Subsidiaries of the United Nations. United Nations system organizations. The UN system has a complex organizational structure

Like the UN. Almost all countries of the world are its members, but few people know exactly what functions it performs.

The UN structure includes 6 main divisions, whose employees are engaged in various issues. The main goal of this organization is to maintain security and peace on our planet. In addition, the UN contributes to the establishment of friendly relations between different countries, favors the development of all-round cooperation (social, economic, humanitarian, cultural). Founded in 1945. the UN system works to help people of the Earth in a wide variety of areas and issues.

The main constituent document of this organization is its Charter. It lists the responsibilities and rights of its members to achieve common goals.
The UN structure is designed to achieve universal respect for all peoples and human rights. To carry out the activities of the organization, each participating country deducts mandatory contributions. The basic principle is that the richer the country, the more contributions to the UN budget it makes. So, according to the latest estimates, more than 82% are paid by the 16 richest countries in the world. This money is sent to each UN unit to carry out their duties and powers.

The UN structure includes such main bodies as the Security Council, Secretariat, General Assembly, Trusteeship Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice. Each of the listed bodies deals with a wide range of issues, therefore they have many subsidiary and advisory bodies.

The structure of the UN is so complex that the list of all its divisions will take more than one page. Below are the leading divisions of its main organs:

1. The following subsidiary bodies are subordinate to the Security Council:
- the Sanctions Committee;
- Compensation Commission;
- International tribunals;
- Military Staff Committee;
- the Peacekeeping Committee;
- Counter-Terrorism Committee;
- Standing committees;
- The 1540 Committee;
- Working groups on children and armed conflict.

The Council has 5 permanent (China, Russia, UK, USA, France) and 10 members elected every 2 years. It functions continuously. Each of its members chairs for 1 month. This body has broad powers in matters of preserving security and peace. Council resolutions are binding on all countries. Meetings are held regularly, and, if necessary, extraordinary meetings are convened.

2.includes specialized agencies and bodies:
- Postal Union;
- the World Bank Group;
- meteorology, intellectual property, tourism);
- International organizations (maritime, civil aviation, monetary fund, telecommunication union, agricultural development);
- Organizations for education, science, culture and industrial development;
- World Trade, Agriculture and Food Organization;
- International Atomic Energy Agency;
- Organizations for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and nuclear tests;
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on combating desertification, on climate change;
- Foundations for Democracy and International Partnership.

The head of the Secretariat is the Secretary General, who is elected for a 5-year term on the recommendations of the Security Council.

3. The General Assembly includes the following bodies:
- Committees;
- Advice;
- Commissions;
- Agencies;
- Working groups.

At the General Assembly, the participating countries are represented by 1 vote. This body meets at regular annual sessions and operates with the complex structure of its subsidiary bodies. In extraordinary sessions, the Assembly meets for 24 hours.

4. The Trusteeship Council has 5 members. It oversees the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

5. The Economic and Social Council has the following commissions:

Development and Population;
- on narcotic drugs;
- by the status of women;
- in science and technology;
- on sustainable development;
- on crime and justice;
- on social development;
- statistics.

This Council also includes regional economic commissions:

In Europe;
- in Asia and the Pacific Ocean;
- in Western Asia;
- in Latin America;
- across Africa.

This Council also includes various committees, ad hoc and expert bodies.
6. The International Court of Justice consists of 15 judges elected for 9 years - representatives of different countries. Its powers are provided by the Security Council.

The UN structure also includes various other specialized agencies. It also includes the Peacekeeping Forces.

international economic organizations of the UN system also include international monetary and financial structures. These entities, first of all, include the World Bank, which includes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the International Development Association. The International Finance Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. The International Monetary Fund is a well-known UN financial organization.

IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - was established by the decision of the United Nations Conference on Monetary and Financial Issues in 1944 in Bretton Woods. The bank began its activity in 1945. Initially, 28 countries signed the "Status of the Agreement on the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development". But other countries could join the Bank if they were members of the IMF. In the late 90s, there were 180 member states of the IBRD. According to the Charter, each country wishing to become a member of the IBRD must become a subscriber of its capital, the size of which is determined by the Bank. Russia joined the IBRD and the IMF in 1992. Its contribution to the IBRD corresponds to the quota in the IMF and is 3% of the total capital of the Bank. The Russian quota in the amount of $ 33.3 million was introduced in convertible currency in the amount of $ 33.3 million and in national currency - $ 299.9 million.

The purpose of the creation of the IBRD was to facilitate the reconstruction and development of the territories of those states that were its members, by encouraging capital investments for the implementation of production programs. But first, the Bank had to make sure that they could not receive the funds necessary for production purposes from other sources. An important condition for the functioning of the Bank is that decisions on the provision of loans must necessarily proceed only from economic considerations. With its financial resources, the Bank should contribute to the long-term balanced growth of international trade. When granting loans, IBRD is also obliged to pay due attention to the prospects of debt repayment on them. In addition to providing loans, the Bank provides a wide range of technical assistance services.

The main source of financing for the Bank's lending operations is contributions from member states. The Bank resorts to the use of borrowed funds from financial markets, as well as incoming payments to repay previously issued loans.

The Bank's governing bodies include the following structures:

The Board of Governors;

Executive Board of Directors, or Executive Board;

Development Committee;

Bank President.

The IBRD headquarters is located in Washington DC.

IDA - International Development Association - is an intergovernmental organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was established in 1960 as a branch of the MBRD. All countries - members of the IBRD can become its participants within the terms and conditions established by the IDA.

The International Development Association was founded to promote economic development, increase labor productivity and living standards of the population of developing countries.

Although IDA in many respects does not differ from the IBRD, since both organizations finance development projects, they have the same staff, nevertheless, it has its own specifics:

First, unlike the IBRD, which is funded by states and members, IDA's funding sources are predominantly contributions from donor countries, in the role of which are industrialized countries, and only partially in this process are developing countries.

