** international organizations United Nations agencies U.N. system








The United Nations: U.N. System--Agencies


Figure 1.--These Canadian boys are collecting for UNICEF on Halloween Trick or Treat Day we think in the 1970s. They are giving up the candy to collect coins for UNICEF. Photographer: Jim Ryan, 'Victoria Times Colonist'.

The U.N. System is composed of a number of permanent and temprary agencies. The work of some of these agencies can ve critictizized, but some like UNRRA, UNICEF, and WHO have done such valuable work that even sharp U.N. criticis admire their work. created before the U.N.itself. was UNRRA. It was the first U.N. agency to launch an important humanitarian effort. Another important U.N. agency working with children is United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund (UNICEF). It was one of the first projects of the newly created United Nations. The General Assembly created UNICEF (December 11, 1946). Its initial mission was to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries devastated by World War II. UNICEF proved so sucessful that the United Nations decided it was essential and made it a permanent part of the United Nations System (1953). Although many controversies surround various U.N. agencies, UNICEF is the single most respected and popular agenciey in the U.N. System. Its name was shortened, but it has continued to be known by acronym based on this previous name because it was such a popular agency and the original acronym had become so well known. The United Nations, like the League of Nations, failed to live up to its unrealistic expectations. The Cold War made decisive military action impossible. Action against Communist agression in Korea was only possible because of a Soviet boycott. Another problem was the aceeptance of countries that do not live up to the U.N. Univeral Declaration of Human Rights (1948). And actually use the United Nations to undermine the very principles on which it was founded. The Arabs countries were very disturbed about passages on women. And the Soviet Union at the time was operating a vast Gulag which was founded with the very purpose of supressing human rights. And you have countries like Libya under Qadafi on the Human Rights Committee and Iran under the Mullahs on the Women's Rights Commision.

FAO


Military Action and Peace Keeping

The United Nations, like the League of Nations, failed to live up to its unrealistic expectations. The Cold War made decisive military action impossible. Action against Communist agression and the establishment of the United Nations Command in Korea was only possible because of a Soviet boycott.

UNDP


United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

Another problem is the acceptance of countries that do not live up to the U.N. Univeral Declaration of Human Rights (1948). And actually use the United Nations to undermine the very principles on which it was founded. The Arabs countries were very disturbed about passages on women. And the Soviet Union at the time was operating a vast Gulag which was founded with the very purpose of supressing human rights. And you have countries like Libya under Qadafi on the Human Rights Council and Iran under the Mullahs on the Women's Rights Commision. And notice how China has prevented the UNHRC from investigating China's terrtible percecution of its Uighur minority. [Cogan]

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)

One of the first U.N. agencies, actually created before the U.N.itself. It was the first U.N. agency to launch an important humanitarian effort. The needs of the World War II Displaced Persons were anticipated by the United States. American authorities were not fully aware of the enormity of the NAZI crimes in the occupied countries, but it was clear that there were large numbers of displaced persons. The United States thus helped established and fund the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration--UNRRA (1943). The purpose of the new agency was to provide services for the postwar refugees and to help repatriate them to their own countries. UNRRA was not created specifically to assist Jewish refugees, but refugees in general. Because of NAZI race policies, however, Jews were the group most affected by the War and in need of assistance. While established in 1943, UNRRA could not begin its principal work until NAZI occupied Europe was liberated. UNRRA opened camps in North Africa and began prepsrations for its work when after D-Day and Soviets offences in the East, the NAZI empire was rapidly dimantalled. UNRRA was in place when Germany surrendered (May 1945). The collpase of the NAZI war economy and the homocidal administration of many NAZI camps meant that huge numbers of people were in desperate straits when the Allies reached them. UNRRA had the task of saving millions of starving individuals and organizing the homeward journey of most of the refugees. UNRRA set up refugee camps in old schools, military barracks, even barns. These camps were meant to be short-term transit camps, and in fact most non-Jewish refugees within a year and a half had been returned to theit home countries, an amazing accomplishment. Jewish refugees, however, presented an especially difficult problem. [Greenfeld] In most cases they were unwilling or unable to go home. Returning people to Soviet occupied countries was another major problem.

