[United States Government Manual]
[June 01, 2007]
[Pages 579-588]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 579]]

SELECTED MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS

------------------------------------------------------------------------

MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONALORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES 
PARTICIPATES

Explanatory note: The United States participates in the organizations 
named below in accordance with the provisions of treaties, other 
international agreements, congressional legislation, or executive 
arrangements. In some cases, no financial contribution is involved.

    Various commissions, councils, or committees subsidiary to the 
organizations listed here are not named separately on this list. These 
include the international bodies for narcotics control, which are 
subsidiary to the United Nations.

I. Specialized Agencies of the United Nations

Food and Agricultural Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Civil Aviation Organization
International Fund for Agriculture Development
International Labor Organization
International Maritime Organization
International Telecommunication Union
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 
    (UNESCO)
Universal Postal Union
World Health Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Meteorological Organization

II. Peacekeeping

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Golan Heights)
United Nations Force in Cyprus
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations International Criminal Tribunal--Rwanda
United Nations International Criminal Tribunal--Yugoslavia
United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission
United Nations Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
United Nations Mission in Kosovo
United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
United Nations Observer Mission in Angola
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone
United Nations Prevention Deployment Force
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slovenia

III. Inter-American Organizations

Border Environment Cooperation Commission
Inter-American Center of Tax Administrators
Inter-American Indian Institute
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research

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Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
Organization of American States (OAS)
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Pan American Institute of Geography and History
Pan American Railway Congress Association
Postal Union of the Americas and Spain and Portugal (PUASP)

IV. Regional Organizations

Asia Pacific Energy Research Center
Colombo Plan Council
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
International Energy Agency
North Atlantic Assembly
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Nuclear Energy Agency
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
South Pacific Commission

V. Other International Organizations

Center for International Forestry Research
Commission for Labor Cooperation
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
    and Flora
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
International Agreement on the Maintenance of Certain Lights in the Red 
    Sea
International Bureau for the Permanent Court of Arbitration
International Bureau for the Protection of Industrial Property
International Bureau for the Publication of Customs Tariffs
International Bureau of Weights and Measures
International Center for Agriculrural Research in the Dry Areas
International Center for the Study of the Preservation and the 
    Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
International Coffee Organization
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES)
International Council of Scientific Unions and Its Associated Unions 
    (20)
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
International Development Law Institute
International Fertilizer Development Center
International Grain Council
International Human Frontier Science Program Organization
International Hydrographic Organization
International Institute for Cotton
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
International Mobile Satellitte Organization
International North Pacific Fisheries Commission
International Organization for Legal Metrology (IOLM)
International Organization for Migration
International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
International Plant Genetics Resources Institute
International Rubber Study Group
International Science and Technology Center
International Seed Testing Association
International Service for National Agriculture Research
International Sugar Council
International Tropical Timber Organization
International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers
International Whaling Commission
Interparliamentary Union
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
Multinational Force Observers
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Pacific Aviation Safety Office
Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses
Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
Science and Technology Center in Ukraine

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Sierra Leone Special Court
World Heritage Fund
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization (WTO)

VI. Special Voluntary Programs

African Institute for Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders
Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
    and Flora (CITES)
International Center for Research in Agroforestry
International Council of Science
International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
International Federation of the Red Cross
International Food Policy Research Institute
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund
Organization of American States Fund for Strengthening Democracy
Organization of American States Special Development Assistance Fund
Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
United Nations Afghanistan Emergency Trust Fund
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
United Nations/Food and Agricultural Organization World Food Program 
    (WFP)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Program (UNHCR)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture
World Health Organization Special Programs

African Development Bank

Headquarters (temporary): Angle des Trois Rues, Avenue Du Ghana, Rue 
Pierre De Coubertin, Rue Hedi Nouira, BP. 323, 1002 Tunis Belvedere, 
Tunisia. Internet, www.afdb.org. E-mail, [email protected].