Secondly, the specificity of IDA is that it provides interest-free loans. However, IDA loans go to the poorest and least creditworthy countries. When allocating loans, the scale of the country's territory is taken into account, the annual income of which per capita and the degree of effectiveness of the economic policy of its government. Only developing countries with an annual per capita income of less than $ 1,035 are eligible for IDA loans. Loans are available for 35-40 years, and repayment begins after a 10-year grace period.

IDA has the same leadership as the IBRD. The President, Governors, and Directors of IBRD hold similar positions at IDA. IDA is headquartered in Washington, DC.

IFC International Finance Corporation. It was established in 1956 as a branch of the MBRD. However, it is a separate legal entity and has its own funds that do not belong to the Bank. IFC members can only be IBRD member countries.

IFC Objectives:

Providing assistance in financing private enterprises that can promote development through capital investments without guarantees of reimbursement from the governments of their countries of location;

Using the opportunity to combine investments of local and foreign capital 9 advanced management methods;

Encouraging the inflow of private capital, both local and foreign for investment, into manufacturing enterprises in the member countries of the Corporation.

The financial resources from which the IFC issues loans consist of subscription contributions to the authorized capital, from loans and grants from the IBRD, from attracted credit resources of Others financial institutions... IFC also plays a prominent role in mobilizing additional capital for developing countries from private sources through co-financing of properties, with the provision of loans, as well as through the placement of securities and the provision of guarantees.

IFC's leading bodies have the following structural divisions:

The Board of Governors;

Directorate;

The president.

The IFC headquarters is located in Washington DC. But IFC has branches, representative offices and advisory bureaus for the development of projects in many cities of the world - in London, Paris, Frankfurt am Main, Tokyo, etc.

MIG - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. Founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of MBRD. It has legal and financial independence and is considered a specialized agency of the UN system.

The objectives of the MIGA operation are as follows:

Encourage foreign investment in production needs, especially in developing countries, to complement the activities of other financial institutions of the World Bank Group;

Provide investors with guarantees for investments in developing countries against losses from non-commercial risks, i.e. provide insurance against political risk. These include expropriation or similar measures, bans on the export of currency, breach of treaties, war and civil unrest.

The main source of financing for MAIG operations is its authorized capital.

The governing bodies of MAIG consist of the following structures:

The Board of Governors, which develops the operational framework;

Director in charge of day-to-day activities;

President of MIGA (appointed at the suggestion of the President of the IBRD and conducts current affairs under the general supervision of the Directorate).

The IMF - International Monetary Fund - is an intergovernmental monetary organization with the status of a specialized UN agency. The IMF, like the World Bank, was created at the Allied International Monetary and Financial Conference in 1944 in Bretton Woods.

The IMF has the following official goals:

Conduct and implement cooperation between member countries on international monetary issues;

Prevent competitive depreciation of currencies, promote their stability;

Establish a multilateral system of payments and transfers for current transactions and seek to remove exchange restrictions that impede the growth of world trade;

Provide loans to member countries to settle the balance of payments without taking measures that are destructive to prosperity at the national and international levels.

The Fund stipulates the provision of loans with certain requirements. First of all, from an IMF member wishing to get a loan, it is necessary to obtain assurances on how to solve their problems with payments. The point is that when providing financial assistance, the Fund requires from the occupying country to introduce austerity regime, reform tax policy, reduce budget spending by freezing the wages of government workers and employees, reduce subsidies, cut investment programs and carry out other similar measures. At the same time, since the Fund assumes that the funds at its disposal exist for all members of this organization, the borrowing country will return it as soon as its payment problems are resolved, so as not to restrict access to this currency for other members of the Fund. ...

Due to the fact that the IMF is organized on the principle of a joint-stock company, the number of votes of the participating countries in making decisions is determined in proportion to their share in the capital. In 1993, the United States accounted for 18.2% of the vote, Great Britain - 5.1, Germany - 5.5, France - 5.1, Italy - 3.1, Japan - 5.6, Canada - 2.9% ... These figures indicate that the United States and Western European countries have full control over the decision-making process in the IMF.

The supreme governing body of the Fund is the Board of Governors, which includes representatives of all member countries of this organization. The operational activities of the Fund are directed by a directorate consisting of 22 people.

UN Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations created on the basis of international treaties with broad international responsibility in the economic, social, culture, education, health care and other similar areas and related to the UN through ECOSOC by special international agreements. Such agreements are subject to approval by the UN General Assembly. Under the UN Charter, the General Assembly and ECOSOC have certain rights in relation to the UN specialized agencies. For example, the General Assembly reviews and approves any financial and budgetary agreements with them, reviews their administrative budgets in order to provide recommendations to stakeholders (paragraph 3 of Art. 17); ECOSOC is authorized to coordinate the activities of UN specialized agencies through consultations with them and recommendations, recommendations to the General Assembly and the UN member states (paragraph 2 of article 63), to take appropriate measures to receive regular reports from specialized agencies (paragraph 1 of article 64), hold events for the participation of representatives of these institutions without the right to vote in the discussion of issues of the Council or in the commissions created by it, as well as for the participation of representatives of the Council in the discussion of issues in these institutions (Article 70).

In the legal status, the UN specialized agencies are characterized by the following features: 1) contractual basis of activity; 2) broad international responsibility as defined in the UN Charter; 3) the specialized nature of activities in the socio-economic and humanitarian spheres; 4) communication with the UN. This complex of legal factors predetermines the allocation of UN specialized agencies into a special group of international organizations.

These international organizations can be divided into three groups according to their field of activity. The first is formed by specialized UN agencies of an economic nature, that is, those that function in the field of international trade, finance, transport and communications. These include: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; International Monetary Fund; International Finance Corporation; International Development Association (IDA); International Investment Guarantee Agency (IAIG); International Center Investment Dispute Resolution (ICSID); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO1); International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); International Maritime Organization (IMO); International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); The Universal Postal Union (UPU), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); The World Meteorological Organization (WMO); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The second group includes specialized UN agencies of a social nature - the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization.

The third group of specialized agencies is formed by cultural and humanitarian organizations: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the World Tourism Organization.

