The United Nations Class 8 Total History and Civics

The United Nations Class 8 Total History and Civics **For Notes and Videos on other subjects from your syllabus, Click here 👉 Class 8 Notes & Videos on All Subjects

Time To Learn
I. Fill in the blanks:

1. All peace loving nations can become members of the United Nations.
2. The present number of member-countries in the UNO is 193.
3. One major goal of the UNICEF was Universal Child Immunisation against preventable diseases by 1990.
4. The International Court of Justice settles disputes between member states of the United Nations.
   
5. The UNESCO came into existence in 1946.

II. Match the content of column A with other of column B


Answer:

III. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Why and when was the UNO formed?
Answer:
UNO was established on 24^th October, 1945 to work for world peace and for eradication of poverty, hunger, injustice and to save the world from still another catastrophe of the magnitude of the Second World War.

Question 2.
What are the objectives and principles of the UNO?
Answer:
The following are the objectives of the UNO:

Objectives of United Nations

1. To save the suceeding generation from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold suffering to mankind.
2. To reaffirm faith in fundamental Human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human power in the equal rights of men and women, of nations large and small.
3. To maintain international peace and security.
4. To develop friendly relations among the nations of world based on respect for the equal rights of people.
5. To co-operate in solving international problems of social,economic, cultural, and humanitarian character and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Principles of UNO

The UN has laid down certain principles to achieve the above objectives. These principles are also enumerated in the Charter.

1. The basis of the organisation shall be equality of all its member-states.
2. The member-states shall fulfil their obligations honestly according to the charter of the UNO.
3. All the member-states shall solve their mutual problems through peaceful means.
4. States will not use force in solving their mutual problems.
5. All the member-states shall be morally bound to offer unconditional services, military or otherwise, to the UNO for preventive and enforcement actions of the UNO according to the UN Charter.
6. The members of the UNO shall see that even the non­members states work for the peace and security of the world.

Question 3.
Name the chief organs of the UNO    and list down theirNo member-state shall interfere in the internal affairs of any other member-state functions.
Answer:
Organs of the UN
There are six principle organs of   the UN.

1. The General Assembly Functions

1. Admits new members to the UNO on the recommendation of the Security Council.
2. Appoints the General Secretary of the UNO on the recommendation of the Security Council.
3. Elects ten (temporary) members of the Security Council, members of the Economic and Social Council and members of the Trusteeship Council from amongst its own members.
4. Receives and discussess the reports of its main organs and takes decisions for their improvement.
5. Can draw the attention of member-states to provide human rights to their citizens.
   Passes the annual budget of the UNO and fixes the
6. Passes the annual budget of the UNO and fixes the share of every member country in providing those funds.
7. Draws the attention of the Security Council whenever it finds that peace in a particular part of the world is endangered by the actions of one or more states.2

2. The Security Council
Functions
The Security Council’s primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security.

1. It can ask the fighting states to resolve their differences by bilateral talks.
2. It may suggest mediation in the matter.
3. It can suggest embargo (stoppage of trade) on the states who do act according to the directions of the Security Council.
4. It can order military action against a state which persists in undermining the peace and security of the world.Besides this,
5. It recommends the admission of a new member to the UNO.
6. It recommends the name of person for his appointment as the Secretary-General of the UNO.
7. It elects the Judges of the International Court of Justice concurrently with the General Assembly.
8. It can ask for the cancellation of the membership of a state, if does not act according to the Charter.
9. It can recommend to call a meeting of the General Assembly in an emergency.

3. The Economic and Social Council:
The main function of this Council is to promote economic and social operation,among the member states of the UN. There are several groups working under the council. They specialise in subjects like population money matters, international trade and equality of women, crime prevention and control of narcotic drugs.

4. The Trusteeship Council: Its main objective is to safeguard the interests of those territories that are not yet fully self- governing. Eleven such territories were brought under the UN Trusteeship Council after the Second World War. The Council helped ten of them to gain independence.

5. The Secretariat: The personnel of the Secretariat are recruited from all over the world. Attempts are made to have a balanced representation from all regions and countries. The Secretary General is the chief executive officer or the head of the UN Secretariat.

6. The International Court of Justice: The International Court of Justice settles disputes between the member-state of the United Nations. Even private citizens have the right to approach the Court whenever they have grievance against another state. The Secretary General holds a key position in the administration of the affairs of the UNO. He organises conferences, drafts reports, makes correspondence, registers treaties, prepares budget estimates.

