United Nations Structure and Organizations

The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is an intergovernmental advisory that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict, and is a key addition to the capacity of the International Community in the broad peace agenda.

The Peacebuilding Commission plays a unique role in (1) bringing together all of the relevant actors, including international donors, the international financial institutions, national governments, troop contributing countries; (2) marshalling resources and (3) advising on and proposing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery and where appropriate, highlighting any gaps that threaten to undermine peace.

International Trade Centre (ITC)

Since 1964, the International Trade Centre has helped to enable small business export success in developing countries by providing trade development programmes to the private sector, trade support institutions and policymakers.

We work in partnership with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), supporting their regulatory, research and policy strategies and helping to turn them into practical projects.

Our overarching goal is to help developing countries to achieve sustainable development through exports; activating, supporting and delivering projects with an emphasis on competitiveness.

To achieve our mandate, we work with national, regional and international bodies. However, it is our daily contact with business people and policymakers that gives us the unique perspective and the experience to deliver tangible results.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people.

In more than five decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives. Today, a staff of some 6,600 people in more than 110 countries continues to help about 34 million persons.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.  That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young.

We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress.  UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path.  We believe that we can, together, advance the cause of humanity. 

We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Established in 1964, UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has progressively evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based institution whose work aims to help shape current policy debates and thinking on development, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.

The organization works to fulfil this mandate by carrying out three key functions: 

It functions as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building.

It undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts.

It provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition. When appropriate, UNCTAD cooperates with other organizations and donor countries in the delivery of technical assistance.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.

World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach these Goals. Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:

Democratic Governance

Poverty Reduction

Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Environment and Energy

HIV/AIDS

UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.

United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) offers a unique combination of investment capital, capacity building and technical advisory services to promote microfinance and local development in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs):

    * UNCDF's microfinance programmes provide poor households and enterprises with enhanced access to a wide range of financial services by promoting inclusive financial sectors and providing investment capital for emerging microfinance institutions (MFIs) and other financial service providers (FSPs) in the LDCs.

    * UNCDF's local development programmes support national decentralization strategies in the LDCs and seek to improve social services, governance and pro-poor economic infrastructure at the local level by providing technical assistance and investment capital directly to local authorities.

UNCDF's investment capital is flexible, high-risk and innovative. It is channeled primarily to poor rural areas in the LDCs where poverty reduction, capacity and governance challenges are typically the greatest. UNCDF currently invests in 38 LDCs with a total programme portfolio amounting to approximately US$200 million. Through its programmes, UNCDF strives to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for LDCs in a direct, concrete and measurable way.

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

UNIFEM  is the women's fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women’s rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that foster women's empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just societies.

Established in 1976, UNIFEM has touched the lives of women and girls around the world. UNIFEM maintains strong ties to both women’s organizations and governments, linking them with the UN system to join national and international political action, and to create momentum for change.

UNIFEM focuses its activities on one overarching goal: to support the implementation at the national level of existing international commitments to advance gender equality. In support of this goal, UNIFEM works in the following thematic areas:

enhancing women’s economic security and rights,

ending violence against women,

reducing the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among women and girls, and

advancing gender justice in democratic governance in stable and fragile states.

Active in all regions and at different levels, UNIFEM works with countries to formulate and implement laws and policies to eliminate discrimination and promote gender equality in such areas as land and inheritance rights, decent work for women, and ending violence against women. UNIFEM also aims to transform institutions to make them more accountable to gender equality and women’s rights, to strengthen the capacity and voice of women’s rights advocates, and to change harmful and discriminatory practices in society.

United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide.

Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation.

UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UNV volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.

United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) 

The Annual Report provides an overview of what UNODC is doing to help Member States address the threat posed by drugs, crime and terrorism. The report demonstrates that, in an unstable world, the information and expertise provided by UNODC are in high demand. In response, UNODC is expanding its portfolio, and becoming active in new issues and theatres.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Mission:

To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

Towns and cities are growing today at unprecedented rates setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, both good and bad.  In 1950, one-third of the world's people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this rose to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind.