Let's consider the organizational and legal mechanism of the activities of some specialized UN agencies.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Created on December 27, 1945, when 28 states signed an agreement developed at the United Nations Conference on Monetary and Financial Questions, held in Bretton Woods (USA) in 1944.

Only members of the International Monetary Fund can be members of the IBRD. As of May 1, 2009, 185 countries, including Ukraine, were members of the IBRD.

IBRD Objectives: To promote the reconstruction and development of the territories of the Member States by encouraging investment for productive purposes (in areas such as agriculture and rural development, energy, highways and railways, ports, telecommunications, education, health, family planning and nutrition ); to encourage private foreign investment and, in the event of difficulties in obtaining private capital, supplement it by providing loans for production purposes; promote long-term balanced growth of international trade and maintenance of balance of payments of member states.

MBRD finances lending operations primarily from its borrowed funds, which the Bank obtains in world markets, as well as retained earnings and payments to repay loans granted. Loans are provided to the IBRD member states, their political-territorial units and private commercial structures on their territory. In addition to providing loans, the Bank provides a wide range of technical assistance services. Interest on loans is set according to the value of loans received by IBRD in the international capital markets. The recipient states are obliged to comply with the Bank's recommendations, provide it with reports on the use of loans and the necessary information.

The structure of the IBRD includes the Board of Governors (supreme body), executive directors (executive body), committees. The working language is English. The IBRD is headed by the President, who is elected by the Executive Directors for a term of five years. The IBRD is located in Washington (USA), there are also branches in Paris and Tokyo ..

It should be noted that the IBRD is a key institution of the World Bank Group, which also includes IFC, IDA, ICSID and MIG. The goal of the World Bank is to encourage the economic and social development of the less developed UN members by providing them with financial and advisory assistance and assistance in training. The structural divisions of the World Bank are independent legal entities, which, however, work for one purpose and under the leadership of one administrative system.

International Monetary Fund acts on the basis of an agreement developed in parallel with the IBRD Agreement at the Bretton Woods Conference of 1944. The IMF began to function on December 27, 1945, when the agreement on its establishment came into force.

The IMF has the following objectives: to coordinate the monetary and financial policies of the member states and to provide them with loans (short -, medium - and partially long-term) to settle the balance of payments and maintain exchange rates. The Fund also seeks to promote international monetary cooperation and trade expansion.

The Fund has at its disposal a pool (from the English pool - a common pot) of financial resources provided to member states for the implementation of the program to eliminate the balance of payments deficit temporarily and on certain conditions.

Structurally, the IMF consists of a Board of Governors (supreme body), an Executive Board consisting of a managing director and 24 executive directors, a Secretariat. The Managing Director is the chief executive officer of the Foundation. In the IMF, as in the IBRD, decisions are made on the basis of a system of weighted votes. Each member state of the Fund and the Bank has a number of votes proportional to its contribution to the financial resources of these UN specialized agencies, which ultimately reflects its share in the world economy. IMF Working Speech - English. The location of the IMF headquarters is Washington (USA), with offices in Paris and Geneva.

The International Labour Organization was created in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an autonomous institution, associated with the League of Nations. The ILO-UN liaison agreement was approved on December 14, 1946. The ILO is thus the first specialized agency associated with the United Nations. As of May 1, 2009, the ILO included 182 states. Ukraine is a member of the ILO since 1954. Along with governments, workers represented by trade unions and employers (entrepreneurs) are represented in the ILO.

Objectives of the ILO: To promote social justice for all workers; develop international policies and programs aimed at improving working and living conditions; to set international labor standards to guide national authorities in implementing relevant policies; implement an extensive program of technical cooperation to assist Governments in effectively putting such policies into practice; provide training and education and research to contribute to the success of these efforts.

One of the most important activities of the ILO is the development and adoption of conventions and recommendations. Since its inception, the ILO has adopted more than 180 conventions (the 2007 Convention on Labor in the Fishing Sector is the 188th in a row and the latest as of January 1, 2010) and about 200 recommendations. These documents establish international standards in the field of labor, employment and vocational training, working conditions, social security, safety and labor protection. Ukraine has ratified over 50 ILO conventions.

Another important activity of the ILO is the provision of expert advice and technical assistance on issues related to labor and social policy.

The structure of the ILO includes the International Labor Conference (supreme body); Administrative Council; International Labor Office (ILO), which is the secretariat of the ILO. The working languages \u200b\u200bof the MNP are English, French and Spanish. The seat of the ILO is Geneva.

Since June 1, 1996, an ILO office has been operating in Kiev. Similar offices also operate in the capitals of other member states.

There are two international organizations, whose activities are rather specialized, but they are not part of the UN specialized agencies. This is the International Agency for atomic energy (MATATE) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

International Atomic Energy Agency - an autonomous intergovernmental organization created under the auspices of the UN. The MATATE charter was adopted on October 26, 1956 and entered into force on July 29, 1957.

MATATE is the only universal international organization for the peaceful uses of atomic energy. As of May 1, 2009, 146 states were members of the Agency.

According to the MATATE Statute, the Agency's objectives are: to achieve faster and wider use of atomic energy to maintain peace, health and prosperity throughout the world; ensuring, as far as possible, that assistance which is provided to them, either at his request, or under his supervision or control, is not used in such a way as to contribute to any military purpose.

MATATE encourages and guides the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, sets nuclear safety standards, assists Member States through technical cooperation, and facilitates the exchange of scientific and technical information on nuclear energy.

Within the framework of MATATE, a versatile and efficient system control (safeguards) with the aim of preventing the use of nuclear materials and equipment intended for peaceful activities for military needs. This field control is carried out by MATATE inspectors. Non-nuclear states participating in the Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear weapons 1968, must conclude an agreement with the Agency to control the peaceful nuclear activities of these states. After joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1994, Ukraine entered into such an agreement with MATATE. More than 900 nuclear installations worldwide are under Agency control. Nuclear powers such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States and France have voluntarily placed some peaceful nuclear installations under MATATE control.

