United Nations

:This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of "UN" or "Un", see UN (disambiguation)

Membership and Structure

Main articles: United Nations member states, United Nations General Assembly observers, United Nations System and Reform of the United Nations{{sidebar|Communications

Related Topics:
United Nations member states - United Nations General Assembly observers - United Nations System - Reform of the United Nations

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The six official languages of the United Nations include those of the founding nations: Chinese, English, French, Russian as well as Spanish (UN Charter, article 111). and Arabic . All formal meetings and all official documents, in print or online, are interpreted in all six languages.

Related Topics:
Language - Chinese - English - French - Russian - Spanish - Arabic - Print - Online

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Ostensibly, UN membership is open to all "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations of the UN Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to fulfill these obligations.{{Ref|members}} The General Assembly determines admission upon recommendation of the Security Council.

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The United Nations is based on six principal organs, part of what is collectively called the United Nations System:

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• UN General Assembly
• UN Security Council
• UN Economic and Social Council
• UN Trusteeship Council
• UN Secretariat
• International Court of Justice

Security Council

Main article: UN Security Council

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The Security Council is in practice the most powerful decision-making body of the UN, as its resolutions are backed by the will of the most powerful members of the international community. However, this does not mean that its resolutions (eg international sanctions) are necessarily enforced, as the UN does not have its own means to do so. Even when economic sanctions are applied, their effectiveness (eg against Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1990s, or in abolishing apartheid in South Africa) is unclear.

Related Topics:
International sanctions - Apartheid - South Africa

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