Cities are the hubs of much national production and consumption - economic and social processes that generate wealth and opportunity. But they also create disease, crime, pollution, poverty and social unrest. In many cities, especially in developing countries, slum dwellers number more than 50 per cent of the population and have little or no access to shelter, water, and sanitation, education or health services.  It is essential that policy­makers understand the power of the city as a catalyst for national development. Sustainable urbanisation is one of the most pressing challenges facing the global community in the 21st century.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

UNFPA - because everyone counts

Meeting Development Goals

UNFPA works in partnership with governments, as well as with other agencies and civil society broadly, to advance its mission. Two frameworks serve to focus its efforts: The Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development and the Millennium Development Goals, which the international development community committed itself  to six years later. Because the dates for achievement of these interconnected sets of goals and related targets are fast approaching, considerable work has been done in analyzing what has worked, and to galvanize support and a redoubling of efforts.

The three core areas of our work - reproductive health, gender equality and population and development strategies - are inextricably related. Population dynamics, including growth rates, age structure, fertility and mortality, migration and more, influence every aspect of human, social and economic development. Reproductive health and women's empowerment powerfully affect, and are affected by, population trends.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 4.7 million registered Palestine refugees in the Middle East.

The Agency’s services encompass education, health care, relief, camp infrastructure and improvement, community support, microfinance and emergency response, including in times of armed conflict.

Establishment

Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950.

In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2011.

UNRWA services

Since its establishment, the Agency has delivered its services both in times of relative calm in the Middle East, and in times of hostilities.

UNRWA’s work exemplifies an international commitment to the human development of Palestine refugees, helping them:

acquire knowledge and skills

lead long and healthy lives

achieve decent standards of living

enjoy human rights to the fullest possible extent.

UNRWA is unique in terms of its long-standing commitment to one group of refugees, and its contributions to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees. Originally envisaged as a temporary organisation, the Agency has gradually adjusted its programmes to meet the changing needs of the refugees.

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

In emergencies, we get food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, we use food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives.

WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.

Born in 1962, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome -- the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) -- as well as other government, UN and NGO partners.

In 2010 we aim to reach more than 90 million people with food assistance in more than 70 countries. Around 10,000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor.

WFP's five objectives:

Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies

Prepare for emergencies

Restore and rebuild lives after emergencies

Reduce chronic hunger and under nutrition everywhere

Strengthen the capacity of countries to reduce hunger

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) — an autonomous institute within the United Nations — conducts research on disarmament and security with the aim of assisting the international community in their disarmament thinking, decisions and efforts.

Through its research projects, publications, small meetings and expert networks, UNIDIR promotes creative thinking and dialogue on the disarmament and security challenges of today and of tomorrow.

The Institute's activities encompass diverse realities — from the intricacy of global diplomacy to local entrenched tensions and violent conflicts. UNIDIR explores both current and future security issues, examining topics as varied as tactical nuclear weapons, refugee security, computer warfare, regional confidence-building measures, and small arms.

Working with researchers, diplomats, government officials, NGOs and other institutions, UNIDIR acts as a bridge between the research community and United Nations Member States. UNIDIR's work is funded by contributions from governments and donor foundations.

UNIDIR is based in Geneva, the primary centre for security and disarmament negotiations, home of the Conference on Disarmament, and global focal point for humanitarian concerns such as human rights, refugees, migration, health and labour issues

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is making concrete contributions to developing the capacities of tens of thousands of people around the world. Since its inception in 1965, UNITAR has built sustainable partnerships acquiring unique expertise and accumulating experience and knowledge to fulfil its mandate. These accomplishments have enabled UNITAR to respond to the growing demand from UN Member States for training for capacity development in the fields of Environment; Peace, Security and Diplomacy; and Governance.

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)

UNICRI is a United Nations entity mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI' s goals are:

to advance understanding of crime-related problems

to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems

to support the respect of international instruments and other standards

to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance.

UNICRI is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of eminent experts. The staff cover a wide range of expertise in the management of research, training, technical cooperation and documentation and are supported by highly qualified consultants selected according to project requirements.

United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW)

In 1975, the First World Conference of Women recommended the creation of a research and training institute dedicated to the advancement of women. The following year, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) created the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW). In 1979, the Council recommended that UN-INSTRAW be located in a developing country and in 1983, UN-INSTRAW’s headquarters were officially opened in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

  

Other UN Entities

International Computing Centre (ICC)

The International Computing Centre (ICC) was established in 1971 by a Memorandum of Agreement among the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), pursuant to resolution 2741 (XXV) of the United Nations General Assembly. It was created as an inter-organization facility to provide electronic data processing services for themselves and other Users.