United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Another important U.N. agency working with children is United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund (UNICEF). It was one of the first projects of the newly created United Nations. The General Assembly created UNICEF (December 11, 1946). Its initial mission was to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries devastated by World War II. UNICEF proved so sucessful that the United Nations decided it was essential and made it a permanent part of the United Nations System (1953). Although many controversies surround various U.N. agencies, UNICEF is the single most respected and popular agenciey in the U.N. System. Its name was shortened, but it has continued to be known by acronym based on this previous name because it was such a popular agency and the original acronym had become so well known. UNICEF today works in 190 countries and territories. UNICEF sees its mission as saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping to fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. UNICEF's progrms include: child protection, child survival, education, emergencies, gender, innovation, supply and logistics, and research and analysis. UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and private donors. UNICEF's total income for 2015 was US$5bbillion. Governments contribute two-thirds of the organization's resources. Private groups and individuals contribute the rest through national committees. One charity watchdog NGO estimates that Over 90 percent of UNICEF revenue is distributed to program services. [Charitynavigator] This is a very high proportion and unusually efficient for any charity, let alone a U.N. agency. While UNICEF has a diverse range of activities, mot of the programs emphasize developing nationmal capabilitie to promote the health and well-being of children. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1965) and the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord (2006).

United Nationsd Peace Keepers

The United Nations Security Council is aithorized to deploy peace keepers. Theintention is certainly lasudable. One intrepid journnalist reports, "Over the years, nymerois repoorts, audits and inestigations have reveaked mismanagement, fraud, and procurement in U.N. peacekeeping. [Schaefer] The actual record of these peace keepoing missions is fraught with not only mismanagement, but corruption and terrible abuses of the people they were meant to protect, including sexual explotation and other abuses. Veriufied reports surfaces as part of the U.N. Transitional Authority in Cambodia (1993). Serious abuses have been reported in connection with the United Nations Peace Keeping Missioins in the Bosnia, Brunei, Centrl African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Comgo, Guinea, Kosovo, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leon, Sudan, among other countries. Some of the most serious reports have surfaced in Haiti, a country with an especially tragic history. The U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti because of a 2010 hirricane released'blacl-water vloera affected waste water into a major river near Port-au Prince. Some 10,000 haityians are belkueved to have died nd more than a million sickened. fter denying it, the United Natiinjs finally admitted their responsibility (2016). That was incomretenve moy malaice. We now know thnks to a study by two academic resarchers that hundreds of Haitians inclkuduing children as young as 11 years ols were sexually abused and impegnayed. The study concludes, "A shocking numbr of iniformed and non-uniformed peace keeping persnnnel have been linked to human rights abuses, including sexual exploitatiion, rape and even unlawful deaths."

World Health Organization (WHO)

Another very important U.N. agency is the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization--WHO (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé) is the U.N. spoecialized health agency. It was established shortly after the U.N. was founded (1948). Its mission was to promote international cooperation for improved public health conditions. Public health is a function that all countries share, but the economic capability to address public issues varies widely. And medical issues and disease pathogens do not recognize national borders. The WHO inherited a range of tasks concerning epidemic control, quarantine measures, and drug standardization from the Health Organization (HO) of the League of Nations which had been established soon after the League was established (1923) and the International Office of Public Health at Paris established earlier (1907). The WHO united these two internatiional efforts and assigned a broad mandate to pursue major internstional health issues. The WHO constitution describes its mission as attaining 'the highest possible level of health' by all peoples. The WHO defines health as 'a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.' The WHO designated World Health Dat as April 7, 1948. Many U.N. organizations have come under criticism for a range of problems. The WHO is one of ghe most respected and least criticise of the U.N. agencies. The administrative headquarters in in Geneva where the League of Nations had been established. The governing WHO boidy is the World Health Assembly. It meets annually and dcides on policy issues. An Executive Board of health specialists elected for 3-year terms by the Assembly. The WHO Secretariat is the personnel which conducts routine operations to implement WHO programs. It is made up of experts, staff, and field workers who work at the Geneva headquarters or at one of the six regional WHO offices and other offices located around the world. The chief executive offucer is the director general nominated by the Executive Board and voted in by the World Health Assembly.

Sources

Charitynavigator. "Charity Navigator Rating: United States Fund for UNICEF" Charitynavigator.org.

Cogan, Mark S. "UN is failing the Uighhur in China," Bangkpk Post (May 7, 2021).

Greenfeld, Howard. After the Holocaust (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers, 2001).

Scaaefer, Brett. Heritage Foundation (2016).








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Created: 7:22 PM 6/7/2016
Last updated: 11:56 PM 11/14/2018