Basic Facts about the United Nations

This comprehensive handbook designed for the general public, sets forth the structure of the United Nations, how the Organization works, the main issues it deals with and its importance for people everywhere. Along with explaining the role played by its principal organs and the family of UN organizations, individual chapters explore UN contributions to international peace and security, economic and social development, human rights; humanitarian action, international law; and decolonization. A series of appendices documents UN membership, peacekeeping operations, budget, and contact information for UN information centers, services and offices. This new edition of the work has been substantially revised featuring significant developments worldwide and in the United Nations itself since the last edition (previously titled The UN Today) in 2008.