The history of the emergence of international organizations. In what year was the International Olympic Committee established Main lending mechanisms

Many people know that the Communist International is called the international organization that united the communist parties of different countries in 1919-1943. The same organization is called by some the Third International, or the Comintern.

This formation was founded in 1919, at the request of the RCP (b) and its leader V. I. Lenin, to spread and develop the ideas of international revolutionary socialism, which, in comparison with the reformist socialism of the Second International, was a completely opposite phenomenon. The gap between these two coalitions was due to differences in positions regarding the First World War and the October Revolution.

Congresses of the Comintern

Congresses of the Comintern were not held very often. Let's consider them in order:

• First (Constituent). Organized in 1919 (in March) in Moscow. It was attended by 52 delegates from 35 groups and parties from 21 countries.
• Second Congress. Held on July 19-August 7 in Petrograd. At this event, a number of decisions were made on the tactics and strategy of communist activities, such as models for participation in the national liberation movement of the communist parties, on the rules for the party to join the 3rd International, the Charter of the Comintern, and so on. At that moment, the Department of International Cooperation of the Comintern was created.
• Third congress. Held in Moscow in 1921, from June 22 to July 12. This event was attended by 605 delegates from 103 parties and structures.
• Fourth congress. The event ran from November to December 1922. It was attended by 408 delegates, who were sent by 66 parties and enterprises from 58 countries of the world. By the decision of the congress, the International Enterprise for Assistance to the Fighters of the Revolution was organized.
• The Fifth Meeting of the Communist International was held from June to July 1924. The participants decided to turn the national communist parties into Bolshevik ones: to change their tactics in the light of the defeat of revolutionary uprisings in Europe.
• The Sixth Congress was held from July to September 1928. At this meeting, the participants assessed the political world situation as a transition to the newest stage. It was characterized by an economic crisis that spread throughout the planet and an intensification of the class struggle. Members of the congress succeeded in developing the thesis about social fascism. They issued a statement that the political cooperation of the communists with both right and left social democrats was impossible. In addition, during this conference, the Charter and the Program of the Communist International were adopted.
• The seventh conference was held in 1935, from July 25 to August 20. The basic theme of the meeting was the idea of ​​consolidating forces and fighting the growing fascist threat. During this period, the Workers' United Front was created, which was a body for coordinating the activity of workers of various political interests.

Story

In general, communist internationals are very interesting to study. So, it is known that the Trotskyists approved the first four congresses, the supporters of left communism - only the first two. As a result of the campaigns of 1937-1938, most sections of the Comintern were liquidated. The Polish section of the Comintern was eventually officially dissolved.

Of course, the political parties of the 20th century underwent a lot of changes. Repressions against leaders of the communist international movement who ended up in the USSR for one reason or another appeared even before Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact in 1939.

Marxism-Leninism enjoyed great popularity among the people. And already at the beginning of 1937, members of the directorate of the German Communist Party G. Remmele, H. Eberlein, F. Schulte, G. Neumann, G. Kippenberger, the leaders of the Yugoslav Communist Party M. Fillipovich, M. Gorkich were arrested. V. Chopich commanded the fifteenth Lincoln International Brigade in Spain, but when he returned, he was also arrested.

As you can see, the communist internationals were created by a large number of people. Also, a prominent figure in the communist international movement, the Hungarian Bela Kun, many leaders of the Polish Communist Party - J. Pashin, E. Prukhnyak, M. Koshutska, Yu. Lensky and many others were repressed. Former Greek Communist Party A. Kaitas was arrested and shot. One of the leaders of the Communist Party of Iran A. Sultan-Zade was awarded the same fate: he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern, a delegate to the II, III, IV and VI Congresses.

It should be noted that the political parties of the 20th century were distinguished by a large number of intrigues. Stalin accused the leaders of the Communist Party of Poland of anti-Bolshevism, Trotskyism, and anti-Soviet positions. His performances were the cause of physical reprisals against Jerzy Czesheiko-Sochacki and other leaders of the Polish communists (1933). Some were repressed in 1937.

