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Encyclopedia / Law & Government

International Relations

Specialty Knowledge entries in International Relations.

United Nations Secretariat Building in Manhattan, New York City, seen from the East River

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization of 193 member states, founded in 1945 to maintain international peace and security, protect human rights and promote cooperation on economic, social and humanitarian problems. It is the one body in which almost every country has a seat and a vote, which gives its decisions unusual legitimacy

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The United Nations is an international organization of 193 member states, founded in 1945 to keep peace and foster global cooperation.

The General Assembly hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York, seen from the rear of the chamber.

United Nations General Assembly

In simple terms The General Assembly is the meeting of every country in the United Nations. All 193 member states sit in it, and each one has a single vote. It was established in 1945 under the UN Charter as the organization chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ. How it works The Assembly runs in

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The UN General Assembly is the United Nations body where all 193 member states meet and each one holds a single equal vote.

The United Nations Security Council chamber at UN headquarters in New York City

United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is the organ of the United Nations with primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. It has 15 members, five of them permanent with veto power, and it is the only UN body whose decisions member states are obligated to carry out under the Charter. History of the Security

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The UN Security Council has 15 members, five with veto power, and holds primary responsibility for international peace and security.