Page 173 - Law of Peace, Volume ,

3. The General Assembly bers. 14 Further important functions are the control of the
4. The Trusteeship Council purse strings of the United Nations, 1s and the election of
5. The Economic and Social Council members to positions on the other organs of the United
6. The International Court of Justice Nations. 16
a. The Secretariat. The Secretariat is composed of a d. The Tmsteeship Council. Following the end of
Secretary General and such staff as is required for him to World War I, former German and Turkish colonies were
perform his functions. 3 He is appointed by the General turned into mandated territories under the general super-
Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security vision of the League of Nations and under the direct ad-
Council. 4 His term of office is not set out in the Charter, ministration of several of the victorious powers. These
but is usually specified at the time of his appointment. To territories were classified as A, B, and C mandates de-
date the Secretary Generals have been serving for five- pending on their degree of advancement toward self-
year periods, which may be renewed. He is the chief ad- government. By the time the United Nations was created
ministrative officer of the United Nations. 5 He also per- the A and most of the B mandated territories had
forms such other functions as are entrusted to him by the achieved their independence. The mandatory powers
Security Council, General Assembly, Trusteeship Coun- which administered the remainder were invited to turn
cil, and the Economic and Social Council. 6 The office has them into trust territories under the supervision of the
increased in importance since 1945, principally through U.N. All have done so with the exception of the Union of
the use of the Secretary General by the Security Council South Africa in regard to Southwest Africa. The former
and General Assembly in its interventions in the Middle German island possessions in the Pacific which Japan ad-
East and in the Congo. ministered for the League after World War I were
b. The Security Council. The Security Council is com- transferred to the administration of the United States.
posed of fifeen members, five of whom are permanent These islands are now held as a "strategic trust." 17 Such
members. 7 The remaining ten are elected by a two-thirds a trust differs from other trust territories in that it is super-
vised by the Security Council rather than by the General
vote of the General Assembly for a term of two years. 8
The five permanent members are the U.S. A., U.S.S.R., Assembly and the Trusteeship Council. 18
The People's Republic of China, France, and the United The Trusteeship Council is the organ of the U.N. which
Kingdom. The Security Council has the primary respon- supervises the administration of the trust territories. The
sibility for the maintenance of international peace. 9 Each council is composed of three different groups, (1) those
of the five permanent members has a "veto power" over members of the U.N. who administer territories, (2)
the actions of the Security Council because of the voting those five members who have permanent seats on the
procedure. No action can be taken which is not procedural Security Council, and (3) as many other members of the
unless it is concurred in by seven members, five of whom U.N. as are necessary to make the membership of the
must be permanent members. 10 council evenly divided between those members who ad-
c. The General Assembly. The General Assembly con- minister trust territories and those who do not. 19 This
sists of all the members of the United Nations. 11 Each has third group is elected for a three-year term by a two-thirds
one vote. 12 It disc- almost all world problems that are vote of the General Assembly. 20
called to its attention. In itself it does not have the power The chief function of the Council is to see that the ad-
of action. Most of its resolutions are recommendations. ministering power looks after the welfare of the people of
Besides acting as a world forum, it also supervises the ac- the trust territory in accordance with the trusteeship agree-
tivity of the Economic and Social Council and the Trustee- ment under which the administering power exercises its
ship Council. 13 Together with the Security Council, it is authority. 21 The importance of the Trusteeship Council
responsible for the admission and the suspension of mem-
14. U.N. Charter Art. 5.
3. U.N. Charter Art. 97. 15. U.N. Charter Art. 17.
4. Id. 16. U.N. Charter Art. 23, para. 1 on the election of the nonperma-
5. Id nent members of the Security Council; art. 97 concerning the election,
6. U.N. Charter Art. 98. in conjunction with the Security Council, of the Secretary General;
7. U.N. Charter Art. 23, para. 1. (1973 Text). STAT.INT'LJUST.art. 4 on the election of the judges of the I.C.J., in
8. U.N. Charter Art. 23, para. 2. conjunction with the Security Council; art. 61 (1) concerning member-
9. U.N. Charter Art. 24, para. 1.
ship in the Economic and Social Council; and art. 86(l)(c) on the elec-
lo. U.N. Charter Art.27, paras. 2 and 3.
tion of the nonpermanent members to the Trusteeship Council.
11. U.N. Charter Art. 9, para. 1. 17. U.N. Charter Art. 82 permits the designation of certain trust
12. U.N. Charter Art. 18, para. 1. Voting is either by a simple ma- temtories as strategic areas. The United States is the only power which
jority or a two-thirds majority of those present. The latter system is administers such a "strategic trust."
reserved for "important questions." Questions considered important 18. U.N. Charter Art. 83, para. 1.
are those listed in Article 18 para. 2, and any other questions considered 19. U.N. Charter Art. 86, para. 1.
important by a majority of those present. Art. 18, para. 3. 20. U.N. Charter Art. 86, subpara. 1 (c); art. 18, para. 2.
13. U.N. Charter Arts. 16, 60, 63, 64 and 66, para. 3. 21. U.N.Charter Arts. 75 and 76.