and continued challenges.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments
United Nations System Organizational Chart
Part I United Nations Founding, Purposes, and Principles
Introduction
United Nations Historical Background
Charter of the United Nations
United Nations Purposes
United Nations Principles
Part II United Nations Principal Organs
Introduction
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Secretariat
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Trusteeship Council
Part III The United Nations System
Introduction
Specialized Agencies
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Bank Group
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Programmes and Funds
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
World Food Programme (WFP)
Other Subsidiary Bodies
Disarmament Commission
Functional Commissions
High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
Human Rights Council
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
Peacebuilding Commission
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Regional Commissions
Research and Training Institutes
Related Organizations
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Criminal Court (ICC)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Seabed Authority (ISA)
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Part IV Individual Actors in the United Nations System
Introduction
Secretaries-General
Office of Secretary-General
Trygve Lie
Dag Hammarskjöld
U Thant
Kurt Waldheim
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Kofi Annan
Ban Ki-moon
António Guterres
Deputy Secretary-General
Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSGs)
President of General Assembly
President of Security Council
Executive Heads of Specialized Agencies
Member State Ambassadors and Delegates
United States Ambassadors to the United Nations
Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace
Part V United Nations Concepts and Issues
Introduction
Arms Control and Disarmament
Collective Security
Cybersecurity
Economic Development
Environmental Protection
Global Commons
Health
Human Rights
Human Security
Indigenous Peoples
Membership
Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
Peacebuilding
Peaceful Settlement
Peacekeeping
Refugees and Migration
Regionalism
Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
Role of Great Powers
Self-Determination
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Terrorism
United Nations Budget and Financing
United Nations Conferences and Summits
United Nations Headquarters
United Nations Reform
Voting and Negotiating Blocs
Women and Gender
Part VI Documents
Charter of the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Sample United Nations General Assembly Resolution: A/RES/73/241 (2018)
United Nations Security Council S/RES/1325 (2000)
Appendix: United Nations International Days (as of 2020)
Bibliography
Index

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Government (charity campaign)

International relations (charity campaign)

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