The ICC has expanded considerably since its establishment, and more than 25 organizations, funds and programmes of the United Nations system currently use its services and participate in its governance.

In addition, governmental entities, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as other not-for-profit institutions use ICC’s services.

Initially, ICC functioned as a Service Bureau providing primarily mainframe services to a limited number of users. With its initial work force of about 20 staff ICC was able to meet most of the needs of its users.

Over the years, ICC has broadened the range of services to include internet hosting, managed storage and other services it provides to reflect the changing requirements of its clients. ICC has now over 200 staff.

The Centre has extended its presence beyond its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and established offices in New York, USA, and Brindisi, Italy.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

UNAIDS fulfills its mission by:

Uniting the efforts of the United Nations system, civil society, national governments, the private sector, global institutions and people living with and most affected by HIV;

Speaking out in solidarity with the people most affected by HIV in defense of human dignity, human rights and gender equality;

Mobilizing political, technical, scientific and financial resources and holding ourselves and others accountable for results;

Empowering agents of change with strategic information and evidence to influence and ensure that resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest impact and bring about a prevention revolution; and

Supporting inclusive country leadership for sustainable responses that are integral to and integrated with national health and development efforts. 

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and non-governmental organizations, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life-saving, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations." Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General

Our mission

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.

Our vision

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC)

According to its Statute “The Staff College shall serve as a distinct, system-wide, knowledge management and learning institution… providing strategic leadership and management development…, strengthening inter-agency collaboration…, increasing operational effectiveness; enhancing cooperation with stakeholders inside and outside the UN system, and developing a more cohesive, system-wide, management culture”.

The idea of establishing a Staff College to serve the United Nations system was a direct response to long-standing perceptions on the need to strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of the international civil service. The first investigations into the feasibility of creating a Staff College were begun in 1969. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly approved in principle the creation of the United Nations System Staff College. However, the Staff College was put on indefinite hold pending the identification of financial resources. In 1993, the Secretary-General requested a joint UN/ILO team to elaborate a more concrete Staff College proposal that was accepted in 1995. The College itself began operations in 1996 as a project entrusted to the ITC/ILO. In August 2000, the College was evaluated by an independent Team that recommended the establishment of a fully-fledged United Nations System Staff College. A draft Statute was prepared. In July 2001, the General Assembly approved the Statute of the United Nations System Staff College. In November 2001, the Board of Governors held its first session in Geneva. On 1 January 2002 the College began its operations as a distinct institution within the United Nations system.

United Nations University (UNU)

The UN University is dedicated to the generation and transfer of knowledge, and the strengthening of individual and institutional capacities in furtherance of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

The mission of UN University is to contribute, through collaborative research, capacity development, and advisory services to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples and Member States.

In doing so, it pays due attention to the social sciences and humanities as well as natural sciences. The UN University fosters intellectual cooperation among scholars, scientists, and practitioners worldwide — especially those in the developing world — and functions as:

an international community of scholars

a bridge between the United Nations and the international academic community

a think-tank for the United Nations system

a builder of capacity, particularly in developing countries

a platform for dialogue and new and creative ideas.

Since the beginning of its academic activities in September 1975, the UN University has grown and matured into a decentralized, global network comprising UNU Centre in Tokyo, a worldwide network of institutes located in 13 UN Member Nation host countries (as of 2008), and liaison offices at United Nations Headquarters (New York) and UNESCO Headquarters (Paris).

UNU is one of the smaller United Nations organizations, and as a voluntarily funded organization depends heavily on support from governments, bilateral and multilateral development assistance agencies, foundations and other public and private sector sources. Over the past decades, the University has increasingly enhanced the nature and impact of its contributions to the UN system and to the international academic community.

One of the major comparative advantages of the UN University is that in conducting its research it adopts a holistic approach to the complex problems that affect human security and development.

The UN University undertakes cross-cultural and problem-oriented research. UN University academic researchers develop targeted foresight and policy studies which feed into decision-making processes (from global to local levels). Through its worldwide knowledge networks of academics from the five continents (with backgrounds both in social and natural sciences) the University imbues its work with a truly global perspective.

1540 Committee

On 28 April 2004, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1540 (2004) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, obliging States, inter alia, to refrain from supporting by any means non-State actors from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting, transferring or using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their delivery systems. 

Resolution 1540 (2004) imposes binding obligations on all States to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery, including by establishing appropriate controls over related materials. It also encourages enhanced international cooperation on such efforts, in accord with and promoting universal adherence to existing international non proliferation treaties. The 1540 Committee released its report to the United Nations Security Council on implementation of the Resolution in April 2006.