President: Omar Kabbaj

The African Development Bank (AFDB) was established in 1964 and, by 
charter amendment, opened its membership to non-African countries in 
1982. Its mandate is to contribute to the economic development and 
social progress of its regional members. Bank members total 77, 
including 53 African countries and 24 nonregional countries. With the 
September 1999 ratification of the agreement on the fifth general 
capital increase, Bank ownership is 60 percent African and 40 percent 
nonregional.
    The African Development Fund (AFDF), the concessional lending 
affiliate, was established in 1973 to complement AFDB operations by 
providing concessional financing for high-priority development projects 
in the poorest African countries. The Fund's membership consists of 25 
nonregional member countries, South Africa, and AFDB, which represents 
its African members and is allocated half of the votes.
    In February 2003, security concerns resulted in AFDB headquarters 
temporarily relocating to Tunis, Tunisia.

Asian Development Bank

Headquarters: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 0401 Metro Manila, 
Philippines. Phone, 632-632-4444. Fax, 632-636-2444. Internet, 
www.adb.org.

President: Tadao Chino

The Asian Development Bank commenced operations on December 19, 1966. It 
now has 63 member countries--45 from Asia and 18 from outside the 
region.

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    The purpose of the Bank is to foster sustainable economic 
development, poverty alleviation, and cooperation among its developing 
member countries in the Asia/Pacific region.

For further information, contact the Asian Development Bank, P.O. Box 
789, 0980 Manila, Philippines. E-mail, [email protected]. Or contact 
the ADB North American Representative Office, 815 Connecticut Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-728-1500. E-mail, [email protected].

Inter-American Defense Board

2600 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20441. Phone, 202-939-6600. 
Internet, www.jid.org. E-mail, [email protected].

Chairman: Lieutenant General Jorge Armando de Almeida Ribeiro, Brazil

The Inter-American Defense Board is the oldest permanently constituted, 
international military organization in the world. It was founded by 
Resolution XXXIX of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers at Rio de Janeiro 
in January 1942. Senior army, navy, and air force officers from 25 
member nations staff the various agencies of the Board. Its three major 
components are the Council of Delegates, the decisionmaking body; the 
International Staff; the Inter-American Defense College; and the 
Secretariat, which provides administrative and logistical support.
    The Board studies and recommends to member governments measures it 
feels are necessary for the safety and security of the hemisphere. It 
also acts as a technical military adviser for the Organization of 
American States and is involved in projects such as disaster 
preparedness and humanitarian demining programs in Central and South 
America.
    The Inter-American Defense College, founded in 1962, prepares senior 
military officers and civilian functionaries for positions in their 
respective governments. The College's multidisciplinary program uses 
four annual seminars to focus on the Western Hemisphere's most pressing 
defense and security issues.

Inter-American Development Bank

Headquarters: 1300 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20577. Phone, 
202-623-1000. Internet, www.iadb.org.

President: Enrique V. Iglesias

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was established in 1959 to 
help accelerate economic and social development in Latin America and the 
Caribbean. It is based in Washington, DC.
    The Bank has 28 member countries in the Western Hemisphere and 18 
outside of the region.

Inter-American Investment Corporation

Headquarters: 1350 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20577. Phone, 
202-623-3900

Chairman of Board of Directors: Enrique V. Iglesias
General Manager: Jacques Rogozinski

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), an affiliate of the 
Inter-American Development Bank, was established in 1984 to promote the 
economic development of its Latin American and Caribbean members by 
financing small- and medium-size private enterprises. IIC makes direct 
loans and equity investments and grants lines of credit to local 
financial intermediaries. It is based in Washington, DC.
    IIC has 37 member countries, of which 27 are in the Western 
Hemisphere, including the United States, and 10 are outside the region.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202-473-
1000

President: Paul D. Wolfowitz

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also 
known as the World Bank, officially came into existence on December 27, 
1945.

[[Page 583]]

    The Bank's purpose is to promote economic, social, and environmental 
progress in developing nations by reducing poverty so that their people 
may live better and fuller lives. The Bank lends funds at market-
determined interest rates, provides advice, and serves as a catalyst to 
stimulate outside investments. Its resources come primarily from funds 
raised in the world capital markets, its retained earnings, and 
repayments on its loans.

