The United Nations, headquartered in New York City, is made up of 193 Member States. Its work covers five key areas: peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, international humanitarian law and countering terrorism. Its activities – and those of its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) – touch the lives of billions, have a long-term impact on the health of the planet, and serve to promote human progress in all its dimensions.
The purpose of the Organization is to maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among countries based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; achieve universal cooperation in solving global economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems; and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of States to attain these goals.
Membership in the United Nations is open to all States wishing to undertake the obligations of membership in accordance with the Charter. Any such State must submit an application to the Secretary-General and a letter formally stating that it accepts these obligations. The Security Council shall consider the application and recommend its admission to the General Assembly, which must approve it by a two-thirds majority vote of its members present and voting.
The Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations is the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year term. The current Secretary-General is Antonio Guterres of Portugal, who succeeded Ban Ki-moon in 2017. The General Assembly is the principal organ of the United Nations that carries out the day-to-day work of the Organization and is responsible for its budget.
About the Author