Marxism-Leninism, in fact, was a good doctrine. But in 1938, the Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Comintern decided to dissolve the Polish Communist Party. The founders of the Communist Party of Hungary and the leaders of the Hungarian Soviet Republic - F. Bayaki, D. Bokanyi, Bela Kun, I. Rabinovich, J. Kelen, L. Gavro, S. Sabados, F. Karikash - were under a wave of repression. Bulgarian communists who moved to the USSR were repressed: H. Rakovsky, R. Avramov, B. Stomonyakov.

Romanian communists also began to be destroyed. In Finland, the founders of the Communist Party G. Rovio and A. Shotman, General First Secretary K. Manner and many of their associates were repressed.

It is known that the communist internationals did not appear from scratch. For their sake, more than a hundred Italian communists who lived in the Soviet Union in the 1930s suffered. They were all arrested and sent to camps. Mass repressions did not pass by the leaders and activists of the communist parties of Lithuania, Latvia, Western Ukraine, Estonia and Western Belarus (before they joined the USSR).

Structure of the Comintern

So, we have examined the congresses of the Comintern, and now we will consider the structure of this organization. Its Charter was adopted in August 1920. It was written: "In essence, the International of Communists is obliged, in fact and really, to represent a single world communist party, separate branches of which operate in each state."

It is known that the leadership of the Comintern was carried out through the Executive Committee (ECCI). Until 1922 it consisted of representatives delegated by the communist parties. And since 1922 he was elected by the Congress of the Comintern. The Small Bureau of the ECCI appeared in July 1919. In September 1921, it was renamed the Presidium of the ECCI. The secretariat of the ECCI was established in 1919; it dealt with personnel and organizational issues. This organization existed until 1926. And the Organizational Bureau (Orgburo) of the ECCI was created in 1921 and existed until 1926.

Interestingly, from 1919 to 1926 Grigory Zinoviev was the Chairman of the ECCI. In 1926, the post of chairman of the ECCI was abolished. Instead, the Political Secretariat of the ECCI of nine people appeared. In August 1929, the Political Commission of the Political Secretariat of the ECCI was separated from this new formation. She was supposed to be involved in the preparation of various issues, which were later considered by the Political Secretariat. It included D. Manuilsky, O. Kuusinen, a representative of the Communist Party of Germany (agreed on by the Central Committee of the KKE) and O. Pyatnitsky (candidate).

In 1935, a new position appeared - the Secretary General of the ECCI. It was taken by G. Dimitrov. The Political Commission and the Political Secretariat were abolished. The Secretariat of the ECCI was organized again.

The International Control Commission was created in 1921. She checked the work of the apparatus of the ECCI, individual sections (parties) and audited finances.

What organizations did the Comintern consist of?

• Profintern.
• Mezhrabpom.
• Sportintern.
• Communist Youth International (KIM).
• Crossintern.
• Women's International Secretariat.
• Association of rebellious theaters (international).
• Association of Rebellious Writers (international).
• Freethinking Proletarian International.
• World Committee of Comrades of the USSR.
• Tenant International.
• The International Organization for Assistance to Revolutionaries was called MOPR or "Red Aid".
• Anti-Imperialist League.

Disbandment of the Comintern

When did the dissolution of the Communist International take place? The date of the official liquidation of this famous organization falls on May 15, 1943. Stalin announced the dissolution of the Comintern: he wanted to impress the Western allies by convincing them that plans to establish communist and pro-Soviet regimes on the lands of European states collapsed. It is known that the reputation of the 3rd International by the beginning of the 1940s was very bad. In addition, in continental Europe, almost all cells were suppressed and destroyed by the Nazis.

Since the mid-1920s, Stalin personally and the CPSU(b) sought to dominate the Third International. This nuance played a role in the events of that time. The liquidation of almost all branches of the Comintern (except for the Youth International and the Executive Committee) in the years (mid-1930s) also affected. However, the 3rd International was able to save the Executive Committee: it was only renamed the World Department of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks.

In June 1947, the Paris Conference for Marshall's aid was held. And in September 1947, Stalin from the socialist parties created Cominform - the Communist Bureau of Information. It replaced the Comintern. In fact, it was a network formed from the communist parties of Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, France, Italy, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Romania and Yugoslavia (due to disagreements between Tito and Stalin, it was deleted from the lists in 1948).

