THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations is a general international organization. It was established at the end of World War II to promote international peace and security. It officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, when 51 original members ratified its charter.

One of the main purposes of the organization is to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Developing friendly relation among states was another goal of the organization. The other important goal is to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The United Nations is equipped with six major organs. They are the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.

The Security Council is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 members. Five of them are permanent members. The other ten members are elected by the General Assembly for 2-year terms.

The General Assembly is composed of all members stated. It is the main deliberate organ of the United Nations. It has the right to discuss and make recommendations on all matters within the scope of the charter. The International Court of Justice receives cases from states and international organization. The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day work of the organization. The work of the secretary-general and staff is varied. Providing mediation in resolving international dispute is one of their duties. Administering peace keeping operations is also the secretary-general's duty.

In January 1982, Javier Perez De Cuellar of Peru began a five-year term, ending in December 1986.