- •Diplomatic handbook Seventh Edition
- •Longman London and New York
- •Contents
- •Chapter I
- •Introduction
- •International organisations: accreditation
- •In the absence of a full diplomatic
- •Orders of precedence
- •Precedence between heads of diplomatic
- •Individual precedence within a mission
- •Individual precedence inter se of
- •Precedence of heads of mission within the
- •Immunities
- •Inviolability and immunity of premises
- •Inviolability of records, documents,
- •Immunity from criminal jurisdiction
- •Immunity from civil and administrative
- •Inviolability of correspondence
- •Inviolability of property
- •Relating to the consular post
- •Facilities, personal privileges and immunities
- •The united nations purposes and principles
- •Purposes
- •Principles
- •The general assembly
- •The security council
- •The economic and social council
- •The trusteeship council
- •The international court of justice
- •The secretary-general and the secretariat
- •Intergovernmental agencies related
- •Food and agriculture organisation
- •International atomic energy agency
- •International civil aviation organisation
- •International fund for agricultural development
- •International labour organisation
- •International maritime organisation
- •International telecommunications union
- •The international monetary fund
- •The world bank
- •United nations development programme
- •Universal postal union
- •World health organisation
- •World intellectual property organisation
- •World meteorological organisation
- •Subsidiary organisations
- •International law commission
- •International research and training
- •Institute for the advancement of women
- •Other consultative bodies
- •United nations children’s emergency fund
- •United nations environment programme
- •United nations fund for population activities
- •United nations high commission for refugees
- •International
- •Arab league/the league of arab states
- •Asia-pacific economic cooperation
- •Bank for international settlements
- •Black sea economic cooperation
- •Caribbean regional organisations the association of caribbean states
- •Central american common market
- •Central european initiative
- •Common market for eastern and southern africa
- •The commonwealth
- •Council of europe
- •Economic cooperation organisation
- •European free trade association/ european economic area
- •Indian ocean association for regional cooperation
- •Islamic conference organisation
- •Maghreb arab union
- •North american free trade agreement
- •North atlantic treaty organisation
- •Organisation of african unity
- •Organisation of american states
- •South pacific regional organisations
- •Visegrád group
- •Western european union
- •World trade organisation
- •Chapter 9
- •International law and
- •Definition and general principles
- •Treaties and treaty-making general principles
- •Types of treaties
- •The process of treaty-making
- •The form and content of treaties
- •The validity of treaties
- •The termination of treaties
- •Diplomatic asylum
- •Voting quorums and majority requirements
- •All male/female seating plan: host/hostess and seven guests
- •Invitations
- •Introducing people
- •Visiting cards
- •International
- •Islamic festivals
- •1. The ozone layer
- •2. Global warming and the
- •3. Biodiversity
- •4. The preservation of forests
World meteorological organisation
The WMO seeks to maintain and improve international cooperation and coordination in the field of meteorological services, in particular the exchange and standardisation of weather data and the establishment of a worldwide network of meteorological stations. It encourages research and training in meteorology, and furthers the study of the application of meteorology to shipping, water usage, agriculture, and other human activities. It has its headquarters and Secretariat in Geneva and is controlled by the World Meteorological Congress composed of the heads of the meteorological services of member states meeting every four years and an Executive Committee of twenty-nine meeting annually.
Subsidiary organisations
As the United Nations has developed, the General Assembly has found it necessary to establish several new organisations in order to fulfil its obligations satisfactorily. All vary considerably in scope and constitution, but all depend ultimately on the General Assembly.
HUMAN RIGHTS
International intervention in support of human rights has existed for a very long time and in a wide variety of forms. It received a major impetus with the adoption of the Covenant of the League of Nations and the subsequent establishment of the International Labour Organisation in 1919, but human rights in the widest sense became a definitive factor in international relations with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly on 10 December 1948. The Assembly called upon all member countries to publicise the text and 'to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories'.
On the basis of the Declaration, two international instruments have been drawn up:
the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which came into effect on 3 January 1976 and which has been ratified or acceded to by eight-four states; and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol which came into force on 23 March 1976. Eighty-one states have ratified or acceded to the Covenant, and thirty-four have ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol.
It is the responsibility of the Economic and Social Council, in terms of article 62 of the Charter, to 'make recommendations for the purpose of promoting respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all', and such matters are normally dealt with by the Council’s Second (Social) Committee. The Council has also established the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on the Status of Women.
The Commission on Human Rights meets annually for a period of approximately six weeks and may concern itself with any matter relating to human rights. It is composed of representatives of forty-three member states, and its subsidiary bodies include the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, and various working parties.
The Commission on the Status of Women is composed of representatives of thirty-two member states of the United Nations and meets twice a year for periods of three weeks. Its main task is to prepare draft resolutions and decisions for consideration by the Economic and Social Council, and on 18 December 1979 the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which entered into force on 3 September 1981. This establishes, inter alia, a twenty-three-member Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women which reports annually to the General Assembly.
The Human Rights Committee was established in 1977 under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in order to monitor the progress of member states in the implementation of human rights. It consists of eighteen members of high moral character and recognised competence in the field of human rights, elected by states which are party to the Convention from among their nationals and who act in a personal capacity for a four-year term. The Committee may receive complaints from states and also, in respect of those states signatories of the Optional Protocol, from individuals. It normally holds three sessions annually, and reports to the General Assembly.
The task of enforcing human rights under the direction of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is constantly to the forefront of United Nations activities, and in addition to the formal framework established under the Charter, the General Assembly and its specialised agencies have from time to time agreed Declarations and resolutions on pressing issues such as Apartheid and all forms of racial discrimination, Victims of Torture and Migrant Workers, as well as on situations arising in specific countries.