Cominform was liquidated in 1956, after the end of the 20th Congress of the CPSU. This organization did not have a formal legal successor, but such were the Department of Internal Affairs and the CMEA, as well as regular meetings of Soviet-friendly workers and communist parties.

Archive of the Third International

The archive of the Comintern is stored in the State Archive of Political and Social History in Moscow. Documents are available in 90 languages: the basic working language is German. More than 80 batches are available.

Educational establishments

The Third International owned:

1. The Communist Workers' University of China (KUTK) - until September 17, 1928, it was called the Sun Yat-sen Workers' University of China (UTK).
2. Communist University of the Workers of the East (KUTV).
3. Communist University of National Minorities of the West (KUNMZ).
4. International Lenin School (MLSH) (1925-1938).

Institutions

The Third International ordered:

1. Statistical and Information Institute of the ECCI (Bureau Varga) (1921-1928).
2. Agrarian International Institute (1925-1940).

Historical facts

The creation of the Communist International was accompanied by various interesting events. So, in 1928, Hans Eisler wrote a magnificent German anthem for him. It was translated into Russian by I. L. Frenkel in 1929. In the refrain of the work, the words were repeatedly heard: “Our slogan is the World Soviet Union!”

In general, when the Communist International was created, we already know that it was a difficult time. It is known that the command of the Red Army, together with the propaganda and agitation bureau of the Third International, prepared and published the book "Armed Revolt". In 1928 this work was published in German, and in 1931 in French. The work was written in the form of an educational and reference manual on the theory of organizing armed uprisings.

The book was created under the pseudonym A. Neuberg, its real authors were popular figures of the revolutionary world movement.

Marxism-Leninism

What is Marxism-Leninism? This is a philosophical and socio-political doctrine of the laws of the struggle for the elimination of the capitalist order and the building of communism. It was developed by V. I. Lenin, who developed the teachings of Marx and put it into practice. The emergence of Marxism-Leninism confirmed the significance of Lenin's contribution to Marxism.

V. I. Lenin created such a magnificent doctrine that in the socialist countries it became the official "ideology of the working class." The ideology was not static, it changed, adjusted to the needs of the elite. By the way, it also included the teachings of regional communist leaders, which are important for the socialist powers led by them.

In the Soviet paradigm, the teachings of V. I. Lenin are the only true scientific system of economic, philosophical, political and social views. Marxist-Leninist teaching is capable of integrating conceptual views in relation to the study and revolutionary change of the earth's space. It reveals the laws of the development of society, human thought and nature, explains the class struggle and the forms of transition to socialism (including the elimination of capitalism), tells about the creative activity of workers engaged in the construction of both communist and socialist society.

The Chinese Communist Party is the largest political party in the world. She follows in her endeavors the teachings of V. I. Lenin. Its charter contains the following words: “Marxism-Leninism has found the laws of the historical evolution of mankind. Its basic tenets are always true and have a powerful vitality."

First International

It is known that the Communist Internationals played the most important role in the struggle of the working people for a better life. The International Working People's Association was officially named the First International. This is the first international formation of the working class, which was established on September 28, 1864 in London.

This organization was liquidated after the split that occurred in 1872.

2nd International

The 2nd International (Workers' or Socialist) was an international association of workers' socialist parties, founded in 1889. It inherited the traditions of its predecessor, but since 1893 there were no anarchists in its composition. For uninterrupted communication between party members, in 1900 the Socialist International Bureau was registered, located in Brussels. The International adopted decisions that were not binding on its constituent parties.

Fourth International

The Fourth International is called the international communist organization, an alternative to Stalinism. It is based on the theoretical property of Leon Trotsky. The tasks of this formation were the implementation of the world revolution, the victory of the working class and the creation of socialism.

This International was established in 1938 by Trotsky and his associates in France. These people believed that the Comintern was completely controlled by the Stalinists, that it was not in a position to lead the working class of the entire planet to the complete conquest of political power. That is why, in contrast, they created their own "Fourth International", whose members at that time were persecuted by NKVD agents. In addition, they were accused by supporters of the USSR and late Maoism of illegitimacy, pressed by the bourgeoisie (France and the USA).

