The United Nations

Read the two statements given below about the United Nations. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): The United Nations is an international organisation which represents practically every nation of the world.

Reason (R): Today, it has 203 members.

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Answer

(A) is true but (R) is false

Explanation — The United Nations is an international organisation which represents practically every nation of the world. It came into existence on October 24, 1945. At that time it had only 51 countries as its members. Today it has 193 members.

Identify the currencies that have been recognised as reliable exchange medium in international trade.

P: The Rouble of Russia

Q: The Dollar of USA

R: The Indian Rupee

S: The Chinese Yuan

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer

P and Q

Avneet is preparing a project on "United Nations". Which of the following conferences would MOST LIKELY be part of her project?

1. Montreal Conference
2. Tokyo Conference
3. Washington Conference
4. San Francisco Conference

Answer

San Francisco Conference

Which of the following aspects is being depicted by the given picture?

1. Functioning of the Secretariat
2. Functioning of the International Court of Justice
3. Functioning of the UN Security Council
4. Functioning of the UN General Assembly

Answer

Functioning of the UN General Assembly

The United Nations : 1945 : World Health Organisation :

1. 1946
2. 1945
3. 1950
4. 1948

Answer

1948

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: The UN has helped countries which were under foreign rule to become independent.

Statement II: The UN makes efforts to prevent human rights violations.

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Answer

Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Identify the ODD ONE out of the following main organs of the UN

1. The International Labour Organisation
2. The Secretariat
3. The International Court of Justice
4. The Security Council

Answer

The International Labour Organisation

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. The General Assembly can be taken as the Parliament of UNO.
2. The five permanent members of the Security Council enjoy the power of Veto.
3. The International Court of Justice settles disputes between the member - states of the United Nations.
4. The Economic and Social Council consists of 64 member - nations elected by the General Assembly.

Answer

The Economic and Social Council consists of 64 member - nations elected by the General Assembly.

Identify the organ of the UN on the basis of given clues.

• It consists of delegates from all the member states.
• It supervises the work of other organs of the UN.

1. The General Assembly
2. The Economic and Social Council
3. The Security Council
4. The Secretariat

Answer

The General Assembly

Where is the headquarters of Food and Agriculture Organisation located?

1. Lisbon
2. Geneva
3. Berlin
4. Rome

Answer

Rome

Fill in the blanks.

1. All ............... can become members of the United Nations.

2. The present number of member-countries in the UNO is ............... .

3. One major goal of the UNICEF was ............... by 1990.

4. The International Court of Justice settles disputes between ............... .

5. The UNESCO came into existence in ............... .

Answer

1. peace loving nations

2. 193

3. universal child immunisation against preventable diseases

4. member-states of the UN

5. 1946

Match Column A with Column B.

Answer

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. The United Nations is an international organisation.

2. The UNO is financed by the contributions made by its member-states.

3. Sudan was the last to achieve independence with the help of the Trusteeship Council.

4. Ban Ki-Moon is the present Secretary General of the United Nations.

5. WHO was established in 1958.

Answer

1. True

2. True

3. False
   Correct Statement — Palau was the last to achieve independence with the help of the Trusteeship Council.

4. False
   Correct Statement — Antonio Guterres is the present Secretary General of the United Nations.

5. False
   Correct Statement — WHO was established in 1948.

Why and when was the UNO formed?

Answer

The UNO was formed on October 24, 1945, to prevent another world war from happening.

What are the objectives and principles of the UNO?

Answer

The objectives of the UNO are given below:

1. To save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold suffering to mankind.
2. To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human power in the equal rights of men and women, of all the nations.
3. To maintain international peace and security.
4. To develop friendly relations among the nations of world based on respect for the equal rights of people.
5. To cooperate in solving international problems of social, economic, cultural, and humanitarian character and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedom.
6. To act as a common platform for harmonising activities of the various nations for the attainment of the aforesaid activities.

The UN has laid down certain principles to achieve the above aims. These principles are:

1. The basis of the organisation shall be equality of all its member-states.
2. The member-states shall fulfil their obligations honestly according to the charter of the UNO.
3. All the member-states shall solve their mutual problems through peaceful means.
4. States will not use force in solving their mutual problems.
5. All the member-states shall be morally bound to offer unconditional services, military or otherwise, to the UNO for preventive and enforcement actions of the UNO according to the UN Charter.
6. The members of the UNO shall see that even the non-member states work for the peace and security of the world.
7. No member-state shall interfere in the internal affairs of any other member-state.

Name the chief organs of the UNO and list down their functions.