MATATE consists of the General Conference (the supreme body), the Board of Governors (the executive body), the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Secretariat. The headquarters of MATATE are located in Vienna (Austria).

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is a multilateral agreement, the basis of which is a set of legal rules governing trade relations between the participating States, as well as an international organization for negotiations and consultations on trade issues. The agreement was signed in Geneva on October 30, 1947 and entered into force on January 1, 1948.

On January 1, 1995, 128 states were full members of the GATT; even more states took part in various forms of cooperation with the GATT. U1995 GATT was renamed into World Organization trade (WTO).

The main goal of the GATT - This is the liberalization of world trade and setting it on a stable basis, promoting this economic growth and development, improving the well-being of the peoples of the world.

The basic principles of the GATT boil down to the fact that trade should be carried out on a non-discriminatory basis (the principle of "most favored nation"); domestic industry should be protected only through customs tariffs and not quantitative restrictions and other measures; tariffs should be reduced through multilateral negotiations and cannot be increased subsequently; member states should consult among themselves with a view to solving trade problems.

In 1963, the main issue in the activities of the GATT was the reduction of customs tariffs. As a result of five rounds of negotiations, mutual concessions of the participants were agreed to reduce customs tariffs and measures to reduce and regulate non-tariff trade barriers. In 1964-1967, the 6th round of negotiations (Kennedy round) was held. In September 1973, in Tokyo, the GATT member states adopted a declaration that proclaimed the beginning of the 7th round of negotiations (Tokyo round). In 1986, in Punta del Este (Uruguay), the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations within the framework of the GATT was launched, which ended in 1994 with the signing of an agreement on the establishment on the basis of the GATT on January 1, 1995 of a new international organization - the World trade organization (WTO).

The supreme body of the GATT was the Session of the Contracting Parties (States Parties), which was held annually. GATT decisions were usually taken by consensus. If a vote was taken, each party had one vote. In the period between sessions, the Council of Representatives, the operational governing body of the GATT, operated. The seat of the GATT Secretariat is Geneva.

In connection with the creation of the WTO on the basis of the GATT, the structure of the new organization has undergone certain changes in accordance with the Agreement on the Establishment of the WTO in 1994.

  • International human rights law
    • Formation of international human rights law as a branch of international law, its concept
    • Principles and sources of international human rights law
    • Universal international legal norms for the protection of human rights
    • UN human rights system
    • Regional international legal mechanism for the protection of human rights
    • Protection of human rights in the system of international judicial institutions
  • International law environment
    • The essence of international environmental law
    • Concept and subject of international environmental law
    • Principles of International Environmental Law
    • Sources of International Environmental Law
    • International organizations and their role in the field of environmental protection
    • United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Legal nature, goals and objectives, structure
    • The role of international conferences in international environmental law
    • Marine environment as an object of international legal protection
    • Water as an object of protection in international environmental law
    • Protection of the air, climate and ozone layer of the Earth
    • Fauna and flora in international environmental law
    • International legal regulation of hazardous and toxic waste management
    • Protecting the environment during armed conflicts
  • Right international security
    • International security law at the present stage
    • Concept and principles of international security law
    • Sources of International Security Law
    • Modern system international security law
    • Disarmament and arms limitation
  • International humanitarian law
    • Concept, principles and sources of international humanitarian law
    • Legal regulation of the outbreak of hostilities
    • Participants in armed conflicts
    • Theater of war
    • International humanitarian law for the protection of war victims
    • Protection of civilian objects
    • Prohibited methods and means of warfare
    • International legal regulation of the end of hostilities and the state of war
    • International humanitarian law and Russian legislation
  • Population in international law
    • Population concept
    • Citizenship and International Law
    • Legal status bipatrides and stateless persons
    • Legal status of foreign citizens
    • Regime of illegal migrants
    • Asylum right
    • Legal status of refugees and internally displaced persons
  • International economic law
    • The concept of international economic law
    • Sources and methods of regulation of international economic law
    • System and principles of international economic law
    • Subjects of international economic law
    • International organizations in the field of economic cooperation
    • Sub-branches of international economic law
  • The right to external relations
    • The concept and sources of the law of external relations
    • State bodies external relations
    • Diplomatic missions
    • Consular offices
    • Permanent missions of states to international organizations
    • Special missions
    • Privileges and immunities in the right of external relations
  • Law of international organizations
    • Concept, history of origin, signs and types of international organizations
    • The procedure for the creation of international organizations and the termination of their activities
    • Procedure for making and legal force of decisions of international organizations
    • Bodies of international organizations: classification, formation procedure
    • Legal personality and implementation of functions of international organizations
    • Membership in international organizations
    • UN: charter, goals, principles, membership
    • UN Specialized Agencies
    • International organizations of the UN system
    • Regional international organizations
    • International legal regulation of the protection of employees of international organizations
    • International non-governmental organizations
  • Territory in international law
    • International legal classification of territories
    • The legal nature of the state territory
    • Composition of the state territory
    • State borders
    • Legal grounds for changing the state territory
    • International rivers and their legal regime
    • International common area
    • The legal regime of the Arctic
    • International legal regime of Antarctica
  • International maritime law
    • The concept and principles of international maritime law
    • International legal status and regime of maritime spaces
    • Sea areas under the sovereignty of the coastal state
    • Maritime spaces under the jurisdiction of the coastal state
    • International maritime spaces
    • Maritime spaces with a special legal status
  • International air law
    • Definition of international air law
    • Sources of International Air Law
    • Basic Principles of International Air Law
    • Legal status and legal regime of airspace
    • International legal framework for flights in airspace
    • Control air traffic
    • Legal regulation of international air traffic
    • The legal status of aircraft
    • The legal status of the aircraft crew
    • Combating Acts of Unlawful Interference with Aircraft Activities
    • Aircraft assistance
    • Administrative formalities in international air navigation
    • International Aviation Organizations
    • Responsibility in international air law
  • International space law
    • Concept, objects, subjects and sources of international space law
    • International legal regime of outer space and celestial bodies
    • Legal status of space objects
    • International legal regime of the geostationary orbit
    • The legal status of astronauts
    • Peaceful and safe use of outer space
    • Earth remote sensing
    • Intellectual property rights in international space projects
    • Protection of outer space and the earth's environment from man-made space pollution
    • Interaction of international and national space law
    • Responsibility in international space law
    • International cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space
  • International nuclear law
    • The concept of international nuclear law
    • Principles and sources of international nuclear law
    • Legal regulation of the development, testing, deployment of nuclear weapons
    • International legal protection against radioactive contamination
    • Responsibility for nuclear activities
    • Verification in international nuclear law
  • International criminal law
    • International criminal law concept
    • Principles and sources of international criminal law
    • Concept and types of international crimes
    • The concept and types of transnational crimes
    • Legal assistance in criminal cases
    • Extradition (extradition) of criminals and transfer of convicted persons to serve their sentences to the state of citizenship
    • The role of international organizations in the fight against crime
    • International criminal justice
    • On international criminal procedure law
  • International legal regulation of scientific and technical cooperation
    • Scientific and technical cooperation: concept and principles
    • Sources of legal regulation of international scientific and technical cooperation
    • Types of international scientific and technical cooperation and forms of its implementation
    • UN and international scientific and technical cooperation
    • Regional international scientific and technical cooperation