This organization first suffered a split in 1940 and a more powerful split in 1953. There was a partial reunification in 1963, but many groups claim to be the political successors to the Fourth International.

Fifth International

What is the "Fifth International"? This is the term used to describe left-wing radicals who want to create a new workers' international organization based on the ideology of Marxist-Leninist teachings and Trotskyism. Members of this grouping consider themselves as devotees of the First International, the Communist Third, the Trotskyist Fourth and Second.

Communism

And in conclusion, let's figure out what the Russian Communist Party is? It is based on communism. In Marxism, this is a hypothetical economic and social system based on social equality, public property created from the means of production.

One of the most famous internationalist communist slogans is the saying: "Proletarians of all countries, unite!". Few people know who first said these famous words. But we will reveal a secret: for the first time this slogan was expressed by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in the Communist Manifesto.

After the 19th century, the term "communism" was often used to designate the socio-economic formation that Marxists predicted in their theoretical works. It was based on public property created with the means of production. In general, the classics of Marxism believe that the communist public implements the principle "To each according to his skills, to each according to his need!"

We hope that our readers will be able to understand the Communist Internationals with the help of this article.

In the system of international relations, interstate relations play a major role, since the state is the only entity that has sovereignty, but, as mentioned above, in the modern world there is a tendency to expand the participants in international relations. International organizations are becoming increasingly important actors.

The history of the creation of international organizations originates in ancient Greece, where in the 6th century. BC. the first permanent international associations were created, such as the Lacedaemonian and Delian symmacies (unions of cities and communities). Already at this stage, symmacia and amphiktyonia had a fairly clear internal structure. The supreme body in them was the general meeting, which met in the first - once a year, in the second - twice a year. Decisions of the general meeting were binding on all members of the union and were taken by a simple majority of votes.

With the development of international economic relations, a mechanism of international unions began to form to coordinate the activities of states in special areas. The first such union (during the Middle Ages), which united the North German cities, was the Hanseatic Trade Union.

The further development of international relations led to the expansion and complication of international communication between states. The needs of economic development dictated the need for international regulation of a number of new areas of interstate relations. General administrative unions or, as they were called, unions become such a new form. Initially, such unions on the basis of a permanent organization began to take shape in the field of customs relations. These were associations of independent states on the basis of an agreement concluded between them on the creation of joint customs regulation bodies in the customs territories of the participating countries.

International cooperation of states on the basis of permanent organizations in the future found its continuation and development in the field of transport. The beginning was cooperation in the field of navigation on international rivers within the framework of international commissions created for these purposes. For example, the Regulations of the Rhine Navigation (1831) and the Act of the Rhine Navigation (1868), which replaced it, created such a first commission, each of the coastal states appointed one representative who formed the Central Commission.

From the 60s. XIX century, international intergovernmental organizations begin to emerge: the International Union for measuring the earth (1864), the Universal Telegraph Union (1865), the Universal Postal Union (1874), the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (1875), the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property ( 1883), International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property (1886), International Union Against Slavery (1890), International Union for the Publication of Customs Tariffs (1890), International Union of Railway Commodity Communications (1890). Characteristic of all these unions was that they possessed (and possess) permanent bodies. Their governing bodies were, as a rule, conferences (congresses), and the executive permanent bodies were bureaus or commissions.

The second half of the 19th century was marked by the intensification of international economic, scientific, and technical ties between states. This marked a new stage in the development and complication of such forms of international organizational relations as international conferences and congresses. In general, this form of interstate communication has been known since antiquity. Medieval history gives many examples of congresses of sovereigns in Germany and other countries of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

When the threat of war became obvious at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, military-political coalitions began to be created between the largest states of Europe. Gradually, the number of states participating in such coalitions grew - large states drew small states into their number as their supporters. Such a system of military-political blocs can be clearly seen in the two that had developed by 1914. blocs: Russia, France, Great Britain, on the one hand, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, on the other. This period includes an attempt to create an international security organization by convening the Hague Peace Conferences in 1899 and 1907. The result of the convening of these conferences was the establishment of the Court of Arbitration in The Hague. However, arbitration was not able to prevent what the course of development of Europe and the whole world has been directed towards for the last 100 years.

