United Nations

ICSE Class 10 · History & Civics · Chapter 19

What this chapter covers

Why the world needed a new organisation
The formation of the United Nations
The Charter of the United Nations
The objectives of the United Nations
Objective 1: maintaining international peace and security
Objective 2: developing friendly relations among nations
Objective 3: international cooperation on economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems
Objective 4: promoting respect for human rights
Objective 5: a centre for harmonising the actions of nations
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: meaning

Key definitions

The United Nations is an international organisation of sovereign states, founded on 24 October 1945, whose main aims are to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations and to promote cooperation in solving the world's economic, social and humanitarian problems.

Ratification is the formal approval of a treaty by a country's government, after which the country is legally bound by it.

The Charter of the United Nations is the founding treaty of the organisation, which sets out its objectives, its principles, the rights and duties of its members, and the powers of its organs.

International peace is a condition in which countries settle their disagreements without the use of armed force against one another.

Collective security is an arrangement under which the members of an organisation agree that an attack on any one of them will be treated as a concern of all, and that they will act together against the aggressor.

Aggression is the use of armed force by one state against the territory, sovereignty or independence of another state.

Peacekeeping is the placing of soldiers, police and civilian staff from many member states, under the United Nations flag and with the consent of the parties concerned, in an area of conflict in order to supervise a ceasefire and help restore normal life.

Disarmament is the reduction or elimination of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Equal rights of nations means that every member state, large or small, rich or poor, has the same legal standing in the United Nations.

Self-determination is the right of a people to decide its own political future, including the right to be free of foreign rule and to choose its own form of government.

Apartheid was a policy of the white minority government of South Africa, from 1948 to the early 1990s, under which people were separated and treated unequally according to their race.

Humanitarian assistance is the help given to people whose lives are endangered by war, natural disaster, famine or epidemic, in the form of food, shelter, medicine and protection.

Key points

The United Nations is an international organisation of sovereign states, founded on 24 October 1945, with its headquarters in New York and 193 members today.
It was created to prevent another world war and to replace the League of Nations, which had failed to stop aggression in the 1930s.
The stages of its formation were the Atlantic Charter (1941), the Declaration by United Nations (1942), the Moscow and Tehran meetings (1943), Dumbarton Oaks (1944), Yalta (February 1945) and the San Francisco Conference (April to June 1945).
The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by 50 nations; with Poland there were 51 original members, India among them.
The Charter is the founding treaty of the United Nations; its Preamble begins "We the peoples of the United Nations".
The six principal organs are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.
Objective 1: to maintain international peace and security through peaceful settlement of disputes, collective measures and the suppression of aggression; peacekeeping and disarmament serve this aim.
Objective 2: to develop friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and the self-determination of peoples.
Objective 3: to achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
Objective 4: to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
Objective 5: to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations towards these common ends.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly on 10 December 1948, sets out the basic rights and freedoms of every human being; 10 December is Human Rights Day.

Questions answered

When and where was the Charter of the United Nations signed?

It was signed at San Francisco, in the United States, on 26 June 1945, at the end of a conference of fifty nations.

On which date did the United Nations come into existence, and how is that date observed today?

The United Nations came into existence on 24 October 1945, when its Charter came into force. The day is celebrated every year as United Nations Day.

Where is the headquarters of the United Nations, and how many members does it have today?

Its headquarters is in New York. It has 193 member states.

In which document was the name "United Nations" first officially used, and who suggested the name?

It was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942. The name was suggested by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States.

Name the conference at which proposals for the structure of the United Nations were first drawn up.

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, held in Washington from August to October 1944.

State any four objectives of the United Nations.

(1) To maintain international peace and security. (2) To develop friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and self-determination of peoples. (3) To achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems. (4) To promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. A fifth objective is to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.

What is meant by collective security?

Collective security is an arrangement under which members of an organisation treat an attack on any one of them as a concern of all and act together against the aggressor.

Why are United Nations peacekeepers called "blue helmets"? Name one achievement of India in peacekeeping.

They wear light blue helmets or caps that identify them as United Nations forces. In 2007 India sent the first all-women formed police unit in United Nations peacekeeping, to Liberia.

Past board exam questions

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 1 mark

Which of the following organisations is connected to the given picture? (The picture shows an old, damaged historical building, partly in ruins, with the caption: THE IMPORTANCE OF “RESTORING HISTORICAL MONUMENTS”.)

UNESCO
UNICEF
WHO
UNDP

Show answer

UNESCO

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 1 mark

Which of the following countries will NOT be part of this cartoon? (The cartoon shows five leaders seated around a round council table, each holding up a placard reading 'VETO'. The name plates on the table read: UNITED STATES, CHINA, USSR, UNITED KINGDOM and FRANCE.)

China
Japan
Russia
Britain

Show answer

Japan

ICSE 2026 board paper · 1 mark

Which organ of the United Nations Organisation gives this special power to its permanent members? Cartoon: a delegate in a tall striped 'Uncle Sam' top hat, seated at a desk with a name plate reading UNITED STATES, says "I VETO" as he flings away a sheet of paper.

The General Assembly
The International Court of Justice
The Security Council
The Trusteeship Council

Show answer

The Security Council

ICSE 2026 board paper · 1 mark

The International Court of Justice has _________ judges.

Show answer

ICSE 2026 board paper · 2 marks

UNESCO provides protection for great cultural institutions. Mention any two ways in which it works towards the preservation of cultural heritage.

Show answer

1. It identifies and declares monuments and sites of outstanding value as World Heritage Sites and helps protect them. 2. It provides funds and experts to restore and preserve monuments, museums and libraries (e.g., the Abu Simbel temples in Egypt, Mohenjo-daro). (Also: it promotes international co-operation and conventions for protecting cultural property.)

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 4 marks

The United Nations Organisation aims to maintain international peace. With reference to its organs and agencies, answer the following: Kolkata’s famous Durga Puja received the intangible heritage tag. Which agency of the United Nations is authorised to give this tag? Mention any three other contributions of that agency in the preservation of culture.

Show answer

1. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). 2. Any three contributions: - It prepares the World Heritage List and identifies monuments and sites to be protected. - It provides funds, technical advice and assistance to preserve monuments and works of art. - It protects rare manuscripts and old documents. - It encourages artistic creation in literature and the fine arts, and cultural development through films and exchanges.

ICSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks

The United Nations Organisation and the Non-Aligned Movement emerged after the Second World War. With reference to these, answer the following questions: Mention any three objectives of the United Nations Organisation.

Show answer

1. To maintain international peace and security. 2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and self-determination of peoples. 3. To achieve international co-operation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. (Also: to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.)

ICSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks

The United Nations Organisation and the Non-Aligned Movement emerged after the Second World War. With reference to these, answer the following questions: The General Assembly is the deliberative organ of the United Nations. Mention any three functions of the General Assembly to analyse this statement.

Show answer

1. It discusses any question within the scope of the Charter, including international peace and security, and makes recommendations to members and the Security Council. 2. It considers and approves the budget of the UN and fixes the contributions of members. 3. It elects the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the members of ECOSOC, and with the Security Council elects the judges of the International Court of Justice and appoints the Secretary-General. (Also: admits new members on the recommendation of the Security Council.)