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, People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.
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:
Answer:
C. Choose the correct answer:
1. 24 October/22 March/21 June is celebrated as United Nations Day.
Ans. 24 October is celebrated as United Nations Day.
2. The olive branches on the UN flag symbolize peace/wealth/ truth.
Ans. The olive branches on the UN flag symbolize peace.
3. The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected by the
General Assembly for a 3/4/5-year term.
Ans. The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected
by the General Assembly for a 5-year term.
4. The International Court of Justice is located in New York City in the
USA/The Hague in the Netherlands/Paris in France.
Ans. The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague in the
Netherlands.
5. The Secretariat/General Assembly/International Court of Justice is the
chief administrative organ of the UN.
Ans. The Secretariat 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.
True.
2. French is one of the official languages of the UN.
True.
3. The Trusteeship Council is the most important organ of the UN.
False
Correct: The Security Council is the most important organ of the UN.
4. UNESCO and UNICEF are specialized agencies of the UN
True.
5. Most of the world’s problems have disappeared with the end of the
Cold War.
False.
Correct: Most of the world’s problems have disappeared with the end of
the Cold War. This, however, did not happen.
Question 1
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.
(b) Explain the veto power of the permanent members of the Security
Council. What happens when the Security Council cannot take any
action because of the veto?
(c) State three important functions of the Security Council.
Answer:
(a)
Important functions of the General Assembly:
1. To discuss international problems and make recommendations for their
solution.
2. To make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
3. To consider and approve the UN budget.
4. To elect non-permanent members of the security council members of
the economic and social council (ECOSOC) and the trusteeship council.
5. To supervise the work of the other organs of the UN.
6. To make recommendations for ‘collective measures, including the use of
armed forces’ during a crises (Uniting for Peace Resolution)
(b)
A negative vote by any one of the permanent members would lead to a
cancellation of the resolution. This right to prevent action from 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 seem appropriate to restore and maintain world
peace.
(c)
Functions of the Security Council:
1. To investigate international disputes and recommend ways of settling
such disputes peacefully.
2. To call on member states to apply economic sanctions against the
aggressor.
3. To take military action against the aggressor, if necessary.
Question 2.
With reference to the organs of the UN, discuss:
(a) Any three functions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
(b) The composition and functions of the International Court of Justice
(c) Any four significant achievements of the UN
Answer:
(a) Functions of the ECOSOC:
1. To promote economic growth and social progress To create a spirit of
respect for human rights
2. To solve problems related to health, illiteracy, drugs, employment, status
of women etc.
3. To supervise the work of various specialized agencies such as World
Health Organization (WHO), UnitedNations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), International Labour Organization (ILO) Food and Agricultural
organization (FAO), etc.
(b)
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. Two judges cannot be from the same country.
Functions of International Court of Justice:
1. To settle disputes brought to it by member nations.
2. To give legal advice to the other organs of the UN, on request.