Answer

The Chief organs of the UNO, along with their functions are given below:

1. The General Assembly —

   • Supervises the work of other UN organs.
   • Admits new members on the Security Council’s recommendation.
   • Appoints the Secretary‑General on the Security Council’s recommendation.
   • Elects temporary Security Council members, and members of the Economic and Social Council and Trusteeship Council.
   • Receives reports from UN organs and makes decisions for improvement.
   • Urges member-states to ensure human rights for their citizens.
   • Approves the annual UNO budget and sets member contributions.
   • Alerts the Security Council if global peace is threatened by a state's actions.

2. The Security Council —

   • Maintains international peace and security.
   • Encourages fighting states to resolve differences through talks.
   • Can impose economic sanctions or order military action against aggressor states.
   • Recommends new members for admission and the Secretary‑General’s appointment.
   • Elects International Court of Justice judges with the General Assembly.
   • Can request the cancellation of a state's membership for not following the Charter.
   • Can recommend an emergency General Assembly meeting.

3. The Economic and Social Council —

   • Promotes economic and social cooperation among UN member states.
   • Oversees specialized groups on - population, money matters, international trade and gender equality, crime prevention and control of narcotic drugs.

4. The Trusteeship Council —

   • The International Trusteeship Council safeguards the interests of non-self-governing territories.
   • Eleven territories were brought under the Council after World War II. The Council helped ten of these territories gain independence.
   • The Council suspended its activities in 1994.

5. The International Court of Justice —

   • Settles disputes between UN member-states.
   • Allows private citizens to approach the Court against a state.
   • Issues binding decisions on cases.
   • Provides advisory opinions on legal questions referred by the General Assembly or Security Council.

6. The Secretariat —

   • Handles all administrative work of the UN.
   • The Secretary-General is the chief executive officer, elected for a five-year term. He organizes conferences, drafts reports, handles correspondence, registers treaties, and prepares budget estimates.

Name the official languages of the UNO.

Answer

The official languages of the UNO are — English, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and Spanish.

How does the UNO manage its funds?

Answer

The UN is financed by the contributions made by its members-states. The amount is determined by the General Assembly on the recommendations of its committee on contributions.

Describe the UNO Flag. Draw and colour it.

Answer

The UN Flag represents two bent olive branches open at the top over a blue background. The branches of the wreath symbolise peace.

Name the permanent members of the UNO.

Answer

The permanent members of the UNO are — USA, UK, France, China and Russia.

Assertion (A): The United Nations came into existence on October 24, 1945.

Reason (R): The consequences of the Second World War was very destructive.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.

Answer

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Explanation — The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945. It was formed because the consequences of the Second World War were very destructive, motivating nations to create an organization to prevent future global conflicts.

Assertion (A): All peace loving nations of the world can become members of the UNO.

Reason (R): The UNO is financed by the contributions made by its members states.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.

Answer

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Explanation — The UNO is financed by contributions from its member states. However, the reason does not explain why all peace-loving nations can become its members.

Assertion (A): The UNO has its official headquarters in New York (USA).

Reason (R): Ghana was the last to achieve independence with the help of the Trusteeship Council.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
3. Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.

Answer

Assertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.

Explanation — The UNO has its official headquarters in New York (USA). Palau was the last to gain independence under the Trusteeship Council in 1994.

'India should be given the status of the permanent member in the Security Council'. Justify this statement.

Answer

India should be given the status of the permanent member in the Security Council due to the following reasons:

1. Global Peacekeeping Contribution: India has contributed significantly to UN peacekeeping, participating in many missions, showing commitment to global security.
2. Largest Democracy: As the world’s largest democracy, India represents a large portion of the global population and promotes inclusive decision-making.
3. Economic and Political Influence: India is the third-largest economy and a key player in Asia and global politics, reflecting the current global power balance.
4. Support for Multilateralism: India advocates for multilateralism and a rules-based international order, strengthening the credibility of the Security Council.
5. Strategic Importance: India plays a critical role in Asian security, especially on issues like terrorism and nuclear proliferation.
6. Disarmament Commitment: India promotes nuclear disarmament and peaceful conflict resolution.

1. Name the agency.

2. When and why it was established?

Answer

1. The given picture shows the logo of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

2. UNICEF was established in 1946 after World War II to meet the emergency needs of children in war-torn Europe. It arranges for nutritious diet for the younger generations of the world. It also provides medical aid and medicines for the benefit of the children, especially of underdeveloped and developing countries of the world. It provides help to the children of the member-states at the time of national calamities like floods, eruptions of volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.