The United Nations is a worldwide network of governments that strives to help all people live in relative peace and security, protect human rights, and deliver humanitarian aid. Its mission is to be the center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common goals.
There are currently 193 member states of the UN. The organization’s membership has grown over the years as wars, independence movements and decolonization prompted many countries to leave their colonial pasts. New members must be recommended by the Security Council and accepted by a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly.
The Security Council and the Economic and Social Council set policies for the organization. They also oversee peacekeeping missions, which dispatch UN soldiers (known as blue helmets) to prevent conflict and provide aid to civilians. The International Court of Justice in The Hague judges disputes that are brought to it by the member states.
The UN’s Secretariat is the executive branch of the organization that implements policies set by its deliberative bodies. It is headed by the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General and the other staff members answer only to the UN and take an oath not to seek instructions from any outside government or entity. They have come under fire from critics for not doing enough to prevent the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi minority in Rwanda or the 2010 Haiti earthquake that led to a massive outbreak of cholera. They have also been accused of promoting globalization, advocating for controversial health options and being too bureaucratic.