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International Law: United Nations

Introduction to international legal research and resources.

United Nations

United Nations flag
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The UN was founded in 1945, and is currently composed of 193 member states. Most of the UN headquarters are based in New York City. The Secretary General is the chief executive officer of the UN, and serves a 5 year, renewable term. The General Assembly is composed of representatives of all the member states, and is the main policy making organization in the UN. The Security Council (composed of 15 members) is responsible for international peace and security, while the Economic and Social Council (composed of 54 members) is responsible for economic, social and environmental supervision.

The International Court of Justice meets in the Hague, Netherlands where it settles legal disputes submitted by States. The ICJ also gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by UN organs or specialized agencies.

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