International Development Association  The International Development 
Association (IDA) came into existence on September 24, 1960, as an 
affiliate of IBRD. The Association's resources consist of subscriptions 
and supplementary resources in the form of general replenishments, 
mostly from its more industrialized and developed members; special 
contributions by its richer members; repayments on earlier credits; and 
transfers from IBRD's net earnings.
    The Association promotes economic development, reduces poverty, and 
raises the standard of living in the least developed areas of the world. 
It does this by financing their developmental requirements on 
concessionary terms, which are more flexible and bear less heavily on 
the balance of payments than those of conventional loans, thereby 
furthering the objectives of IBRD and supplementing its activities.

International Finance Corporation

Headquarters: 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 
202-473-3800. Internet, www.ifc.org.

President: Paul D. Wolfowitz
Executive Vice President: Peter Woicke

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), an affiliate of the World 
Bank, was established in July 1956, to promote productive private 
enterprise in developing member countries.
    The Corporation pursues its objective principally through direct 
debt and equity investments in projects that establish new businesses or 
expand, modify, or diversify existing businesses. It also encourages 
cofinancing by other investors and lenders.
    Additionally, advisory services and technical assistance are 
provided by IFC to developing member countries in areas such as capital 
market development, privatization, corporate restructuring, and foreign 
investment.

International Monetary Fund

700 Nineteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20431. Phone, 202-623-7000. 
Fax, 202-623-4661. Internet, www.imf.org.

Managing Director and Chairman of the
Executive Board: Rodrigo de Rato y Figaredo
First Deputy Managing Director:
John Lipsky
Deputy Managing Directors: Murilo Portugal, Takatoshi Kato

The Final Act of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, 
signed at Bretton Woods, NH, on July 22, 1944, set forth the original 
Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The 
Agreement became effective on December 27, 1945, when the President, 
authorized by the Bretton Woods Agreements Act (22 U.S.C. 286), accepted 
membership for the United States in IMF, the Agreement having thus been 
accepted by countries whose combined financial commitments (quotas) 
equaled approximately 80 percent of IMF's total commitments. The 
inaugural meeting of the Board of Governors was held in March 1946, and 
the first meeting of the Executive Directors was held May 6, 1946.
    On May 31, 1968, the Board of Governors approved an amendment to the 
Articles of Agreement for the establishment of a facility based on 
Special Drawing Rights (SDR) in IMF and for modification of certain IMF 
rules and practices. The amendment became effective on July 28, 1969, 
and the Special Drawing Account became operative on August 6, 1969. 
United States acceptance of the amendment and participation in the 
Special Drawing Account were authorized by the Special Drawing Rights 
Act (22 U.S.C. 286 et seq.).
    On April 30, 1976, the Board of Governors approved a second

[[Page 584]]

amendment to the Articles of Agreement, which entered into force on 
April 1, 1978. This amendment gave members the right to adopt exchange 
arrangements of their choice while placing certain obligations on them 
regarding their exchange rate policies, over which IMF was to exercise 
firm surveillance. The official price of gold was abolished and the SDR 
account was promoted as the principal reserve asset of the international 
monetary system. United States acceptance of this amendment was 
authorized by the Bretton Woods Agreements Act Amendments (22 U.S.C. 
286e-5).
    On June 28, 1990, the Board of Governors approved a third amendment 
to the Articles of Agreement, which became effective on November 11, 
1992. Under this amendment, a member's voting rights and certain related 
rights may be suspended by a 70-percent majority of the executive board 
if the member, having been declared ineligible to use the general 
resources of the Fund, persists in its failure to fulfill any of its 
obligations under the Articles.
    As of January 31, 2007, IMF had 185 member countries. Total quotas 
at the end of December 2006 were SDR 217.5 billion (about $327.3 
billion).
    The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation through a 
permanent forum for consultation and collaboration on international 
monetary problems; facilitates the expansion and balanced growth of 
international trade; promotes exchange rate stability; assists in the 
establishment of an open multilateral system of payments for current 
transactions between members; and gives confidence to members by making 
IMF resources temporarily available to them under adequate safeguards.
    IMF helps its members correct imbalances in their international 
balances of payments. It periodically examines the economic developments 
and policies of its member countries, offers policy advice, and at 
member's request and upon executive board approval, provides financial 
assistance through a variety of financial facilities designed to address 
specific problems. These lending mechanisms include stand-by and 
extended arrangements, a supplemental reserve facility to provide short-
term assistance for difficulties related to crises of market confidence, 
a facility to provide compensatory and contingency financing to 
countries suffering temporary declines in their export earnings, a 
concessional (low-interest rate) poverty reduction and growth facility 
to support structural adjustment and promote growth in the poorest 
countries, an exogenous shocks facility to provide short-term assistance 
to low-income countries suffering balance of payments difficulties 
caused by an external shock, and emergency assistance for countries 
recovering from natural disasters or armed conflict. IMF also provides 
technical assistance and training to its members. As of December 31, 
2006, IMF usable resources were SDR 160 billion ($240.7 billion), and 
one-year forward commitment capacity was SDR 157.1 billion ($236.3 
billion).

