ABSTRACT
The structure of the UN is fairly straightforward. The Charter established seven principal elements: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretary-General, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and the Specialized Agencies. Expectations in 1945 were high among the 51 founders that organizing the enterprise in this way would meet the expressed purposes of the UN. A representative Assembly was to investigate, debate and recommend. A Security Council would be an extra powerhouse for preventive diplomacy using the maximum of persuasion and the minimum of force. The separate functions of the two bodies would be administered by a Secretariat. Economic and social development work would be the sphere of activity of Specialized Agencies co-ordinated by an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Lastly, a judicial organ would be established to advise and adjudicate.
