UN Charter

UN Charter

Subject :International Relations

Context:

• UN reform is a long drawn process which encompasses five key issues:
  • Categories of membership.
  • Question of the veto held by the five permanent members,
  • Regional representation,
  • The size of an enlarged Council and its working methods.
  • The Security Council-General Assembly relationship.

Principles on which United Nation works:

• The United Nations act in accordance with the following principles.
  • Article 2(1): All member states are sovereign and equal.
  • Article 2(2): All are pledged to fulfill their obligations under the Charter in good faith.
  • Article 2(3): All are pledged to settle their international disputes by peaceful means and without endangering international peace, security and justice.
  • Article 2(4): They are to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against any other state.
  • Article 2(5): They are to give the UN assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter.
  • Article 2(6): Organization shall ensure that states not members of UN shall act as far according to principles to maintain international peace.
  • Article 2(7): The United Nations shall not intervene in matters which are essentially domestic ones of any state except when it is acting to enforce international peace

What is UN Charter:-

• The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations.
• It was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945.
• The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.
• It has been amended five times since 1945.

How The UN Charter can be reformed:

• According to Article 108 of the Charter,amendments must be adopted by two thirds of the members of the General Assembly and ratified by two thirds of the members of the United Nations, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.

History of Charter amendment:

• The Charter has been amended five times.

1. 1965:-Articles 23 was amended to enlarge the Security Council from 11 to 15 members
2. 1965 – Article 27 was amended to increase the required number of Security Council votes from 7 to 9
3. 1965–Article 61 was amended to enlarge the Economic and Social Council from 18 to 27 members
4. 1968– Article 109 was amended to change the requirements for a General Conference of Member States for reviewing the Charter

1973– Article 61 was amended again to further enlarge the Economic and Social Council from 27 to 54 members