The first historically new form of organization of international relations was the League of Nations, which arose after the First World War. It was an attempt to create an international intergovernmental organization of a political nature on a permanent basis.

Since 1915 projects began to be put forward for the creation of international organizations of peace and security: the project of the "United States of Europe" or the "society of nations". The slogans of these projects, given the military situation, were: 1) cessation of the war; 2) streamlining working conditions and the procedure for resolving conflicts between labor and capital on an international scale; 3) elimination of the unequal position of the colonial peoples. These projects, to a greater or lesser extent, formed the basis of the Statute of the League of Nations.

The creation of the League is the first attempt to establish a universal international organization for the maintenance of peace and security, as well as the first attempt to create a universal mechanism for this. The League of Nations proclaimed its goal to ensure universal peace and promote international cooperation between states. But, besides this, it was endowed with other functions. For example, it was entrusted with control over colonial mandates, the protection of national minorities, and the registration of international treaties.

The first members of the League of Nations were 26 sovereign states and 4 dominions that participated in the First World War. The second group of countries consisted of 13 "invited" states that did not participate in the war. Despite the fact that the League of Nations was created practically on the basis of an American project, the United States did not take part in the work of this organization, since the American Senate did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles, and thus the Statute of the League.

The main bodies of the League were the Assembly of all representatives of the members of the League (Assembly), the Council and the Permanent Secretariat.

In 1926 Germany joined the League of Nations after the signing of the Treaty of Locarno. This fact gave rise to a lot of disagreements within the organization, which ended in 1933. the announcement of the withdrawal from it of two states - Japan and Germany. The Soviet Union joined the League on September 15, 1934. at the initiative of French diplomacy, this initiative was supported by 30 member states of the League of Nations. However, when joining the USSR, it dissociated itself from a number of decisions taken earlier by the League of Nations, for example, the Soviet government declared a negative attitude towards the system of colonial mandates, and emphasized that it considers the lack of recognition of the equality of all races and nations to be a serious gap.

The League of Nations was legally liquidated only on April 18, 1946, but in fact it ceased its activities in September 1939.

In accordance with the Versailles Treaty of 1919. those of the former German colonies that, after the First World War, did not fall directly into the hands of the victorious powers, were placed at the disposal of the League of Nations, and the Arab lands of the former Turkish Empire - Syria, Palestine, Trans Jordan, Iraq - also passed to its disposal. All these territories were transferred by the League of Nations to the administration of individual victorious states in accordance with special treaties - mandates for lack of the first opportunity and tools to manage these colonies. Control over the implementation of mandates by the organization was purely formal and in fact, the colonies of Germany and Turkey were simply divided among the winners, like those that were directly conquered during the war.

And in general, if we talk about the activities of the League of Nations, then from the very beginning it was more of a pan-European than a truly international organization. It has not been able to cope with its statutory task related to the peaceful settlement of international conflicts. She could not prevent the Second World War, as well as Japan's attack on China, Italy - on Ethiopia and Spain, Germany - on Austria and Czechoslovakia.

However, despite all the shortcomings, the Statute of the League was a remarkable document for its time. Its articles on the limitation of armaments, the settlement of disputes by judicial procedure or by recourse to the Permanent Court of International Justice, on the mutual guarantee of territorial integrity, on measures for the maintenance of peace, on sanctions against a State that has resorted to war in violation of its obligations under the Statute of the League of Nations, on ensuring compliance with international treaties and norms of international law, on the obligatory cooperation of member states were at that time an innovation. These provisions were subsequently borrowed and developed in the UN Charter. Both positive and negative experience did not go unnoticed, the relevant lessons were learned from it during the creation of the UN, the most important of which was the understanding of the need for closer cooperation of even the most diverse states within the framework of an international organization.

The history of the formation and development of international organizations should be viewed through the prism of the evolution of international relations and humanity as a whole. This is due to objective economic and political factors, such as the need for subjects in international communication.

At the dawn of human civilization, tribes and the first states communicated with each other and interacted for joint defense or waging wars, trade, etc. As a result, temporary intertribal and interstate alliances were formed.

