Basic Facts about the United Nations

The official, fully updated reference on how the UNITED NATIONS makes a difference.
Fully updated and expanded to include the global COVID-19 crisis, this invaluable reference tool explains the how the United Nations works, the main issues the UN address and its importance for people everywhere. Required reading for diplomats, researchers and students, and the general public interested in global issues and multilateralism. Published since 1947, Basic Facts about the United Nations serves as a guide to the world’s leading international organization and its system of related agencies. This handbook explains how the United Nations works, the main issues it addresses and its importance for people everywhere. It presents a comprehensive overview of UN action in support of international peace and security, economic and social development, human rights, humanitarian action, and international law. Basic Facts also provides current information on UN membership and structure, and places peacekeeping operations in their historical context. This forty-third edition takes into account recent significant developments within the Organization and in the world at large, illustrating the challenges facing the international community and the ongoing joint efforts to find their solutions.