The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
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Report from IFMSA-CIOMS World Health Organization Internship Program 2018
The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Imprint Executive Board 2018-2019 President Batool Wahdani (Jordan) Vice-President for Activities Nebojsa Nikolic (Serbia) Vice-President for Members Fabrizzio Canaval (Peru) Vice-President for Finance Ahmed Taha (Egypt) Vice-President for External Affairs Marián Sedlák (Slovakia)
IFMSA The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations
(IFMSA)
is
a
of medical students worldwide. IFMSA was founded in 1951 and currently maintains 133 National Member Organizations from 123 countries across six continents, representing a network of 1.3 million medical students. IFMSA envisions a world in which medical students unite for global health and are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to take on health leadership roles locally and globally, so to shape a sustainable and healthy future.
Vice-President for PR & Communication
IFMSA
José Chen Xu (Portugal) Layout Design Simo Gaabouri
non-
governmental organization representing associations
Vice-President for Capacity Building
Georg Schwarzl (Austria)
non-profit,
is
recognized
as
a
nongovernmental
organization within the United Nations’ system and the World Health Organization; and works in collaboration with the World Medical Association.
Publisher
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) International Secretariat: c/o IMCC, Norre Allé 14, 2200 Kobenhavn N., Denmark
Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org
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This is an IFMSA Publication © 2019 - Only portions of this publication may be reproduced for non political and non profit purposes, provided mentioning the source. Disclaimer This publication contains the collective views of different contributors, the opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of IFMSA. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the IFMSA in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
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Table of Contents
The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Click on the blue boxes to go to your desired section.
Foreword Page 4
Birth of the United Nations: when, where and why Page 5
The UN and its main organs today Page 6
Leadership Page 8
Member States Page 9
UN Programmes and Funds Page 9
UN Agencies Page 10
www.ifmsa.org
Other UN entities and bodies
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Page 11
Key Documents Page 11
The United Nations and You Page 12
More Learning Opportunities Page 13
The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Foreword Dear readers, In front of you lays a small summary of one of the biggest organizations in the world: the United Nations. As a global organization it brings together member states to confront common challenges and maintain international peace and security. During more than 60 years of IFMSA existence, we have managed to connect with various components of the United Nations system. We send delegations to meetings, have internship programs in several UN agencies and closely work on the meaningful participation of youth. However, we realized that there was a lack of resources for those members just setting their first steps into the world of the United Nations and Global Health Governance. We wanted to change that and provide you with a narrative to start your adventure in the world of the UN. It is our hope that this short document will provide you with an insightful context, a basic introduction, tools to develop your own skills and will inspire you to ignite discussions and activities in your own countries and communities on global health governance. The document is divided in several short section to introduce you to the basics on that area. At the end of each section you can find a link to the source of that section to use for further reading and exploring of the topic.
Kim van Daalen & Alicia Maldonado United Nations Task Force 2018/2019 “Every day we are reminded of the need for a strengthened United Nations, as we face a growing array of new challenges, including humanitarian crises, human rights violations, armed conflicts and important health and environmental concerns. Seldom has the United Nations been called upon to do so much for so many. I am determined to breathe new life and inject renewed confidence into a strengthened United Nations firmly anchored in the twenty-first century, and which is effective, efficient, coherent and accountable.� Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Birth of the United Nations: when, where and why The United Nations (UN) was founded on October 24, 1945 to safeguard democracy, freedom and peace in the aftermath of the World War Two. It was a mean of better arbitrating international conflict than provided by its predecessor: the League of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation formed as result of the Paris Peace Conference after the First World War. The principles of the UN were first formulated at the San Francisco Conference in April 1945, presided by President Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and attended by representatives of 50 nations. A structure was laid for a new international organization in the UN’s founding Charter that has as goal to: “ Save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,…to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,…to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.” Other important objectives described in the Charter were respecting the principles of equal rights and self-determination of all peoples and international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems around the world. Read more about the history of the United Nations here.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
The UN and its main organs today The UN System is a complex structure of many different bodies. Within this system there are six principal organs: the Secretariat, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, and the Trusteeship Council. Each of them will be discussed shortly in the following section.