In the early stages of human development, intertribal and interstate relations were expressed in bilateral contacts that arise as necessary between neighboring or closely located entities. Gradually, these contacts expanded, periodically there were alliances and coalitions, mainly of a military nature.

As mankind progressed, the methods and techniques of international communication developed and improved. So, already in ancient times, along with bilateral meetings, other forms characteristic of the late period of development were increasingly used: congresses and conferences. Medieval history provides many examples of congresses of sovereigns in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe.

Initially, conferences and congresses were convened on a case-by-case basis. Then, gradually, international meetings began to be practiced, creating more or less permanent bodies. These bodies were entrusted with the tasks of convening and servicing congresses and conferences, and sometimes performing other functions in between conferences. It was these bodies that became the prototypes of future international intergovernmental organizations.

Generally the history of the creation and development of international organizations can be divided into four stages.

First stage originates from ancient times until the convocation in 1815 of the Congress of Vienna. During this period, ideas and conceptual foundations for the creation of international organizations are formed.

Ancient Rome practiced the establishment of mixed conciliation commissions to consider disputes with foreign states.

The first permanent international associations in Ancient Greece appeared in the 6th century. BC. in the form of the Lacedaemonian and Delian symmachias (unions of cities and communities) and the Delphic-Thermopylian amphiktyony (a religious and political union of tribes and peoples).

Describing the aforementioned associations, the well-known Russian scholar and international lawyer F.F. Martens noted that these associations, created specifically for religious purposes, "had an effect in general on relations between the Greek states and ... brought the peoples together and softened their isolation."

Greek symmachia and amfiktyony had a fairly clear internal structure. The highest body in both interstate formations was the assembly. In Symmachy it met once a year, and in Amphictyon twice a year. Decisions of the general meeting were taken by a simple majority of votes and were binding on all members of the union. Each member of these unions, regardless of the size and importance of the city or tribe, had one vote in symmachy, and two votes in amphiktyony.

Greek symmachias and amphictyons played an important role in the development of intertribal, interstate and international relations in the ancient Greek city-states. They also laid the foundation for certain organizational and legal principles and forms of future international organizations.

The prototypes of today's international organizations were further developed in the Middle Ages. A certain influence on them was provided by international trade, as well as the Catholic Church.

A significant role in the development of international trade relations was played by the Hanseatic Trade Union (XIV-XVI centuries), which united the northern German cities and, according to F. Engels, "brought the entire northern Germany out of the state of the Middle Ages."

In parallel, international relations were accompanied by such events as the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which ended the 30-year war, recognized Catholicism and Protestantism as equal denominations of Catholicism in general. The recognition of the sovereignty of states and equality between states, above all the equality of the states of the Christian world, is connected with the Peace of Westphalia.

Second phase The history of the development of international organizations covers the period from 1815 to 1919. The beginning of this stage is associated with the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the convening of the Vienna Congress in 1815. During this period, the formation of the organizational and legal foundations of international organizations takes place. The needs of economic development dictated the need for international legal regulation of a number of new areas of interstate relations, which had an impact on the evolution of the functioning of old and the emergence of new forms of multilateral communication. General administrative unions (unias) become such a new form. This period is marked by the fact that the formation of a mechanism of international unions for coordinating the activities of states in special areas begins. Initially, such alliances began to take shape in the field of customs relations.

Customs unions were associations of states on the basis of an agreement concluded by them on the creation of joint customs administration bodies and the establishment of a common customs legal order in national customs territories.

One such union was the German Customs Union. The reasons for the creation of this union were rooted in the extreme economic decline of the German states that were part of the German Confederation of 1815. The economic decline was caused by a variety of trade restrictions, many customs barriers, various tariffs and trade laws within the union territory. The customs union took shape gradually, and by 1853 the whole of Germany was organized into one customs union.

All states that entered the union were subject to the same laws regarding the import, export and transit of goods; all customs duties were recognized as common and distributed among the members of the union according to the number of population.

In the future, international cooperation between states on the basis of a permanent organization finds its continuation in the field of transport. The beginning in this regard was the cooperation of states in the matter of navigation on international rivers within the framework of the international commissions they create for this purpose. Thus, the Rhine Navigation Regulations of 1831 and the Rhine Navigation Act of 1868, which replaced it, created the first such special international commission. For the joint discussion of the issues of Rhine navigation, each coastal state appointed one representative, who together formed the Central Commission, which had its original seat in Mannheim.