For further information, contact the Chief, Public Affairs Division, 
External Relations Department, International Monetary Fund, 700 
Nineteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20431. Phone, 202-623-7300. Fax, 
202-623-6278. E-mail, [email protected]. Internet, www.imf.org.

International Organization for Migration

Headquarters: 17 Route des Morillons, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva. Mailing 
address, P.O. Box 71, CH-1211, Geneva 19, Switzerland. Phone, 011-41-22-
717-9111. Fax, 011-41-22-798-6150. Internet, www.iom.int.

Director General: Brunson McKinley (United States)

Deputy Director General: Ndioro Ndiaye (Senegal)

Washington Office: Suite 700, 1752 N Street NW., Washington, DC 20036. 
Phone, 202-862-1826. Fax, 202-862-1879. E-mail, [email protected].
Regional Representative: Richard Scott (United States)

New York Office: Suite 1610, 122 E. 42d Street, New York, NY 10168. 
Phone, 212-681-7000. Fax, 212-867-5887. E-mail, [email protected]

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Chief of Mission: Michael Gray (United States)

Permanent Observer to the United Nations: Luca Dall'Oglio (Italy)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) was formed in 1951 as 
the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help 
solve the postwar problems of refugees and displaced persons in Europe 
and to assist in orderly trans-Atlantic migration. It adopted its 
current name in 1989 to reflect its progressively global outreach. Since 
its creation, IOM has assisted more than 12 million refugees and 
migrants in over 125 countries. As of December 2006, 120 governments are 
members of IOM, and 19 others have observer status. IOM has observer 
status at the United Nations.
    IOM's guiding principle is that humane and orderly migration 
benefits migrants and societies. In carrying out its mandate, IOM helps 
migrants, governments, and civil society plan and operate international 
and national migration programs at the request of its member states and 
in cooperation with other international organizations. Its major 
objectives are the processing and movement of migrants and refugees to 
countries offering them permanent resettlement opportunities; the 
promotion of orderly migration to meet the needs of both emigration and 
immigration communities; counter-trafficking activities; the transfer of 
technology through migration in order to promote the economic, 
educational, and social advancement of developing countries; the 
provision of a forum for states and other partners to exchange views; 
the promotion of cooperation and coordination on migration issues; and 
technical cooperation and advisory services on migration policies and 
legislation.

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202-458-
9292. Internet, www.miga.org.

President: Paul D. Wolfowitz
Executive Vice President: Yukiko Omura

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), an affiliate of the 
World Bank, was formally constituted in April 1988.
    Its basic purpose is to facilitate the flow of foreign private 
investment for productive purposes to developing member countries by 
offering long-term political risk insurance in the areas of 
expropriation, transfer restriction, breach of contract, and war and 
civil disturbance; and by providing advisory and consultative services. 
The Agency cooperates with national investment insurance schemes, such 
as OPIC, and with private insurers.

Organization of American States

Headquarters: Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-458-3000. Fax, 202-458-3967. Internet, 
www.oas.org.

