Section 7p. 7

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

Article 13

1.

The General Assembly shall initiate studies and

make recommendations for the purpose of:

1.

promoting international co-operation in

the political field and encouraging the

progressive development of international

law and its codification;

2.

promoting international co-operation in

the economic, social, cultural,

educational, and health fields, and

assisting in the realization of human

rights and fundamental freedoms for all

without distinction as to race, sex,

language, or religion.

2.

The further responsibilities, functions and powers

of the General Assembly with respect to matters

mentioned in paragraph 1 (b) above are set forth

in Chapters IX and X.

Article 14

Subject

to

the

provisions

of Article 12, the General

Assembly may recommend measures for the peaceful

adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it

deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly

relations among nations, including situations resulting

from a violation of the provisions of the present Charter

setting forth the Purposes and Principles of the United

Nations.

Article 15

1.

The General Assembly shall receive and consider

annual and special reports from the Security

Council; these reports shall include an account of

the

measures

that

the

Security

Council

has

decided upon or taken to maintain international

peace and security.

2.

The General Assembly shall receive and consider

reports from the other organs of the United

Nations.

Article 16

The General Assembly shall perform such functions with

respect to the international trusteeship system as are

assigned to it under Chapters XII and XIII, including the

approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas not

designated as strategic.

Article 17

1.

The General Assembly shall consider and approve

the budget of the Organization.

2.

The expenses of the Organization shall be borne

by the Members as apportioned by the General

Assembly.

3.

The General Assembly shall consider and approve

any financial and budgetary arrangements with

specialized agencies referred to in Article 57 and

shall examine the administrative budgets of such

specialized

agencies

with

a

view

to making

recommendations to the agencies concerned.

VOTING

Article 18

1.

Each member of the General Assembly shall have

one vote.

2.

Decisions of the General Assembly on important

questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority

of

the

members

present

and

voting.

These

questions shall include: recommendations with

respect

to

the

maintenance

of

international

peace

and

security,

the

election

of

the

non-permanent members of the Security Council,

the election of the members of the Economic and

Social Council, the election of members of the

Trusteeship

Council

in

accordance

with

paragraph 1 (c) of Article 86, the admission of new

Members to the United Nations, the suspension

of the rights and privileges of membership, the

expulsion of Members, questions relating to the

operation

of

the

trusteeship

system,

and

budgetary questions.

3.

Decisions

on

other

questions,

including

the

determination

of

additional

categories

of

questions to be decided by a two-thirds majority,

shall be made by a majority of the members

present and voting.

Article 19

A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the

payment of its financial contributions to the Organization

shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount

of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the

contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.

The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a

Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is

due to conditions beyond the control of the Member.

PROCEDURE

Article 20

The General Assembly shall meet in regular annual

sessions and in such special sessions as occasion may

require.

Special

sessions

shall

be

convoked

by

the

Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council

or of a majority of the Members of the United Nations.

Article 21

The

General

Assembly

shall adopt its own rules of

procedure. It shall elect its President for each session.

Article 22

The General Assembly may establish such subsidiary

organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its

functions.

CHAPTER V: THE SECURITY COUNCIL

COMPOSITION

Article 23

1.

The

Security

Council

shall

consist

of

fifteen

Members of the United Nations. The Republic of

China,

France,

the

Union

of

Soviet

Socialist

Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain

and Northern Ireland, and the United States of

America shall be permanent members of the

Security Council. The General Assembly shall elect

ten other Members of the United Nations to be

non-permanent members of the Security Council,

due

regard being specially paid, in the first

instance to the contribution of Members of the

United

Nations

to

the

maintenance

of

international peace and security and to the other

purposes

of

the

Organization,

and

also

to

equitable geographical distribution.

2.

The non-permanent members of the Security

Council shall be elected for a term of two years. In

the first election of the non-permanent members

after the increase of the membership of the

Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the

four additional members shall be chosen for a

term of one year. A retiring member shall not be

eligible for immediate re-election.

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