Question 4.
Name the official languages of the UNO.
Answer:
The official languages of the UNO are – English, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and Spanish.

Question 5.
How does the UNO manage its funds?
Answer:
The UNO is financed by the contributions made by its member states. The amount is determined by the General Assembly on the recommendations of its committee on contributions.

Question 6.
Describe the UNO Flag. Draw and colour it.
Answer:
The flag of the UNO represents two bent olive branches open at the top over a blue background. The branches of the wreath symbolise peace.

Question 7.
Name the permanent members of the UNO.
Answer:
Permanent members of the UNO are five – USA, UK, France,’ China and Russia.

Additional Questions

EXERCISES
A. Fill in the blanks:

1. The League of Nations was formed in 1920 after the end of the First World War.
2. Each member state of the UN can send up to Five representatives to the General Assembly.
3. The Security council is often referred to as the ‘Enforcement Wing’ of the UN.
4. The five permament members of the Security Council are USA, UK, France, People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.
5. The objective of the ECOSOC is to free the world from want.
6. The WHO is a specialized agency of the UN.

B. Match the following:


Answer:

C. Choose the correct answer:

1. 24 October/22 March/21 June is celebrated as United Nations Day.
   Ans. 24 October is celebrated as United Nations Day.
2. The olive branches on the UN flag symbolize peace/wealth/ truth.
   Ans. The olive branches on the UN flag symbolize peace.
3. The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected by the General Assembly for a 3/4/5-year term.
   Ans. The Economic and Social Council consists of 54 members elected by the General Assembly for a 5-year term.
4. The International Court of Justice is located in New York City in the USA/The Hague in the Netherlands/Paris in France.
   Ans. The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague in the Netherlands.
5. The Secretariat/General Assembty/International Court of Justice is the chief administrative organ of the UN.
   Ans. The Secretariat is the chief administrative organ of the UN.

D. State whether the following are true or false:

1. All the members of the UN are members of the General Assembly.
   True.
2. French is one of the official languages of the UN.
   True. 
3. The Trusteeship Council is the most important organ of the UN.
   False
   Correct: The Security Council is the most important organ of the UN.
4. UNESCO and UNICEF are specialized agencies of the UN
   True.
   
5. Most of the world’s problems have disappeared with the end of the Cold War.
   False.
   Correct: Most of the world’s problems have disappeared with the end of the Cold War. This, however, did not happen.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two words/ sentences:

Question 1.
Mention one important organ of the UN.
Answer:
The Security Council is the most important organ of the UN.

Question 2.
Who are the members of the General Assembly?
Answer:
All the members of the UN are members of the General Assembly.

Question 3.
What is a negative vote by one of the permanent members of the Security Council known as?
Answer:
Veto is the negative vote by any one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council which leads to the cancellation of the resolution.

Question 4.
Why was the Trusteeship Council established?
Answer:
When the UN was first formed, a large number of countries were not free. Many were affected by the war. The Trusteeship Council was established to look after the territories that were under foreign rule and to help them attain self-government.

Question 5.
Why did the UN impose economic sanctions against the South African government?
Answer:
By imposing economic sanctions against the South African government, it played a significant role in challenging the apartheid policy and liberating the South African people from apartheid.

Question 6.
What is the relevance of the UN in today’s world?
Answer:
The need of the hour is to reform and strengthen the UN and to make it strong and effective, capable of healing the wounds of our times and restoring sanity, balance and harmony to our strife-tom world.

F. Answer the following questions briefly:

Question 1.
The magnitude and scale of destruction during the Second World War created a great revulsion for war and a passionate yearning for peace.
In this context, explain:
(a) The signing of the Atlantic Charter
(b) The basic rights or the four freedoms guaranteed by the charter
(c) The San Francisco Conference and the establishment of the United Nations
Answer:
(a)
Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States of America, met aboard a battleship off Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean. They signed a document called the Atlantic Charter on 14 August 1941.
(b)
It was agreed that when the war ended, humans must be guaranteed the basic rights or the four freedoms.
The basic rights included:

1. freedom from want
2. freedom of speech
3. freedom of religious belief
4. freedom from fear

(c)
In June 1945, 50 nations met in San Francisco to sign the Atlantic Charter. Poland, which was not represented at the conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states. On 24 October 1945, the United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights. 24 October is celebrated as United Nations Day.

