United Nations

UN General Knowledge
Official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and Russian.
Foundation: on 24 October 1945. The discussion of the foundation was held in San Francisco.
Starting members in October 24th, 1945: 51 Members.

Total members: 193. Including every internationally recognized sovereign state in the world but Vatican City.
Last members:
1. South Sudan (July 2011)2. Montenegro (2006)
3. Timor-Leste (2002)
4. Switzerland (2002)
5. Serbia (2000)
6. Tuvalu (2000)

Countries NOT members of the UN: Rep. ofChina (Taiwan), Kosovo, Palestine, Northern Cyprus, Abkhazia, Sahrawi Arab, South Ossetia, Azawad, Somalilan, Nagorno-Karabakh.

A. Secretaries- General

Secretaries- General serve for a five year term, that can be renewed indefinitely,although none so far has held office for more than two terms.

8th: Ban Ki-moon (South Korea)

- June 21st, 2011- present (Reelection)

- January 1st, 2007-2011

7th: Kofi Annan (Ghana)

- 1997- December 31st, 2006

- Retired after two full terms

6th: Boutros Butros-Ghali (Egypt)

- 1992-1996

- The US vetoed his second term5th: Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru)

- 1982-1991

- Refused to be consider for a third term

4th: Kurt Waldheim (Austria)

- 1972- 1981

- China vetoed his third term

3rd: U Thant (Myanmar)

- 1961-1971

- Declined to consider a third term

2nd: Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweeden)

- 1953-1961

- Died in a plane crashed in Zambia while apeacekeeping mission to the Congo

1st: Trygve Lie (Norway)

- 1946-1952

- He resigned in November 10th, 1952

*Gladwyn Jebb (U.K.): Only for Transmissions until Lie’s Election

- 1945-1946




According to Article 97 of the Chapter XV, The Secretariat: “The Secretary General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. He shall bethe chief administrative officer of the organization”.

B. Structure of the UN

The principle organs of the UN according to article 7 of the UN Charter are:

1. General Assembly (Chapter IV, UN Charter)

2. Security Council (Chapter V, UN Charter)

3. Economic and Social Council (Chapter X, UN Charter)

4. Trusteeship Council (Chapter XIII, UN Charter)

5.International Court of Justice (Chapter XIV, UN Charter)

6. Secretariat (Chapter XV, UN Charter)




1. General Assembly
a. Subsidiary Bodies
i. Committees (6 main, 30 in total)
Main Committees:


▪ First Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)
1. Second Committee: Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN)
2. Third Committee:Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
3. Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
4. Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary Committee
5. Sixth Committee: Legal Committee


ii. Commissions (7)
iii. Disarmament Commission 
• International Civil Service Commission
• International Law Commission
• United Nations Commission onInternational Trade Law (UNCITRAL) 
• United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine
• United Nations Peacebuilding Commission 
• Advisory Commission on the United Nations Relief And Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
iv. Boards (6)
These are the Executive Boards:
6. Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
1. Executive Board of the UnitedNations Development Programme and of the United Nations Population Fund 
2. Executive Board of the World Food Programme 
3.
v. Councils and Panels (5)
• Human Rights Council 
• Council of the United Nations University 


Governing Councils
• Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme 
• Governing Council of the United Nations Human...