The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining world peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting international cooperation. The UN, along with its specialized agencies, is engaged in a wide variety of activities to improve people’s lives around the globe, from conflict resolution and peacekeeping to education, disaster relief and the peaceful uses of atomic energy.
The General Assembly is the main deliberative body of the United Nations, and every country is represented in it. It is empowered to make recommendations, but not to enforce them — that authority rests with the Security Council. Most decisions in the Assembly are made by simple majority vote; however, important questions affecting peace and security (and also budgetary concerns and the election, admission, suspension or expulsion of members) require a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
In addition to its legislative function, the Assembly elects the Secretary-General, a position that has a five-year term and is filled on the basis of recommendations by the Security Council. It also establishes subsidiary organs and adopts its rules of procedure.
The Organization has undergone numerous changes in the course of its history, reflecting shifts in the balance of power and in global geopolitics. These changes have affected the nature of issues that confront the Assembly, and the way in which they are debated. For example, extensive post-World War II decolonization enlarged the membership of the Assembly and altered the nature of its decisions; and the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union greatly intensified the importance and impact of the Security Council’s decision-making functions.