Secretary General: Jose Miguel Insulza
Assistant Secretary General: Albert Ramdin

The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the countries 
of the Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation and advance common 
interests. At the core of the OAS mission is a commitment to democracy. 
Building on this foundation, OAS works to promote good governance, 
strengthen human rights, foster peace and security, expand trade, and 
address the complex problems caused by poverty, drugs, and corruption. 
Though decisions made by its political bodies and programs carried out 
by its General Secretariat, OAS promotes greater inter-American 
cooperation and understanding.
    OAS member states have intensified their cooperation since the end 
of the cold war, taking on new and important challenges. In 1994, the 
region's 34 democratically elected presidents and prime ministers met in 
Miami for the First Summit of the Americas, where they established broad 
political, economic and social development goals. They have continued to 
meet periodically since then to examine common interests and priorities. 
Through the ongoing Summits of the Americas process, the

[[Page 586]]

region's leaders have entrusted the OAS with a growing number of 
responsibilities to help advance the countries' shared vision.
    With four official languages--English, Spanish, Portuguese, and 
French--the OAS reflects the rich diversity of peoples and cultures 
across the Americas. The OAS has 35 member states, the independent 
nations of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Since 
1962, Cuba has been barred from participation by resolution of the Eight 
Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Countries from all around the 
world are permanent observers, closely following the issues that are 
critical to the Americas and often providing key financial support for 
OAS programs.
    Member states set major policies and goals through the General 
Assembly, which gathers the hemisphere's foreign ministers once a year 
in regular session. The Permanent Council, made up of ambassadors 
appointed by member states, meets regularly, at OAS headquarters in 
Washington, DC, to guide ongoing policies and actions. The chairmanship 
of the Permanent Council rotates every three months, in alphabetical 
order of countries. Each member state has an equal voice, and most 
decisions are made through consensus.
    Also under the OAS umbrella are several specialized agencies that 
have considerable autonomy. Those agencies are the Pan American Health 
Organization in Washington, DC; the Inter-American Children's Institute 
in Montevideo, Uruguay; the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on 
Agriculture in San Jose, Costa Rica; and the Pan American Institute of 
Geography and History and the Inter-American Indian Institute, both in 
Mexico City.
    In 1948, 21 nations of the hemisphere signed the OAS Charter at the 
Ninth International Conference of American States. They were Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (barred from 
participation), Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United 
States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
    Subsequently, 14 other countries joined the OAS by signing and 
ratifying the Charter. They were Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, 
Grenada, Suriname, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint 
Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Canada, 
Belize, and Guyana. This brings to 35 the number of member states.

For further information, contact the Director, Department of Press and 
Communications, OAS, 1889 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 
202-458-3760. Fax, 202-458-6421.

United Nations

United Nations, New York, NY 10017. Phone, 212-963-1234. Internet, 
www.un.org.

Secretary-General: Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Office at Geneva: Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, 
Switzerland

Director-General: Sergi Ordzhonikidze

United Nations Office at Vienna: Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 
500, A-1400, Vienna, Austria

Director-General: Antonio Maria Costa

Washington, DC, Office: U.N. Information Centre, Suite 400, 1775 K 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-331-8670. Fax, 202-331-
9191. Internet, www.unicwash.org. E-mail, [email protected]

Director: Will Davis

The United Nations is an international organization that was set up in 
accordance with the Charter \1\ drafted by governments represented at 
the Conference on International Organization meeting at San Francisco. 
The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force on October 
24, 1945, when the required number of ratifications and accessions had 
been

[[Page 587]]

made by the signatories. Amendments increasing membership of the 
Security Council and the Economic and Social Council came into effect on 
August 31, 1965.
    \1\ Charter of the United Nations, together with the Statute of the 
International Court of Justice (Department of State Publication No. 
2353, International Organization and Conference Series III, 21), June 
26, 1945. Available for sale from the Superintendent of Documents, 
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Phone, 202-512-1800.
    The United Nations now consists of 191 member states, of which 51 
are founding members.
    The purposes of the United Nations set out in the Charter are to 
maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations 
among nations; to achieve international cooperation in solving 
international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian 
character and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a center 
for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common 
ends.