UN Specialized Agencies

The specialized agencies of the UN (and there are 16 of them in total) are intergovernmental organizations of a universal nature that cooperate in special fields and are associated with the UN.

Article 57 of the UN Charter lists their characteristic features:

  1. the intergovernmental nature of agreements establishing such organizations;
  2. broad international responsibility within the framework of their constituent acts;
  3. cooperation in special fields: economic, social, cultural, humanitarian, etc .;
  4. liaison with the UN.

The latter is established and formalized by an agreement concluded by ECOSOC with the Organization and approved by the UN General Assembly. Such an agreement forms the legal basis for UN cooperation with a specialized agency. There are currently 16 UN specialized agencies.

The UN Charter stipulates that the Organization makes recommendations on the harmonization of the policies and activities of specialized agencies (Article 58). Thus, ECOSOC is authorized to: coordinate the activities of the specialized agencies through consultations with them and recommendations to them, as well as to the General Assembly and members of the Organization; make arrangements to receive regular reports from them; ensure mutual representation of the Council and institutions for participation in the discussion of issues in the Council, its commissions and in specialized institutions.

The specialized agencies can be divided into the following groups: social organizations (ILO, WHO), cultural and humanitarian organizations (UNESCO, WIPO), economic organizations (UNIDO), financial organizations (IBRD, IMF, IDA, IFC), agricultural organizations economy (FAO, IFAD), organizations in the field of transport and communication (ICAO, IMO, UPU, ITU), organization in the field of meteorology (WMO). Russia is a member of all specialized agencies, except FAO, IFAD, IDA and IFC.

International Labor Organization (ILO). Created in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference as an autonomous organization of the League of Nations. Its Charter was revised in 1946. A specialized agency of the United Nations since 1946. The headquarters is located in Geneva (Switzerland).

The aim of the ILO is to promote lasting peace by promoting social justice and improving working conditions and living standards for workers.

A feature of the ILO is tripartite representation in its organs: governments, employers and workers (trade unions). As conceived by the founders of the ILO, this should facilitate dialogue between workers and entrepreneurs through governments (the idea of \u200b\u200bsocial partnership).

The main organs of the ILO are the General Conference, the Governing Body and the Secretariat - the International Labor Office. The General Conference may meet in regular (annual) and special (as required) sessions. Each state is represented by four delegates: two from the government and one each from entrepreneurs and trade unions. The conference develops conventions and recommendations on labor issues (more than 300 such acts have been developed), in order to control it, it considers reports of states on the application of the ratified ILO conventions, approves the program and budget of the organization.

World Health Organization (WHO). Created in 1946 at the International Health Conference in New York. The charter came into force on April 7, 1948.

The goal of WHO is "the achievement of the highest possible level of health by all peoples." The main areas of its activity: the fight against infectious diseases, the development of quarantine and sanitary rules, social problems. WHO provides assistance in establishing the health system, training personnel, and combating disease.

The supreme body of WHO that determines its policy is the World Health Assembly, in which all members of the Organization are represented. It meets annually.

The WHO Executive Board, composed of representatives from 30 states, elected by the Assembly for three years, meets at least twice a year. The administrative body is the Secretariat headed by the Director General.

Within Affect six regional organizations: European countries. Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, North and South America, Southeast Asia, Western Pacific.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Established in 1945 at the London Conference. Its Charter entered into force on November 4, 1946. Since December 1946, UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The headquarters is located in Paris (France).

UNESCO sets itself the task of contributing to the strengthening of peace and security through the development of international cooperation in the field of education, science and culture, the use of the media, the further development of public education and the dissemination of science and culture.

The supreme body is the General Conference, consisting of representatives of all member states and convened in ordinary session once every two years. It defines the policy and general direction of the organization's activities, approves its programs and budget, elects members of the Executive Board and other bodies, appoints the Director General, and decides on other issues.

The Executive Board is the main governing body of UNESCO between sessions of the General Conference. The UNESCO Constitution requires that representatives be appointed by persons competent in the arts, literature, science, education and dissemination of knowledge and possessing the necessary experience and authority. The administrative and technical functions are performed by a Secretariat headed by a Director General, appointed for a six-year term.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Established in 1967 at the Conference on Intellectual Property held in Stockholm. The 1967 Convention on the Establishment of WIPO entered into force in 1970. A specialized agency of the United Nations since 1974. The headquarters is located in Geneva.

The purpose of the organization is to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world, to promote the implementation of international agreements in this area, to administer the various unions in the field of intellectual property protection, without violating their autonomy (for example, the Berne Union for the Protection of Works of Literature and Art. The Paris Union for the protection of industrial property, etc.). WIPO is also engaged in the preparation of draft treaties in the field of copyright protection, the development of a new patent classification, and technical cooperation in the patent field.