Question 2.
With reference to the United Nations discuss:
(a) The UN flag
(b) Any four objetives of the UN outlined in the Preamble of the UN Charter
(c) The obligations of all nations that follow from these objectives
Answer:
(a)
The UN flag depicts two bent olive branches which are open at the top with a world map between them.
The white olive branches and the world map are on a light blue background. The branches symbolize peace.
(b)
The objectives of the UN have been outlined in the Preamble of the UN charter. They are:

1. To maintain international peace and security.
2. To develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of equality.
3. To achieve international cooperation in solving, economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
4. To promote human rights and fundamental freedom for the people of the world.
5. To act as a common platform for harmonizing the activities of various nations for the attainment of the objectives of the UN.
6. To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which has twice brought suffering to humans.

(c)
This implies that:

1. All nations, big or small, are equal.
2. They must all obey the Charter.
3. All disputes must be settled peacefully.
4. No force should be used.

Question 3.
With reference to the General Assembly and Security Council of the UN, answer the following questions:
(a) Mention any four functions of the General Assembly.
(b) Explain the veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council. What happens when the Security Council cannot take any action because of the veto?
(c) State three important functions of the Security Council.
Answer:
(a)
Important functions of the General Assembly:

1. To discuss international problems and make recommendations for their solution.
2. To make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
3. To consider and approve the UN budget.
4.  To elect non-permanent members of the security council members of the economic and social council (ECOSOC) and the trusteeship council.
5.  To supervise the work of the other organs of the UN.
6. To make recommendations for ‘collective measures, including the use of anned forces’ during a crises (Uniting for Peace Resolution)

(b)
A negative vote by any one of the permanent members would lead to a cancellation of the resolution. This right to prevent action from being taken is known as the right to veto.When no action can be taken by the Security Council because of the veto, the General Assembly can deal with the crisis. It can take whatever action may seem appropriate to restore and maintain world peace.
(c)
Functions of the Security Council:

1. To investigate international disputes and recommend ways of settling such disputes peacefully.
2. To call on member states to apply economic sanctions against the aggressor.
3. To take military action against the aggressor, if necessary.

Question 4.
With reference to the organs of the UN, discuss:
(a) Any three functions of the Economic and Social Coucil (ECOSOC)
(b) The composition and functions of the Internatinal Court of Justice
(c) Any four significant achievements of the UN
Answer:
(a) Functions of the ECOSOC:

1. To promote economic growth and social progress (z’z) To create a spirit of respect for human rights
2. To solve problems related to health, illiteracy, drugs, employment, status of women etc.
3. To supervise the work of various specialized agencies such as World Health Organization (WHO), United
4. Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Labour Organization (ILO) Food and Agricultural organization (FAO), etc.

(b)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) consists of 15 judges from different countries, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. Each judge has a 9- year term. Two judges cannot be from the same country.

Functions of International Court of Justice:

1. To settle disputes brought to it by member nations.
2. To give legal advice to the other organs of the UN, on request.

(c). Achievement of the UN

1. Although it has not been able to prevent war, in many cases, it has taken effective action to restore peace, e.g., the Korean War, the Suez Canal crisis, the Gulf War, etc.
2. Many countries like Indonesia, Algeria, Morocco, have achieved their independence with support from the UN.
3.  By imposing economic sanctions against the South African government, it played a significant role in challenging the aparthied policy and liberating the South African people from aparthied rule.
4.  It has worked consistently for the protection and preservation of human rights around the world.
5. It has worked actively to end the nuclear arms race and encouraged the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
6. It has achieved great success in the fields of labour, health, welfare of children and education by fighting poverty, ignorance, malnutrition, hunger and disease through its specialized agencies.

G Picture Study:

This buliding is the headquarters of an international organization which was established in October 1945 to maintain international peace and security

1. Name the organization.
   Ans. United Nation (UN)
2. Where are the headquarters of this organization located?
   Ans. New York City
3. Mention four important objectives of this organization.
   Ans. The objectives of the UN have been outlined in the Preamble of the UN charter.
   They are:
   1. To maintain international peace and security.
   2.  To develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of equality.
   3. To achieve international cooperation in solving, economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
   4.  To promote human rights and fundamental freedom for the people of the world.
   5.  To act as a common platform for harmonizing the activities of various nations for the attainment of the objectives of the UN.
   6. To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which has twice brought suffering to humans.
4. Name three major organs of this organization.
   Ans.
   Organs of the UN:
   1. The General Assembly
   2. The Security Council
   3. The Economic and Social Council

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