On 27 April 2006, the Security Council extended the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a further two years with the adoption of Resolution 1673 (2006), which reiterated the objectives of Resolution 1540 (2004), expressed the interest of the Security Council in intensifying its efforts to promote full implementation of the resolution, and obliged the 1540 Committee to report again by April 2008. 

On 25 April 2008, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1810 (2008), which extended the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a period of three years, with the continued assistance of experts, until 25 April 2011. Reaffirming the objectives of Resolution 1540 (2004) and Resolution 1673 (2006), the Security Council urged the 1540 Committee to continue strengthening its role in facilitating technical assistance, including by engaging actively in matching offers and requests for assistance, therefore confirming its clearinghouse function. Through Resolution 1810 (2008), the Security Council also requested the 1540 Committee to consider a comprehensive review of the status of implementation of Resolution 1540 (2004). The 1540 Committee decided to hold an open meeting with broad participation which will form part of this comprehensive review. The open meeting will take place at UN headquarters from 30 September to 2 October 2009.

The 1540 Committee released its first report to the United Nations Security Council on implementation of the Resolution in April 2006. The second one was presented in July 2008. A third report is expected by 24 April 2011, as requested in Resolution 1810 (2008).

Counter-Terrorism Committee

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was established by Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), which was adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States.

The Committee, comprising all 15 Security Council members, was tasked with monitoring implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), which requested countries to implement a number of measures intended to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home, in their regions and around the world, including taking steps to:

Criminalize the financing of terrorism Freeze without delay any funds related to persons involved in acts of terrorism

Deny all forms of financial support for terrorist groups Suppress the provision of safe haven, sustenance or support for terrorists.

Share information with other governments on any groups practicing or planning terrorist acts Cooperate with other governments in the investigation, detection, arrest, extradition and prosecution of those involved in such acts; and Criminalize active and passive assistance for terrorism in domestic law and bring violators to justice. The resolution also calls on States to become parties, as soon as possible, to the relevant international counter-terrorism legal instruments.

In September 2005, the Security Council adopted resolution 1624 (2005) on incitement to commit acts of terrorism, calling on UN Member States to prohibit it by law, prevent such conduct and deny safe haven to anyone "with respect to whom there is credible and relevant information giving serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of such conduct." The resolution also called on States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations. 

The Security Council directed the CTC to include resolution 1624 (2001) in its ongoing dialogue with countries on their efforts to counter terrorism..

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) is a United Nations court of law dealing with war crimes that took place during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990’s. Since its establishment in 1993 it has irreversibly changed the landscape of international humanitarian law and provided victims an opportunity to voice the horrors they witnessed and experienced.

In its precedent-setting decisions on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Tribunal has shown that an individual’s senior position can no longer protect them from prosecution.

It has now shown that those suspected of bearing the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed can be called to account, as well as that guilt should be individualised, protecting entire communities from being labelled as “collectively responsible”.

The Tribunal has laid the foundations for what is now the accepted norm for conflict resolution and post-conflict development across the globe, specifically that leaders suspected of mass crimes will face justice. The Tribunal has proved that efficient and transparent international justice is possible.

The Tribunal has contributed to an indisputable historical record, combating denial and helping communities come to terms with their recent history. Crimes across the region can no longer be denied. For example, it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the mass murder at Srebrenica was genocide.

Judges have also ruled that rape was used by members of the Bosnian Serb armed forces as an instrument of terror, and the judges in the Kvočka et al. trial established that a “hellish orgy of persecution” occurred in the Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje camps of northwestern Bosnia.

While the most significant number of cases heard at the Tribunal have dealt with alleged crimes committed by Serbs and Bosnian Serbs, the Tribunal has investigated and brought charges against persons from every ethnic background. Convictions have been secured against Croats, as well as both Bosnian Muslims and Kosovo Albanians for crimes committed against Serbs and others.

While its judgements demonstrate that all parties in the conflicts committed crimes, the Tribunal regards its fairness and impartiality to be of paramount importance. It takes no side in the conflict and does not attempt to create any artificial balance between different groups. Evidence is the basis upon which the Prosecution presents a case. The Judges ensure a fair and open trial, assessing the evidence to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.