Second half of the 19th century was marked by the intensification of international economic, scientific, technical ties between states, which were constantly deepening and expanding. During this period, there first MPOs: International Union for Land Measurement (1864); World Telegraph Union (1865); Universal Postal Union (1874); International Bureau of Weights and Measures (1875); International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883); International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property (1886); International Anti-Slavery Union (1890); International Union for the Publication of Customs Tariffs (1890); International Union of Railway Commodity Communications (1890).

Characterizing these unions (international organizations) as a whole, we can note the following: they all had permanent bodies. The governing bodies of these unions, as a rule, were conferences or congresses, and bureaus or commissions were permanent executive bodies. The competence of these unions was limited to the regulation of specialized areas.

The creation of the first international organizations in the form of administrative unions with permanent bodies was a progressive movement forward along the path of development and expansion of specific areas of such cooperation between states. International administrative unions laid the foundation for permanent international organizations, in contrast to world congresses and conferences, which belonged to the number of temporary international forums that have been functioning in international life since the 17th century.

At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. the international situation is aggravated. Two irreconcilable military blocs are being created: the Entente and the Triple Alliance. In the same period, attempts were made to create an international security organization by convening the Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, which resulted in the establishment of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and the conclusion of the Convention on the Peaceful Settlement of International Clashes. However, the efforts made at the international level could not prevent the outbreak of the First World War.

Start third stage associated with the conclusion of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 and the establishment of the League of Nations - the first international intergovernmental organization to maintain international peace and security.

Ideas and proposals for the creation of such an organization were put forward during the war. Projects for the creation of an international organization came from the governments of the United States, Great Britain, France, which, to one degree or another, formed the basis of the Statute of the League of Nations. The final version of the Statute of the League of Nations was approved by the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 as an integral part of the Versailles Peace Treaty. The Statute contains 26 articles, which were simultaneously included as the first chapter in the texts of all five Paris Peace Treaties that ended the First World War: Versailles, Saint-Germain, Triapon, Neil, Seve. Of these, Versailles was the first in terms of time of conclusion - June 28, 1919, which entered into force on January 10, 1920. Based on this, the date of the founding of the League of Nations is considered to be the date of signing the Treaty of Versailles, i.e. June 28, 1919

The creation of the League of Nations is not only the first attempt to establish a universal international organization for the maintenance of peace and security, but also the creation of a special mechanism for this.

The main goal of the League of Nations was to ensure universal peace and security and to promote international cooperation between states. Under the Statute of the League of Nations, it was also entrusted with such functions as, for example, control over mandate holders, protection of the rights of national minorities and registration of international treaties.

The original members of the League of Nations were 26 sovereign states and four dominions. The other group of member states were the 13 so-called invited states that did not participate in the First World War.

Despite the fact that the League of Nations was created with the active participation of the US government, the Senate considered that US participation in the League in conditions where the influence of Great Britain and France would obviously dominate there was unjustified. Subsequently, the United States did not become members of the League of Nations.

In 1925, the Locarno Accords were concluded, which came into force from the moment Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926.

The entry into the League of Nations of the states - opponents of Great Britain and France in the First World War gradually gave rise to serious tensions and disagreements within this organization, which ended with the fact that in 1933 two powers, Japan and Germany, left its membership, and in 1937 - Italy.

The USSR could not join the League of Nations for a long time because the West did not recognize Soviet power. However, after Japan and Germany left the League and in 1933 the Nazis came to power in Germany with their revanchist sentiments, it became obvious that global problems in Europe and the world as a whole could not be solved without the participation of the USSR, Western diplomacy took certain steps to join USSR to the League of Nations. Thus, on the initiative of French diplomacy, on September 15, 1934, the USSR was invited by 30 member states of the League of Nations to join this international organization. On September 18, 1934, the Assembly of the League of Nations decided to admit the USSR to the League and give it the seat of a permanent member of the Council of the League of Nations. Entering the League of Nations, the USSR officially expressed its negative attitude towards certain provisions of its Statute. So, for example, the government of the USSR made a statement about its non-recognition of certain articles of the Statute of the League, which actually legalized the right of the state to unleash a war under the pretext of protecting "national interests" (Articles 12, 15), introduced a system of colonial mandates (Article 22) and ignored equality all races and nations (v. 23).