The General Assembly is the UN main deliberative body. It has the right to hold discussions and compose recommendation on matters such as peace, security, political cooperation, international law, human rights, international collaboration on economic, social, cultural, education and health issues. The recommendations on behalf of the General Assembly carry the weight of the world’s opinion, but the governments have the freedom whether to implement their recommendations or not, without a legal consequence. All member states are part of the General Assembly. The Security Council has as primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security. The decisions taken by the Security Council are mandatory for the member states. When a situation that poses a threat to international peace arises, the Security Council demands the parties to reach a settlement by peaceful means. If this isn’t enough, they can ask the Secretary-General to investigate the situation. Economic sanctions can be imposed when a party is reluctant to the decisions of the Council.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations The Security Council is composed of fifteen members, five of them are permanent: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Northern Islands. Ten more members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. When voting on a decision, all five permanent members must have an affirmative vote. If one of those five votes against, the decision is rejected. There is no formal mechanism for NGO participation in the Council, but NGOs can meet informally with the Member States that are part of the Council. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the principal organ to coordinate the economic and social work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies and bodies, which are referred as the UN System. Their main activities are to conduct studies, formulate policy recommendations and conduct meetings. They are expected to promote high standards of living, full employment and economic and social progress. Although participation in ECOSOC meetings is open to all Member States, voting can only be done by 54 Members States that were elected by the General Assembly to serve three-year term in ECOSOC. The ECOSOC also has the responsibility of granting consultative status to NGOs. It is the only UN body that allows NGOs to observe and contribute to their work. When a NGO has a consultative status, it has the right to access to the ECOSOC meetings and commissions and the responsibility to fill a report every four years on its contributions to the UN work. IFMSA is a NGO with a special consultative status with ECOSOC. The Trusteeship Council is one of the main organs of the UN whose function is to supervise the administration of Trust Territories and to ensure that Governments responsible for their administration took adequate steps to prepare them for the achievement of the Charter goals. The Trusteeship Council has not been functional since 1994, after the independence of Palau, since that was the last remaining UN Trust Territory to gain independence. The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ of the UN. The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by Member States and to give advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it by the United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The Court decides on disputes between countries, based on the voluntary participation of the Member States concerned. The Secretariat is one of the main organs of the UN, and is organized along departamental lines, in which the departments and offices are in charge of different responsibilities. It administers and coordinates the activities done by the United Nations. At the head of the Secretariat is the Secretary General. Read more about the main organs of the United Nations here.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Leadership
The Secretary General of the United Nations is the head of the UN secretariat andserves as the chief administrative officer of the UN and as a spokesperson for the interests of the world’s people. Mr. Antonio Guterres is the current UN Secretary General, preceded by Ban Ki-moon (Korea), Kofi Annan (Ghana), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt) and others. President Franklin Roosevelt vaguely envisioned the Secretary-general as the “world moderator”. The exact definition of the Secretary-General role provided by article 97 of the UN Charter leaves much room for interpretation. As a result interpretation of the Charter has varied between Secretaries-General with some more active than others. The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly after the recommendation made by the Security Council. Usually they are appointed for five-year terms. Read more about the function of Secretary General and the Secretariat here.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Member States Member States are the countries that are official members of the United Nations. In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, membership “is open to all peace-loving States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and, in the judgement of the Organization, are able to carry out these obligations”. They are accepted by the General Assembly upon the recommendations of the Security Council. At the moment there are 193 sovereign Member States of the UN. In addition to Member States, the UN also invited Non-member States to become observers at the UN General Assembly. These are at the moment the Holy See and Palestine. You can find an overview of all UN member states here.