Established as an ad hoc court, the Security Council endorsed the Tribunal’s completion strategy for a staggered and ordered closure. Estimates as of June 2010 suggest that all trials are expected to be completed by mid-2012, with the exception of that of Radovan Karadžić, which is expected to finish in late 2012. Most appellate work is scheduled to be completed by end 2013.

Since 2003 the court has worked closely with local judiciaries and courts in the former Yugoslavia, working in partnership as part of a continuing effort to see justice served.

Undoubtedly, the Tribunal’s work has had a major impact on the states of the former Yugoslavia. Simply by removing some of the most senior and notorious criminals and holding them accountable the Tribunal has been able to lift the taint of violence, contribute to ending impunity and help pave the way for reconciliation.
 

In May 1993, the Tribunal was established by the United Nations in response to mass atrocities then taking place in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Reports depicting horrendous crimes, in which thousands of civilians were being killed and wounded, tortured and sexually abused in detention camps and hundreds of thousands expelled from their homes, caused outrage across the world and spurred the UN Security Council to act.

The ICTY was the first war crimes court created by the UN and the first international war crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals. It was established by the Security Council in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Charter.  

The key objective of the ICTY is to try those individuals most responsible for appalling acts such as murder, torture, rape, enslavement, destruction of property and other crimes listed in the Tribunal's Statute. By bringing perpetrators to trial, the ICTY aims to deter future crimes and render justice to thousands of victims and their families, thus contributing to a lasting peace in the former Yugoslavia.

Situated in The Hague, the Netherlands, the ICTY has charged over 160 persons. Those indicted by the ICTY include heads of state, prime ministers, army chiefs-of-staff, interior ministers and many other high- and mid-level political, military and police leaders from various parties to the Yugoslav conflicts. Its indictments address crimes committed from 1991 to 2001 against members of various ethnic groups in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. More than 60 individuals have been convicted and currently more than 40 people are in different stages of proceedings before the Tribunal. 

Those interested in the Tribunal's proceedings can visit the ICTY and watch trials first-hand. Trials can also be followed through the internet broadcast on this website.

While operating at full capacity, the Tribunal is working towards the completion of its mandate. The ICTY aims to achieve this by concentrating on the prosecution and trial of the most senior leaders, while referring a certain number of cases involving intermediate and lower-ranking accused to national courts in the former Yugoslavia. This plan, commonly referred to as the Tribunal's 'completion strategy', foresees the Tribunal assisting in strengthening the capacity of national courts in the region to handle war crimes cases.

The ICTY is made up of three main branches: the Chambers, the Registry, and the Office of the Prosecutor.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

Recognizing that serious violations of humanitarian law were committed in Rwanda, and acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security Council created the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) by resolution 955 of 8 November 1994. The purpose of this measure is to contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Rwanda and to the maintenance of peace in the region. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994. It may also deal with the prosecution of Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations of international law committed in the territory of neighbouring States during the same period.

Peacekeeping Operations and Missions

United Nations peacekeeping is a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the Organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace. The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, when the Security Council authorized the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Since then, there have been a total of 64 UN peacekeeping operations around the world.

The term "peacekeeping" is not found in the United Nations Charter and defies simple definition. Dag Hammarskjöld, the second UN Secretary-General, referred to it as belonging to "Chapter Six and a Half" of the Charter, placing it between traditional methods of resolving disputes peacefully, such as negotiation and mediation under Chapter VI, and more forceful action as authorized under Chapter VII.

Over the years, UN peacekeeping has evolved to meet the demands of different conflicts and a changing political landscape. Born at the time when the Cold War rivalries frequently paralyzed the Security Council, UN peacekeeping goals were primarily limited to maintaining ceasefires and stabilizing situations on the ground, so that efforts could be made at the political level to resolve the conflict by peaceful means.  Those missions consisted of military observers and lightly armed troops with monitoring, reporting and confidence-building roles in support of ceasefires and limited peace agreements.

With the end of the Cold War, the strategic context for UN peacekeeping dramatically changed, prompting the Organization to shift and expand its field operations from “traditional” missions involving strictly military tasks, to complex “multidimensional” enterprises designed to ensure the implementation of comprehensive peace agreements and assist in laying the foundations for sustainable peace. Today’s peacekeepers undertake a wide variety of complex tasks, from helping to build sustainable institutions of governance, to human rights monitoring, to security sector reform, to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.   