The supreme bodies of WIPO are the Conference, which includes all WIPO member states, and the General Assembly, which consists of those member states that are also members of the Paris or Berne Unions. The conference discusses issues of common interest to all WIPO member states in the field of intellectual property, and adopts recommendations on them, determines the WIPO budget. The General Assembly determines the policy and general direction of the organization, approves its budget, and appoints the Director General of WIPO.

The IMF and the IBRD were established at the Bretton Woods Conference (USA) as specialized UN agencies of a financial nature. The Fund began to function in 1945, the Bank in 1946, the IFC was established in 1956, and IDA in 1960 as branches of the IBRD. Location - Washington (USA), the IMF has offices in Paris and Geneva, the IBRD - in Paris and Tokyo.

Members of the IBRD can only be members of the IMF, and members of two branches - only members of the IBRD. The central place in the system of financial organizations is occupied by the International Monetary Fund. Its objectives are to coordinate the monetary and financial policies of the member states and to provide them with short and medium term loans to settle the balance of payments and maintain exchange rates.

The supreme body of the Fund, which determines its policy, is the Board of Governors, which includes one governor and one deputy from all member states. The Council is convened annually in session. The day-to-day work is carried out by an Executive Board composed of a managing director and 22 executive directors, elected for a two-year term. The Managing Director is the chairman of the Directorate and the chief administrative officer of the Secretariat.

The objectives of the IBRD are to promote the reconstruction and development of the economies of the member states of the Bank, encourage private foreign investment, provide loans for the development of production, etc.

The supreme body of the IBRD is the Board of Governors, organized on the same basis as the Board of Governors of the Fund. Executive Directors (22 persons) form the executive body of the Bank. The President of the Bank directs the staff of its employees.

IDA and IFC, branches of the Bank, were created primarily to assist developing countries. They have the same bodies as the Bank.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Created in 1945 at the Conference in Quebec (Canada). The organization aims to improve nutrition and raise living standards, increase agricultural productivity, improve food distribution systems, etc. In the implementation of these goals, FAO promotes investment in agriculture, conservation of natural resources, creates special programs in its areas of activity, together with the UN manages the World food program.

FAO Organs: A biennial conference of all members to set policy, budget and program of work for FAO; Council - FAO's governing body between sessions of the Conference, consisting of 49 Member States; The Secretariat is headed by the Director General. FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - a specialized UN agency with the aim of mobilizing additional funds for the development of agriculture in developing countries through the implementation of projects and programs aimed at the poorest rural population. Foundation year - 1977

As of January 1, 1985, 139 states were members of IFAD, including developed countries - members of the OECD, developing countries - members of OPEC and developing countries receiving assistance from these countries. Russia does not participate in IFAD. The Fund's lending policy and the criteria for providing assistance to member states stipulate that its funds should be used to implement projects aimed at achieving the following interrelated objectives: increasing food production, employment and additional income for poor and landless farmers, and improving nutrition and food distribution ... 55% of the initial capital of IFAD are contributions from developed countries - members of the OECD, 42.5% - from developing countries - OPEC members, 2.5% - from other developing countries. The complex formula for the distribution of votes within these categories of countries, depending on the size of the contribution, as well as the unequal number of countries belonging to each of these categories, lead to the fact that the key positions in IFAD are occupied by the OECD countries and the OPEC countries. The supreme body of IFAD - the Board of Governors - consists of representatives from all member countries. The executive body is the Executive Board, which consists of 18 members, elected by the Board of Governors for three years. He directs all IFAD practice. The executive services of the Foundation are headed by the President, who is also the Chairman of the Executive Board. The location of IFAD is Rome (Italy).

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)... The main provisions on which the activities of the hydrometeorological service are based are developed and approved by the World Weather Watch, whose work is coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization. WMO emerged as a world community of meteorologists in 1873. WMO exchanges meteorological information between all services, enforces the uniformity of observation methods, and takes care of the dissemination and exchange of scientific research in the field of meteorology.

The need for international cooperation in the field of meteorology became apparent to scientists in the early 19th century, when the first weather maps were compiled. The atmosphere has no national boundaries, and the weather service itself can function and be effective only as an international service, organized on a global scale.

In the early 70s. XIX century. (1872-1873) the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) was established, which after the Second World War became the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN), whose charter was signed on June 26, 1945.

On March 23, 1950, the World Meteorological Organization Convention entered into force and the former non-governmental organization IMO was transformed into an intergovernmental organization - WMO.

Meteorologists from different countries work in accordance with the uniform recommendations (technical regulations) of WMO. More than 150 countries of the world are WMO members. The supreme body of WMO is the World Meteorological Congress, which meets every four years. The Congress elects the WMO Secretary General and his deputies. At the Congress of the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva on May 20, 2003, the Head of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Rostidromet) Alexander Ivanovich Bedritsky (born in 1947) was elected to the post of President for the next four years without a vote. This is the first time a Russian representative has taken up this high post.

WMO has six regional associations by geographic area, coordinating the activities of members within its geographic areas, which include Africa, Asia, South America, North and Central America, Southwest Pacific, Europe.

The main practical activities of WMO are carried out by eight technical commissions: aeronautical meteorology, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, climatology, marine meteorology, basic systems, instruments and methods of observation, agricultural meteorology. The WMO headquarters is located in Switzerland, Geneva. The WMO budget consists of contributions from Members in proportion to the national income of each country.

Meteorological services of different countries of the world, while remaining national in structure and tasks solved within their country, work according to international standards in accordance with the recommendations of the WMO.

Meteorological services are involved in the implementation international programssuch as the World Climate Program. The World Climate Application Program, Meteorology and Ocean Development, Agricultural Meteorology, Hydrology and Water Resources, and others.

The largest is the WMO World Weather Watch program, which is based on three global systems: observations (GOS), data processing (GDPS) and telecommunications (GTS). According to this program, there are three categories of meteorological centers: national (NMC), regional (RMC) and world (WMC). At present, the centers for receiving and processing satellite information are successfully operating.