    The principal organs of the United Nations are as follows:

General Assembly  All states that are members of the United Nations are 
members of the General Assembly. Its functions are to consider and 
discuss any matter within the scope of the Charter of the United Nations 
and to make recommendations to the members of the United Nations and 
other organs. It approves the budget of the organization, the expenses 
of which are borne by the members as apportioned by the General 
Assembly.
    The General Assembly may call the attention of the Security Council 
to situations likely to endanger international peace and security, may 
initiate studies, and may receive and consider reports from other organs 
of the United Nations. Under the ``Uniting for Peace'' resolution 
adopted by the General Assembly in November 1950, if the Security 
Council fails to act on an apparent threat to or breach of the peace or 
act of aggression because of lack of unanimity of its five permanent 
members, the Assembly itself may take up the matter within 24 hours--in 
emergency special session--and recommend collective measures, including, 
in case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression, use of armed 
force when necessary to maintain or restore international peace and 
security.
    The General Assembly normally meets in regular annual session from 
September through December. It also has met in special sessions and 
emergency special sessions.
Security Council  The Security Council consists of 15 members, of which 
5--the People's Republic of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, 
and the United States of America--are permanent members. The 10 
nonpermanent members are elected for 2-year terms by the General 
Assembly. The primary responsibility of the Security Council is to act 
on behalf of the members of the United Nations in maintenance of 
international peace and security. Measures that may be employed by the 
Security Council are outlined in the Charter.
    The Security Council, together with the General Assembly, also 
elects the judges of the International Court of Justice and makes a 
recommendation to the General Assembly on the appointment of the 
Secretary-General of the organization.
    The Security Council first met in London on January 17, 1946, and is 
so organized as to be able to function continuously.
Economic and Social Council  This organ is responsible, under the 
authority of the General Assembly, for the economic and social programs 
of the United Nations. Its functions include making or initiating 
studies, reports, and recommendations on international economic, social, 
cultural, educational, health, and related matters; promoting respect 
for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all; 
calling international conferences and preparing draft conventions for 
submission to the General Assembly on matters within its competence; 
negotiating agreements with the specialized agencies and defining their 
relationship with the United Nations; coordinating the activities of the 
specialized agencies; and consulting with nongovernmental organizations 
concerned with matters within its competence. The Council consists of 54 
members of the United Nations elected

[[Page 588]]

by the General Assembly for 3-year terms; 18 are elected each year.
    The Council usually holds two regular sessions a year. It has also 
held a number of special sessions.
Trusteeship Council  The Trusteeship Council was initially established 
to consist of any member states that administered trust territories, 
permanent members of the Security Council that did not administer trust 
territories, and enough other nonadministering countries elected by the 
General Assembly for 3-year terms to ensure that membership would be 
equally divided between administering and nonadministering members. 
Under authority of the General Assembly, the Council considered reports 
from members administering trust territories, examined petitions from 
trust territory inhabitants, and provided for periodic inspection visits 
to trust territories.
    With the independence of Palau, the last remaining U.N. trust 
territory, the Trusteeship Council formally suspended operations after 
nearly half a century. The council will henceforth meet only on an 
extraordinary basis, as the need may arise.
International Court of Justice  The International Court of Justice is 
the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It has its seat at 
The Hague, The Netherlands. All members of the United Nations are ipso 
facto parties to the Statute of the Court. Nonmembers of the United 
Nations may become parties to the Statute of the Court on conditions 
prescribed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security 
Council.
    The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases that the parties 
refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the 
United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force.
    The Court consists of 15 judges known as ``members'' of the Court. 
They are elected for 9-year terms by the General Assembly and the 
Security Council, voting independently, and may be reelected.
Secretariat   The Secretariat consists of a Secretary-General and ``such 
staff as the Organization may require.'' The Secretary-General, who is 
appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security 
Council, is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. He 
acts in that capacity for the General Assembly, the Security Council, 
the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council. Under the 
Charter, the Secretary-General ``may bring to the attention of the 
Security Council any matter that in his opinion may threaten the 
maintenance of international peace and security.''