The nature of conflicts has also changed over the years. Originally developed as a means of dealing with inter-State conflict, UN peacekeeping has been increasingly applied to intra-State conflicts and civil wars. Although the military remain the backbone of most peacekeeping operations, the many faces of peacekeeping now include administrators and economists, police officers and legal experts, de-miners and electoral observers, human rights monitors and specialists in civil affairs and governance, humanitarian workers and experts in communications and public information.

UN peacekeeping continues to evolve, both conceptually and operationally, to meet new challenges and political realities. Faced with the rising demand for increasingly complex peace operations, the United Nations in the past few years has been overstretched and challenged as never before. The Organization has worked vigorously to strengthen its capacity to manage and sustain field operations and, thus, contribute to the most important function of the United Nations – maintaining international peace and security.

Sanctions Committees

Under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Security Council can take enforcement measures to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such measures range from economic and/or other sanctions not involving the use of armed force to international military action.

The use of mandatory sanctions is intended to apply pressure on a State or entity to comply with the objectives set by the Security Council without resorting to the use of force. Sanctions thus offer the Security Council an important instrument to enforce its decisions. The universal character of the United Nations makes it an especially appropriate body to establish and monitor such measures.

The Council has resorted to mandatory sanctions as an enforcement tool when peace has been threatened and diplomatic efforts have failed. The range of sanctions has included comprehensive economic and trade sanctions and/or more targeted measures such as arms embargoes, travel bans, financial or diplomatic restrictions. 

At the same time, a great number of States and humanitarian organizations have expressed concerns at the possible adverse impact of sanctions on the most vulnerable segments of the population. Concerns have also been expressed at the negative impact sanctions can have on the economy of third countries.

In response to these concerns, relevant Security Council decisions have reflected a more refined approach to the design, application and implementation of mandatory sanctions. These refinements have included measures targeted at specific actors, as well as humanitarian exceptions embodied in Security Council resolutions. Targeted sanctions, for instance, can involve the freezing of assets and blocking the financial transactions of political elites or entities whose behaviour triggered sanctions in the first place. Recently, smart sanctions have been applied to conflict diamonds in African countries, where wars have been funded in part by the trade of illicit diamonds for arms and related materiel.

As part of its commitment to ensure that fair and clear procedures exist for placing individuals and entities on sanctions lists and for removing them, as well as for granting humanitarian exemptions, the Security Council, on 19 December 2006, adopted resolution 1730 (2006) by which the Council requested the Secretary-General to establish within the Secretariat (Security Council Subsidiary Organs Branch), a focal point to receive de-listing requests and perform the tasks described in the annex to that resolution. The Security Council took another significant step in this regard by establishing, by its resolution 1904 (2009) the Office of the Ombudsperson.

On 17 April 2000, the members of the Security Council established, on a temporary basis, the Informal Working Group on General Issues of Sanctions to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions. In 2006 the Working Group submitted its report to the Security Council (S/2006/997), which contained recommendations and best practices on how to improve sanctions.

UN Compensation Commission

The United Nations Compensation Commission concluded the claims-processing exercise in 2005, and payments to individuals concluded in 2007. 

It is not possible anymore, no matter what the circumstances, to accept new claims or make corrections or changes to previous claims.  All payments have already been made through respective Governments and UNCC will not make any further payment to any individual or company.  The UNCC does not have any branches in any country and does not have any individual or bank as agent.

The Commission communicates only with Governments and can not communicate directly with individual claimants, and will not respond directly to any enquiries.  Information on the work of the United Nations Compensation Commission is contained on this website through the tabs below.

Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

n the fight to end impunity and achieve accountability for grave child rights violations by National Tribunals such as in DRC and International Tribunals including the International Criminal Court and the Special Court of Sierra Leone.

The strength of the Security Council's proactive process, combined with the application of international standards, has considerably enhanced the work carried out by child protection advocates. In the last three years political-level child protection advocacy dialogue has resulted in tangible outcomes in the form of commitments by parties to conflict, which has also translated into specific results for the protection of children on the ground. 

A key partnership between the Office of the Special Representative and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has resulted in the incorporation of children's issues in peacekeeping operations through child rights and protection in training for peacekeepers and the deployment of child protection advisors in peacekeeping missions.

The Special Representative has also initiated important conversations with the Peacebuilding Commission on child demobilization, longer-term reintegration needs, education and youth employment strategies.