UN Programs and Funds The UN Programs and Funds all have their own budget, leadership and membership. ● The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) - helps eradicate poverty, build resilience and reduce inequalities in 170 countries and territories. It has an active role on helping countries to achieve the SDGs. ● The UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) - advocates for a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. ● The UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) - has the mission to promote socially and environmentally human settlements development. ● The WFP (World Food Programme) - has the mission to eradicate hunger worldwide. Each year it feeds 80 million people in around 75 countries. ● The UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) - focuses on environmental issues and advocates for the wise use of resources and sustainable development of the global environment. ● The UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) - works in around 190 countries to advocate for children’s rights and help them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
UN Specialized Agencies Within the UN, there are autonomously governed specialized agencies that maintain separate budgets, funding and structures of governance. They were brought to work with the UN through negotiated agreements. ● The ILO (International Labour Organization) - promotes international labor rights by formulating international standards. ● The WHO (World Health Organization) - is the coordinating authority on international health within the UN system with as objective to reach the highest possible health for all people. ● The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) focusses on the improvement of protecting important historical and cultural sides around the world. ● The UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) - promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and inclusive globalization. ● The World Bank and the IMF(International Monetary Fund) - fosters economic growth by providing temporary financial assistance to countries. ● The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) - leads international efforts to fight hunger. It is both a forum for negotiating agreements between developing and developed countries and a source of technical knowledge and information to aid development. ● The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) - develops standards for global air transport. ● The IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) - focuses exclusively on rural poverty reduction, working in eliminating poverty, hunger and malnutrition; raising their productivity and incomes; and improving the quality of their lives. ● The IMO (International Maritime Organization) - has created a comprehensive shipping regulatory framework, addressing safety and environmental concerns, legal matters, technical cooperation, security, and efficiency. ● The ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. Its advocates for protecting and supporting everyone’s fundamental right to communicate ● The UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) - promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. ● The UPU (Universal Postal Union) is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. ● The WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) - protects intellectual property throughout the world. ● The WMO (World Meteorological Organization) - facilitates the free international exchange of meteorological data and information for its use in aviation, shipping, security, and agriculture.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Other UN Entities and bodies ● UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) - has the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. It works closely with 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank and national and global partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. ● UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) - protects refugees worldwide and facilitates their return home or resettlement. ● UN Women (United Nations Women) - works on gender equality and women’s empowerment. ● IOM (International Organization for Migration) - works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need. ● The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) contributes to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees. It’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. ● UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) was established in 1992 when countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It supports the global response to the threat of climate change. Read more about the UN agencies, programmes, funds and other entities here.
Key Documents There is an official system through which you can access all UN documentations called the Official Document System (ODS). You can find quick links to the main documents here. A few of the key documents are described below: The UN Charter of 1945 is the foundational treaty of the UN. This document outlines the principles of the UN and its commitments to uphold human rights of all citizens. As a charter, it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard outlining the fundamental human rights universally protected. It has now been translated into over 500 languages.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” - Article 1 The Convention on the Rights of the Child was the first instrument incorporating a complete range of international human rights specifying the specific right of children and young people in its 54 articles. It also explains how governments must work together to ensure all children are able to enjoy their rights. All UN members except for the US have ratified the convention. The Statue of the International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN with the idea to create an international court to arbitrate international disputes. It was established in 1945 by the San Francisco Conference which also created the UN. A similar body was its precursor in the League of Nations: the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ).
The UN and You After reading through this document you might be wondering how you can get involved with the United Nations. As part of the IFMSA you are already indirect involved in the UN system. IFMSA is in proud to have special consultative status with the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council. As a result we are involved in several UN processes and work closely with several of the UN institutions, such as the WHO, UNESCO, UNRWA and UNAIDS. The IFMSA gives you the opportunity to become part of the delegations sent to UN meetings and take part of 3-5 day workshops on Global Governance. Other ways of getting involved with the UN are outlined below: ● ● ● ● ●
UN online volunteering program UN interships Working for the UN Becoming an UN volunteer abroad Becoming an UN volunteer in your country
The United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth is the United Nations General Assembly-mandated space for children and youth to contribute to and engage in the United Nation. They act as a bridge between young people and the UN system in order to ensure that their right to meaningful participation is realized. The International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO) is an international network for the world’s largest youth movements and regional youth platforms. It was founded officially in 2004, and further strengthened in 2013. ICMYO is also one of the avenues for young people to get involved with certain UN processes and opportunities.
