CUET UG Political Science: International Relations - United Nations, Structure, Security Council, Peacekeeping

Must-Know

• The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 after the ratification of the UN Charter by the five permanent members and a majority of other signatories.
• The UN Charter consists of a Preamble and 19 chapters, with Chapter V (Articles 23–32) dealing with the Security Council.
• The UN has six principal organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and Secretariat.
• The Security Council has 15 members: 5 permanent (P5) and 10 rotating members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.
• The five permanent members of the Security Council are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia (originally the Soviet Union), and China.
• Permanent members hold veto power: a "no" vote from any P5 member blocks a resolution, even if all others vote yes (Article 27, UN Charter).
• A resolution in the Security Council requires at least 9 affirmative votes out of 15 for adoption (Article 27).
• The General Assembly meets annually in September at the UN Headquarters in New York; all 193 member states have equal representation.
• Each member state in the General Assembly has one vote; decisions on important questions require a two-thirds majority (Article 18).
• The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year term, renewable.
• The current (as of 2023) Secretary-General is António Guterres of Portugal, serving his second term from 2022–2026.
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is located in The Hague, Netherlands, and has 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms.
• UN peacekeeping operations are established by Security Council resolution and operate under Chapter VI (Pacific Settlement) or Chapter VII (Enforcement Action) of the UN Charter.
• The first UN peacekeeping mission was the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in 1948 to monitor the ceasefire in Palestine.
• India has contributed over 200,000 personnel to UN peacekeeping missions since 1948, one of the largest contributors.
• Indian peacekeepers have served in Congo (MONUSCO), Lebanon (UNIFIL), South Sudan (UNMISS), and Somalia (UNOSOM).
• The "triple mandate" of modern UN peacekeeping includes: protection of civilians, support to ceasefires, and assistance in political processes (as per the HIPPO Report, 2015).
• Peacekeepers must follow three core principles: consent of parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense and defense of mandate.
• The UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO) oversees peacekeeping missions, headquartered in New York.
• The United Nations officially recognized 193 member states as of 2011, with South Sudan being the latest (14 July 2011).

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — The topic involves memorizing structural details, specific articles, and examples, but lacks complex theories or calculations.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Believing the General Assembly can enforce decisions like the Security Council. Avoid: Only the Security Council can take binding decisions under Chapter VII; GA resolutions are recommendatory.
• Trap: Assuming all UN peacekeeping missions use force aggressively. Avoid: Peacekeepers use force only in self-defense or defense of mandate; they are not an enforcement army.
• Trap: Confusing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Avoid: ICJ settles disputes between states; ICC prosecutes individuals for war crimes and is not a UN organ.

Practice MCQs

1. Question: On which date was the United Nations officially established?
   A. 1 January 1945
   B. 24 October 1945
   C. 26 June 1945
   D. 15 August 1947
   Answer: B
   Explanation: The UN came into existence on 24 October 1945 after the Charter was ratified.
   Why others fail: 26 June 1945 is when the Charter was signed, not when it came into force.

2. Question: Which of the following is NOT a principal organ of the United Nations?
   A. Economic and Social Council
   B. World Health Organization
   C. International Court of Justice
   D. Secretariat
   Answer: B
   Explanation: WHO is a specialized agency, not a principal organ of the UN.
   Why others fail: Students confuse specialized agencies with principal organs due to frequent UN-related acronyms.

3. Question: How many affirmative votes are required in the Security Council to pass a resolution?
   A. 5
   B. 7
   C. 9
   D. 12
   Answer: C
   Explanation: At least 9 out of 15 members must vote affirmatively for a resolution to pass.
   Why others fail: Some think all 15 or simple majority (8) is enough; 9 is the correct threshold.

4. Question: Which UN body has the authority to take binding decisions on member states under Chapter VII of the Charter?
   A. General Assembly
   B. Economic and Social Council
   C. Security Council
   D. International Court of Justice
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Only the Security Council can issue binding resolutions under Chapter VII.
   Why others fail: GA is more visible, leading students to wrongly assume it has enforcement power.

5. Question: Which of the following statements about the veto power in the UN Security Council is correct?
   A. A resolution fails only if all five permanent members vote against it
   B. Abstention by a permanent member is equivalent to a veto
   C. A single "no" vote from any permanent member can block a resolution
   D. Veto power applies only to procedural matters
   Answer: C
   Explanation: A single negative vote (veto) from any P5 member blocks a resolution on substantive matters.
   Why others fail: Abstention does not count as veto; students often confuse abstention with a "no" vote.

Last-Minute Revision

• UN established: 24 October 1945.
• UN Charter signed: 26 June 1945, San Francisco.
• Security Council: 15 members (5 permanent + 10 rotating).
• Veto power: Article 27, applies to P5 on substantive issues.
• 9 votes needed for SC resolution.
• GA requires 2/3 majority for important decisions (Article 18).
• ICJ located in The Hague.
• ICJ has 15 judges, 9-year terms.
• Secretary-General: 5-year term, appointed by GA on SC recommendation.
• First peacekeeping mission: UNTSO (1948).
• India’s first peacekeeping contribution: Congo (ONUC), 1960.
• Peacekeeping principles: consent, impartiality, non-use of force (except self-defense).
• DPO (Department of Peace Operations) manages peacekeeping.
• P5 members: US, UK, France, Russia, China.
• South Sudan joined UN: 14 July 2011 (193rd member).
• UN has 6 principal organs — remember: "GSETIS" (General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, Trusteeship, ICJ, Secretariat).
• Trusteeship Council suspended operations in 1994 after Palau’s independence.
• HIPPO Report (2015) emphasized protection of civilians in peacekeeping.
• UNSC permanent members cannot be removed without their consent.
• ECOSOC has 54 members elected by GA for 3-year terms.