Field visits by the Special Representative have been a central element of her advocacy strategy to bring high-level visibility to the situation and rights of children affected by armed conflict. In the past three years, the Special Representative has undertaken 12 country visits.

Beyond the United Nations, regional organizations such as the African Union and the European Union have begun to implement the commitments that they have made to children in the context of their own peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding initiatives. Notably the European Union adopted a strategy for the practical implementation of the European Union Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict.

Another significant political-level initiative is the strong commitment expressed by Member States to the Paris Commitments and the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated With Armed Forces or Armed Groups, which provide guidelines on the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of all categories of children associated with armed groups. 

It cannot be stressed strongly enough that action at the international and regional levels must be underpinned by a commitment to address impunity at the national level. Member States, as a matter of most urgent priority, must ensure that they undertake appropriate reforms of national legislation for the protection of children.

Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions

The Security Council Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions (IWG) was established in June 1993 to enhance and streamline ways and means whereby the Security Council addresses issues related to its documentation and other procedural questions. The Working Group meets as agreed by members of the Security Council.

The Working Group makes recommendations, proposals and suggestions to the members of the Council concerning the Council's documentation and other procedural questions. On 31 January 2006 (S/2006/66) the Security Council decided to end the rotating monthly chairmanship of the Working Group. Since then, the Working Group has been chaired by a member of the Security Council for an extended period, currently for 12 months. 

On 19 July 2006, the Security Council approved a Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2006/507) with a view to enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the Council’s work, as well as its interaction and dialogue with non-Council members. On 19 December 2007, the Security Council approved a Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2007/749), which contain several additional agreed measures. On 31 December 2008, the Security Council approved a Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2008/847) consolidating and revising the provisions concerning the summary statment of matters of which the Security Council is seized (seizure statement). 

The Working Group has concentrated, inter alia, on implementation of existing measures agreed by the members of the Security Council in the area of documentation and other procedural questions, in particular those contained in the Note by the President of the Security Council of 19 July 2006 (S/2006/507). The Working Group has also focused on interaction and dialogue between the Security Council and other relevant United Nations bodies, the United Nations Secretariat and other United Nations Member States. In addition, the Working Group has been seized with a range of other practical questions pertaining to documentation and procedures of the Security Council.

United Nations Peacebuilding Commission 

The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is an intergovernmental advisory that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict, and is a key addition to the capacity of the International Community in the broad peace agenda.

The Peacebuilding Commission plays a unique role in (1) bringing together all of the relevant actors, including international donors, the international financial institutions, national governments, troop contributing countries; (2) marshalling resources and (3) advising on and proposing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery and where appropriate, highlighting any gaps that threaten to undermine peace.

In 2010 the Peacebuilding Commission is being reviewed to assess its progress so far and determine its future direction. In a statement at the launch of the 2010 Review, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that in its short existence, the PBC had shown its worth but looking ahead, Member States must consider how to make its impact more tangible at the country level. He stated the Review must consider how it can consolidate its contribution and apply that to other countries, redress both the weaknesses and challenges that emerged and how the Commission can enhance its partnership and working methods with partners in the field and at Headquarters

The concurrent General Assembly and Security Council resolutions establishing the Peacebuilding Commission also provided for the establishment of a Peacebuilding Fund and Peacebuilding Support Office.

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

The Commission, which arose from a ministerial meeting held in Versailles in 1991, is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council. It was preceded by a more technically focussed Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, formed in 1971 to replace an earlier expert advisory committee and tackle a broadened scope of UN interest in criminal justice policy. The Economic and Social Council, on the recommendation of the General Assembly, established the Commission by its resolution 1992/1, entitled "Establishment of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice," and provided for the Commission's mandates and priorities in its resolution 1992/22, entitled "Implementation of General Assembly resolution 46/152 concerning operational activities and coordination in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice." Its mandated priority areas are:

international action to combat national and transnational crime, including organized crime, economic crime and money laundering;

promoting the role of criminal law in protecting the environment; crime prevention in urban areas, including juvenile crime and violence; and improving the efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems. Aspects of these principal themes are selected for discussion at each annual session of the Vienna-based Commission.

The Commission develops, monitors and reviews the implementation of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice programme and facilitates the coordination of its activities. The Commission provides substantive and organizational direction for the quinquennial United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network supports the implementation of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice programme and contributes to the work of the Commission. The Commission acts as the governing body of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Fund, the United Nations fund that provides resources for promoting technical assistance in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice carried out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.