National centers (there are more than 100 of them) collect and disseminate meteorological information from the territory of one country and use the necessary information from the territories of other countries.

Regional centers (there are more than 30 of them, including in Russia there are RMCs in Moscow, Novosibirsk and Khabarovsk) illuminate large areas with meteorological data, covering, if necessary, several countries with a system for collecting and processing meteorological information.

World centers - in Moscow, Washington and Melbourne - collect data from all over the world, including information from meteorological satellites of the Earth.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a United Nations specialized agency focused on poverty alleviation through increased productivity. UNIDO assists developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their fight against marginalization in today's globalized world. The organization mobilizes knowledge, experience, information and technology and thereby contributes to productive employment, a competitive economy and environmental sustainability.

UNIDO was established in 1966 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985. Within the United Nations common system, UNIDO is responsible for promoting, in cooperation with 171 Member States, the industrial development of all developing countries. The Organization is headquartered in Vienna and UNIDO conducts active work through its 29 country and regional offices, 14 Investment and Technology Promotion Offices and a number of specific aspects of its operations.

As a global forum, UNIDO collects and disseminates information on industry issues and provides a framework for the various development actors - public and private decision-makers, organizations civil society and the international community as a whole could strengthen cooperation, dialogue and develop partnerships to meet their challenges. As a technical cooperation agency, UNIDO develops and implements industrial development support programs for its clients, and offers specialized programming services tailored to individual needs. These two main functions are both complementary and interdependent.

The main instruments for technical cooperation are Integrated Programs (IP) and Country Services Framework (CSF). UNIDO's financial resources come from the regular and operational budgets as well as special contributions for technical cooperation activities. The regular budget is derived from the assessed contributions of the Member States. Technical cooperation is funded primarily by voluntary contributions from donor countries and agencies, as well as the United Nations Development Program, the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, the Global Environment Facility and the General Fund for Commodities. Volume of UNIDO operations for the biennium 2004-2005 is about 356 million euros.

The organization consists of three departments, each headed by a Managing Director. There are 645 staff at UNIDO headquarters and other active offices. In addition, UNIDO annually uses the services of more than 2,200 international and national experts who work on projects around the world.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) - an international intergovernmental organization, is a specialized agency of the United Nations, serves as an apparatus for cooperation and exchange of information on technical issues related to international merchant shipping. IMO's activities are aimed at abolishing discriminatory actions affecting international merchant shipping, as well as adopting norms (standards) to ensure maritime safety and prevent pollution from ships of the environment, primarily maritime. It has a staff of about 300 people.

IMO was founded on March 6, 1948 in Geneva with the adoption of the Convention on the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO). The Convention entered into force on March 17, 1958, and the newly created organization began its practical activities.

At the 9th session of the Assembly of this organization (Resolution А.358 (1X)) its name was changed and since May 22, 1982 the current one is in effect. The headquarters are located in London.

In a sense, IMO is a forum in which the member states of this organization exchange information, discuss legal, technical and other problems related to shipping, as well as pollution from ships of the environment, primarily marine.

The main functions and structure of IMO: acts as an agent of the United Nations (UN); is an advisory and advisory organization; is responsible for the organization of ensuring safety at sea and protecting the environment, as well as resolving legal issues related to international shipping; facilitates the interaction of governments of states on technical issues to achieve highest standards in the field of maritime safety and pollution prevention; adopts and improves binding and recommendatory international conventions, codes, resolutions, protocols, circulars and recommendations.

As of June 30, 2005, 167 states were IMO members. The supreme body of the organization is the Assembly of the so-called Contracting Governments. The Assemblies meet twice a year. The first session of the Assembly of the then IMCO took place in January 1959. There is also the IMO Council, consisting of 32 states, including Russia.

In addition to the Assembly, IMO has five committees:

  • Maritime Safety Committee (MSC-MSC);
  • Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPE - MEPC);
  • Legal Committee (LEG - YURKOM);
  • Committee for Technical Cooperation (CGS);
  • The Shipping Facilitation Committee, as well as nine subcommittees and a Secretariat headed by the Secretary General.

All normative and legal documents prepared in subcommittees and considered at sessions of committees are considered and adopted, as a rule, at regular sessions of the Assembly of the Organization. The most serious, strategic decisions can be made by decisions of diplomatic conferences.

IMO decisions are announced in the form of resolutions of the Organization, to which, if necessary, newly adopted documents can be attached (codes, circular letters, amendments to existing documents - conventions, codes, etc.). Subject to the negotiated conditions and the effective date, such decisions should be implemented by administrations.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)... Established in 1944 at the Chicago Conference. The 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, a constituent instrument of ICAO, entered into force on 4 April 1947. ICAO is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

ICAO was established to develop the principles and methods of international air navigation, ensure the safety of flights on international airlines, and facilitate the planning and development of international air transport.

The supreme body of ICAO is the Assembly, consisting of representatives of all Member States and convened every three years to determine ICAO policies and approve the budget, as well as to discuss any issues that are not referred to the Council.

The Council is the executive body of ICAO, composed of representatives of 33 countries, elected by the Assembly from among the states with the most advanced air transport and subject to equitable geographical representation.

Universal Postal Union (UPU)... Created in 1874 at the International Postal Congress in Bern. The Universal Postal Convention, adopted by Congress, entered into force on July 1, 1875. Its text has been revised several times at the World Postal Congresses. The UPU is headquartered in Bern (Switzerland).

The UPU aims to ensure and improve postal relations. All UPU member countries form a single postal territory, on which three basic principles operate: the unity of such a territory, freedom of transit and a uniform tariff. UPU develops rules for the international forwarding of all types of postal items on the basis of the Universal Postal Convention and multilateral agreements.

