[United States Government Manual]
[September 15, 2009]
[Pages 563-572]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 563]]

SELECTED MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS

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MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 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 drugs and crime, which are 
subsidiary to the United Nations.
    This listing is provided for reference purposes and should not be 
considered exhaustive. For more information on international 
organizations and United States participation in them, contact the State 
Department's Bureau of International Organizations. Phone, 202-647-9326. 
Internet, www.state.gov/p/io.

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
Universal Postal Union
World Health Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Meteorological Organization

II. Peacekeeping

African Union/United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia/Eritrea
United Nations Mission in Liberia
United Nations Mission in Sudan
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (Middle East)

III. Inter-American Organizations

Caribbean Postal Union
Inter-American Center of Tax Administrators
Inter-American Indian Institute
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
Pan American Health Organization
Pan American Institute of Geography and History
Pan American Railway Congress Association
Postal Union of the Americas and Spain and Portugal

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IV. Regional Organizations

Antarctic Treaty System
Arctic Council
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia Pacific Energy Research Center
Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and 
    the Pacific
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Commission for Labor Cooperation
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
North Atlantic Assembly
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization
North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
North Pacific Coast Guard Forum
North Pacific Marine Science Organization
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
South Pacific Regional Environment Program
Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission

V. Other International Organizations

Center for International Forestry Research
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
COPAS-SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite System)
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Council
International Bureau for the Permanent Court of Arbitration
International Bureau of Weights and Measures
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
International Center for Migration Policy Development
International Center for the Study of the Preservation and the 
    Restoration of Cultural Property
International Coffee Organization
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Council for the Exploration of the Seas
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
International Customs Tariffs Bureau
International Development Law Organization
International Energy Agency
International Energy Forum Secretariat
International Fertilizer Development Center
International Grains Council
International Hydrographic Organization
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
International Institute for Cotton
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
International Mobile Satellite Organization
International North Pacific Fisheries Commission
International Organization for Legal Metrology
International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
International Rubber Study Group
International Science and Technology Center
International Seed Testing Association
International Service for National Agriculture Research
International Sugar Council
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
International Tropical Timber Organization
International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers (Berne Union)
International Whaling Commission
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
Hague Conference on Private International Law
Human Frontier Science Program Organization
Multinational Force and Observers
Nuclear Energy Agency
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Pacific Aviation Safety Office
Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses

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Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
Science and Technology Center in Ukraine
Sierra Leone Special Court
World Heritage Fund
World Customs Organization
World Trade Organization

VI. Special Voluntary Programs

Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
    and Flora (CITES)
Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
International Council for Science
International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Food Policy Research Institute
International Fund for Agricultural Development
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization
Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
United Nations Development Program
United Nations Environment Program
United Nations World Food Program
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Programs
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture
World Agroforestry Center
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. Email, [email protected].

President: Donald Kaberuka

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, 1550 Metro Manila, 
Philippines. Phone, 632-632-4444. Fax, 632-636-2444. Internet, 
www.adb.org.

President: Haruhiko Kuroda

The Asian Development Bank commenced operations on December 19, 1966. It 
now has 67 member countries: 48 from Asia and 19 from outside the 
region.
    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.

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

Inter-American Defense Board

2600 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20441. Phone, 202-939-6041. 
Fax, 202-387-2880. Internet, www.jid.org. Email, [email protected].

Chairman: Rear Adm. Elis Treidler Oberg

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: Luis Alberto Moreno

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 47 member countries, 26 of which are borrowing members 
in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Inter-American Investment Corporation

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

Chairman of Board of Directors: Luis Alberto Moreno
General Manager: Jacques Rogozinski

The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), an affiliate of the 
Inter-American Development Bank based in Washington, DC, began 
operations in 1989 to promote the economic development of its Latin 
American and Caribbean members by financing small- and medium-size 
private enterprises. IIC provides project financing in the form of 
direct loans and equity investments, lines of credit to local financial 
intermediaries, and investments in local and regional investment funds. 
IIC has 43 member countries, of which 27 are in the Western Hemisphere, 
including the United States, and 16 are outside the region.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

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

President: Robert Zoellick

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

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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: Robert Zoellick
Executive Vice President: Lars Thunell

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: Dominique Strauss-Kahn
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 original quotas. 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 
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

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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 December 31, 2007, IMF had 185 member countries. Total quotas 
at the end of December 2007 were SDR 217.3 billion (about $343.4 
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 among 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 financing mechanisms provide access to the 
Fund's general resources to offer short-term assistance during crises of 
market confidence, compensatory financing to countries suffering 
declines in export earnings, emergency assistance for countries 
recovering from natural disasters or armed conflict, and low-interest 
rate resources to support structural adjustment and promote growth in 
the poorest countries. IMF also provides technical assistance and 
training to its members. As of December 31, 2007, IMF usable resources 
were SDR 165.4 billion ($261.4 billion), and 1-year forward commitment 
capacity was SDR 127.7 billion ($201.7 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. Email, [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: William Lacy Swing (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. Email, [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. Email, [email protected]
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 transatlantic migration. It adopted its current 
name in 1989 to

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reflect its progressively global outreach. Since its creation, IOM has 
assisted more than 12 million refugees and migrants in over 125 
countries. As of April 2009, 125 governments are members of IOM, and 18 
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: Robert Zoellick
Executive Vice President: Izumi Kobayashi

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.
    \*\ EDITORIAL NOTE: The Organization of American States did not meet 
the publication deadline for submitting updated information of its 
activities, functions, and sources of information.

Secretary General: Jose Miguel Insulza
Assistant Secretary General: Albert R. 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. 
Through 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 
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

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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 3 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 the number of member states to 35.

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: Sergei 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. Email, [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 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

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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 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

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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.''