Tag Archives: United Nations
World Bank
The United Nations has a provision for providing financial assistance and monetary relief for member states. These organizations are the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary fund were products of the Bretton Woods Agreement which took place in 1945, approximately around the time the United Nations was created. Initially the purpose of the Bretton Woods Agreement was to raise and distribute funds in order to reconstruct a post WWII war-torn Europe. There are some key differences between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and it is important to be able to differentiate between the two. Though they are always grouped together, they each serve certain key purposes. The World Bank is a financial institution that provides financial and technical assistance to developing nations for programs such as bridges, roads, school, etc. World Bank loans are ultimately meant to reduce poverty in these nations. The World Bank is broken up into two sub-institutions: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Development Association. As previously mentioned, the primary reason for the World Bank at the time of its creation was to help rebuild a devastated Europe, therefore the first loan … Continue reading
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the face of America at the United Nations General Assembly. The United States has a permanent position in the United Nations General Assembly; therefore this is an incredibly important role in international diplomacy. Former United States Ambassadors to the United Nations have been prominent U.S. politicians and diplomats. Past United States Ambassadors to the United Nations include Henry Cabot Lodge, Adlai Stevenson, George H. W. Bush, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Madeleine Albright, and Bill Richardson. In the Clinton administration, the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations was a cabinet level position; it is the same way under Obama’s administration as well; it was not a cabinet position under George W. Bush. The incumbent United States Ambassador to the United Nations under Obama’s administration is Susan Rice. Prior to being the United States Ambassador to the United Nations she was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Adviser to President Clinton on national security, and the Foreign Policy Advisor to the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Barack Obama. In this position, Susan Rice will be one of the most well known faces in Obama’s administration to … Continue reading
The United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization which “aims to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achieving world peace.” The United Nations was founded in 1945 after WWII and it replaced the League of Nations. The purpose of the United Nations during its creation was to end wars between nations and give countries a forum for dialogue between each other. The United Nations currently boasts 192 member states, which includes nearly every recognized independent state in the world. The United Nations has its headquarters in New York City and the building is considered international territory. The United Nations is divided into five administrative bodies; The General Assembly which is the main deliberative body, the Security Council which decides certain resolutions for peace and security, The Economic and Social Council which aids in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development, the Secretariat which provides studies, information and facilities needed by the United Nations, and last but certainly not least is the International Court of Justice which serves as the primary judicial organ. The United Nations was the successor to the League of Nations which was for the most part considered to be … Continue reading
United Nations
The United Nations is an organization that includes every government on earth. Each country in the United Nations is referred to as a member state and form the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations General Assembly is one of the five man facets of the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly oversees the budget of the UN, appoints the non-permanent members of the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the UN, and make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions. The United Nations General Assembly meets under its president or secretary general in regular yearly sessions from September to December. Though those are the usual meeting times, they reconvene for special and emergency sessions. The United Nations General Assembly will vote on important world decisions such as recommendations on peace and security, election of members to organs, admission, suspension, and expulsion matters. The General Assembly will vote n many resolutions brought forth by sponsoring states. These resolutions are usually symbolic statements surrounding a world issue; they can range anywhere to the proliferation of arms to ending genocide. A major disadvantage to the United Nations General Assembly is the lack of a legal and binding contract. … Continue reading
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that was put forth by the United Nations. All 192 United Nation member states, and a minimum of 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by 2015. The Millennium Development goals include “reducing extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership for development.” The United Nations General Assembly convened for a special session to discuss the Millennium Development Goals in 2001. The Millennium Development Goals were put forth after the United Nations recognized the need to help developing nations more aggressively. The Millennium Development Goals aim to prompt development by improving social and economic conditions in the world’s poorest countries. The Millennium Development Goals were a result of prior international development targets and were officially established at the Millennium Summit in 2000, where all world leaders present adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration. There are 8 main chapters to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals which are: “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership … Continue reading