The supreme body of the UPU is the Universal Postal Congress, which consists of representatives of all member states and is convened every five years. Its functions include the revision of the Universal Postal Convention and additional agreements. Between congresses, there is an Executive Council of 40 members, which directs all the work of the Union. The Postal Research Advisory Council (35 members) deals with the technical and economic issues of postal communications. The International Bureau, headed by the Director General, is the permanent Secretariat of the Union.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - an international organization that defines standards in the field of telecommunications and radio. Ego is probably the oldest existing international organization, it was founded in Paris on May 17, 1865 under the name of the International Telegraph Union. In 1934, ITU received its current name, and in 1947 it became a specialized agency of the United Nations.

There are currently 191 countries in the ITU (as of September 2008). ITU standards are optional but widely supported as they facilitate interoperability between communications networks and enable service providers to deliver services around the world.

The governing body is the Plenipotentiary Conference, which convenes every four years and elects the ITU Council, composed of 46 members, which meets annually. Representatives from all ITU member countries at the Telecommunications Standardization Conference define the main directions for each sector, form new working groups and approve a work plan for the next four years. ITU's activities cover the following issues: in the technical area: promoting the development and productive operation of telecommunications (telecommunications) to improve the efficiency of telecommunication services and their accessibility to the public; in the policy area: promoting a broader approach to telecommunication problems in the global information economy and society : in the field of development: promoting and providing technical assistance to developing countries in the field of telecommunications, helping to mobilize the human and financial resources necessary for the development of telecommunications, promoting increased access to the benefits of new technologies for the people of the world.

Basically, ITU is engaged in the allocation of radio frequencies, the organization of international telephone and radio communications, and the standardization of telecommunications equipment. The purpose of the Union is to ensure and expand international cooperation in the regional use of all types of communication, improve technical means, and their effective operation. ITU is now officially a UN specialized agency and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, next to the UN building. In December 1992, it was determined new structure: telecommunication standardization sector; radio communications sector; telecommunication development sector.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - created in 1944. in accordance with the decisions of the Bretton Woods Conference as a mechanism for monitoring the system of exchange rates and gradually transformed into the most influential international. org-yu, regulating int. macroec-ku. The headquarters of the IMF is in Washington. The structure of the IMF: Board of Governors - supreme body, interim committee, Executive Board, Management, Staff - citizens of more than 100 countries. In order to achieve stability in int. economy IMF performs the next DOS. pounds: 1. Supervision of exchange rates and macroeconomics. the policies of the member countries and the development of int. the economy as a whole. Member countries are obliged to provide the IMF, upon its request, with detailed information on real money, budgetary and external sectors, as well as on the structural policy of the govt. Chapters the purpose of supervision is to timely identify dangerous macroeconomists. Imbalances that can affect the stability of currencies, exchange rates, and, using the best world experience, give the country's government recommendations on how to correct them; 2. financial assistance - the use of financial resources of the IMF by member countries experiencing difficulties in financing the balance of payments and submitted to the IMF a reform program showing the actions of the government to overcome these difficulties. All types of access to the financial resources of the IMF are based on the fulfillment of certain conditions by countries, which are developed jointly by experts from the IMF and the country's government within the framework of the program of economic reforms, but the conduct of tight monetary credit. the politicians on whom the IMF insists are often perceived by countries as pressure on them .; 3. technical assistance - IMF assistance to member countries in the field of monetary, exchange rate policy and banking supervision, budgetary and tax policy, statistics, development of financial. and economy. legislation and training. A specific function of the IMF, entrusted to it by the international community, is to replenish Int. reserves by issuing SDRs. For each new member of the IMF, its quota in the fund's capital is determined in the currency used in the IMF. These quotas are currently in excess of SDR 210 billion. SDR - Special Drawing Rights, introduced in 1969. The value of one SDR unit is calculated on the basis of a basket of 4 major currencies ($, euro, Japanese yen, pound sterling), specific weight k-x revised once every 5 years. Depends on the size of the quota: the number of votes of the country in the IMF, max. the amount of resources that the country can receive if necessary, the country's share in the distribution of SDRs, as well as the procedure for representation in the fund management bodies. Each member of the IMF has 250 basic votes, plus 1 vote for every 100 thousand. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. The size of the quota is of particular importance, since when considering issues in the IMF, a different principle of decision-making is used: for the most important decisions - 85% of the votes, less important - 75%, the rest - a simple majority. Russia has been a member of the IMF since 1992.

In parallel with the IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - MBRD and its branch - Int. Development Association (IDA), forming the World (World) Bank (WB). The Wb structure also includes the International Financial Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Int. Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). IBRD was founded in 1945 and its main task is to stimulate the economic development of the IBRD member countries, promote the development of international trade and maintain the balance of payments. The supreme body of the IBRD is the Board of Governors. The current activity is carried out by the directorate. The IBRD capital is formed from the contributions of the member states. The main activity of the IBRD is to provide long-term loans to both state and private enterprises under the guarantee of their governments.

IFC established in 1956 as an independent institution, the funds of which are separated from the IBRD. The activity of the IFC is aimed at stimulating the economy. the growth of the private sector in developing countries (lending operations to private enterprises), as well as in countries with economies in transition, and the mobilization of capital resources (domestic and foreign) to achieve this goal. The activity of the IFC is not based on state guarantees, but is based on the market. principles.

IDA - created in 1960. to assist economy. progress of less developed countries, which could not meet the stringent requirements of the IBRD. These are countries where the level of GDP per capita is below a certain limit. This level is regularly revised upwards, taking into account the achieved economy. growth. IDA resources are made up of contributions from member countries, as well as from the return of loans issued in the previous period. Some part of the funds comes from the IBRD budget. IDA provides fin. resources only to governments, average term repayment of loans (they are not charged%) - 30-40 years, but the service fee is charged - 0.5% of the used loan volume. In 1988. the Wb branch was created - MAGI, the main task of which is to stimulate investment in the member countries by providing guarantees to foreign investors against possible losses caused by non-commercial risks, as well as providing consulting services to member countries in order to create a favorable investment climate and an adequate information base. ICSID - was founded in 1966. A role in the global economy is played by regional development banks (Inter-American, Asian, African), and European Investment Bank, Europe. Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Islamic Development Bank, etc.