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The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations
Learn more about the UN This document only provides a brief introduction to the UN and its systems. Throughout the document links are provided to guide you to places where you can learn more about a specific topic. If you want to learn more we recommend you to look into the following things: Online courses There are a variety of online courses provided by Edx, Coursera and individual UN agencies. ● ● ● ● ● ●
UNITAR courses Global Diplomacy: the United Nations in the World Sustainable Development Goals: moving towards sustainable work UN CC: e-Learn resources FAO e-learining courses OpenWHO online courses
Books and readings ● The UN digital library ● United Nations Handbook ● Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the UN: A guide by the UN NGLS ● The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations (Oxford Handbooks) ● Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda ● The Future of the United Nations: Potential for the Twenty-first Century ● Towards a United Nations Renaissance: Re-Thinking Values, Structures & Processes ● The United Nations: A Beginner’s Guide (Beginner’s Guides) ● The Peacekeepers Youtube channels ● United Nations ● United Nations Climate Change:learn ● Uinted Nations News ● United Nations Univeristy ● World Health Organization
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IFMSA
The IFMSA Guidelines on the United Nations International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations
Dominican Republic (ODEM)
Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA)
Senegal (FNESS)
Ecuador (AEMPPI)
Lithuania (LiMSA)
Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia)
Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt)
Luxembourg (ALEM)
Sierra Leone (SLEMSA)
Malawi (UMMSA)
Singapore (SiMSA)
Aruba (IFMSA-Aruba)
El Salvador (IFMSA-El Salvador)
Malaysia (SMMAMS)
Slovakia (SloMSA)
Australia (AMSA)
Estonia (EstMSA)
Mali (APS)
Slovenia (SloMSIC)
Austria (AMSA)
Ethiopia (EMSA)
Malta (MMSA)
South Africa (SAMSA)
Azerbaijan (AzerMDS)
Finland (FiMSIC)
Mexico (AMMEF-Mexico)
Spain (IFMSA-Spain)
Bangladesh (BMSS)
France (ANEMF)
Montenegro (MoMSIC)
Sudan (MedSIN)
Belgium (BeMSA)
Georgia (GMSA)
Bolivia (IFMSA-Bolivia)
Morocco (IFMSAMorocco)
Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden)
Germany (bvmd)
Bosnia & Herzegovina (BoHeMSA)
Ghana (FGMSA)
Nepal (NMSS)
Greece (HelMSIC)
The Netherlands
Syrian Arab Republic (SMSA)
Grenada (IFMSAGrenada)
(IFMSA NL)
Taiwan - China (FMS)
Nigeria (NiMSA)
Tajikistan (TJMSA)
Norway (NMSA)
Thailand (IFMSAThailand)
Algeria (Le Souk) Argentina (IFMSAArgentina) Armenia (AMSP)
Bosnia & Herzegovina – Republic of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM)
Guatemala (IFMSAGuatemala)
Brazil (IFMSA-Brazil)
Guinea (AEM)
Bulgaria (AMSB)
Guyana (GuMSA)
Oman (MedSCo)
Switzerland (swimsa)
Pakistan (IFMSAPakistan)
Tanzania (TaMSA)
Panama (IFMSAPanama)
Trinidad and Tobago (TTMSA) Tunisia (Associa-Med) Turkey – Northern Cyprus (MSANC)
Togo (AEMP)
Burkina Faso (AEM)
Haiti (AHEM)
Burundi (ABEM) Cameroon (CAMSA)
Honduras (IFMSAHonduras)
Canada (CFMS)
Hungary (HuMSIRC)
Paraguay (IFMSAParaguay)
Canada – Québec (IFMSA-Québec)
Iceland (IMSA)
Peru (IFMSA-Peru)
India (MSAI)
Peru (APEMH)
Catalonia - Spain (AECS)
Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IMSA)
Philippines (AMSAPhilippines)
Uganda (FUMSA)
Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China)
Iraq (IFMSA-Iraq)
Poland (IFMSA-Poland)
China – Hong Kong (AMSAHK)
Iraq – Kurdistan (IFMSAKurdistan)
Portugal (ANEM)
United Arab Emirates (EMSS)
Colombia (ASCEMCOL)
Ireland (AMSI)
Costa Rica (ACEM)
Israel (FIMS)
Republic of Moldova (ASRM)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (SfGH)
Croatia (CroMSIC)
Italy (SISM)
Cyprus (CyMSA)
Jamaica (JAMSA)
Republic of North Macedonia (MMSA)
United States of America (AMSA-USA)
Czech Republic (IFMSACZ)
Japan (IFMSA-Japan)
Romania (FASMR)
Jordan (IFMSA-Jo)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (MSA-DRC)
Kazakhstan (KazMSA)
Russian Federation (HCCM)
Uruguay (IFMSAUruguay)
Denmark (IMCC)
Korea (KMSA)
Dominica (IFMSA Commonwealth of Dominica)
Kosovo - Serbia (KOMS)
Kenya (MSAKE)
Kuwait (KuMSA) Latvia (LaMSA)
Qatar (QMSA)
Turkey (TurkMSIC)
Ukraine (UMSA)
Uzbekistan (Phenomenon)
Russian Federation – Republic of Tatarstan (TaMSA)
Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)
Rwanda (MEDSAR)
Zambia (ZaMSA)
Saint Lucia (IFMSA-Saint Lucia)
Zimbabwe (ZIMSA)
www.ifmsa.org
Yemen (NAMS)
medical students worldwide
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