De facto, the League of Nations ceased its activities in September 1939, and was legally liquidated on April 18, 1946 after the creation of the UN.

The Statute of the League of Nations had certain shortcomings, which can ultimately be reduced to the following: its provisions did not contain an unconditional prohibition of aggression; such a shortcoming as the international legal consolidation of the so-called mandate system (Article 22 of the Statute) also had a great negative impact on the activities of the League of Nations.

Due to these circumstances and other reasons, the League of Nations was unable to cope with its statutory task - the peaceful settlement of international conflicts. Every time there was any conflict leading to hostilities, the League of Nations showed its impotence.

For example, the existence of the League of Nations did not prevent the aggressors from actively preparing for war, and then unleashing it. Japan in 1931 invaded China and occupied Manchuria, Italy occupied Albania in 1939 and Ethiopia in 1936, Germany - on March 7, 1936 unilaterally terminated the Locarno agreements and sent its troops into the demilitarized Rhine zone, and in In 1938, she made the Anschluss of Austria, in 1939 she captured Czechoslovakia, Austria, part of Lithuania. Germany and Italy made a joint intervention against the Spanish Republic (1936–1937). Further, on September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Thus began the Second World War, which lasted six years.

Despite all these shortcomings, the Statute of the League of Nations was a landmark document of its time. Its articles on the limitation of armaments, the settlement of disputes by judicial procedure or by recourse to the Permanent Court of International Justice, on the mutual guarantee of territorial integrity, on measures for the maintenance of peace, on sanctions against a State that has resorted to war in violation of its obligations under the Statute of the League of Nations, on ensuring compliance with international treaties and norms of international law, on the obligatory cooperation of member states were an innovation in the post-war period.

And another innovation in international relations and international law is the emergence of an international civil service in the modern sense.

The experience of the League of Nations did not go unnoticed. Many provisions of its Statute and practical experience were subsequently borrowed or taken into account when creating the UN.

Fourth stage The development of international organizations is associated with the creation of the UN and its system, as well as the formation of a modern system of international organizations.

The establishment of the UN was preceded by the creation of an anti-Hitler coalition. The first meeting on the formation of an anti-Hitler coalition took place between US President F. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister W. Churchill on August 14, 1941 on the battleship Prince of Wales, as a result of which the Atlantic Charter appeared. In it, the leaders of the two states declared their refusal to seize territories, recognized the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they want to live, and so on.

The next step of the world community to create an anti-Hitler coalition was the holding of the Inter-Allied Conference in London on September 24, 1941 with the participation of representatives of the USSR, Great Britain and a number of other European countries. At the conference, the accession of the USSR to the Atlantic Charter was announced and a declaration of the Soviet government was announced, calling for the concentration of all economic and military resources of the freedom-loving peoples for the speedy and decisive defeat of the fascist aggressors.

The first mention in an official international document of the need to create an international peacekeeping organization was contained in the Declaration of the Government of the USSR and the Government of the Polish Republic on Friendship and Mutual Assistance of December 4, 1941. The Declaration stated that a lasting and just peace in the post-war period can only be achieved a new organization of international relations based on the unification of democratic states into a strong union. When creating such an organization, the document further noted, the decisive factor should be respect for international law, supported by the collective armed force of all allied states.

The Declaration of the United Nations, which was adopted at the Washington Conference on January 1, 1942, was of great importance for the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition. coalition allies. The declaration was signed by representatives of 26 member states of the anti-Hitler coalition, including the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China. Among them are also nine states of Central America and the Caribbean, the dominions of the British Crown, British India and eight European governments in exile. During 1942–1945 21 states have joined the Declaration.

By the end of the war, other countries joined the Declaration, including the Philippines, France, all Latin American countries (except Argentina), as well as some independent states of the Middle East and Africa. The Axis countries were not allowed to join the Declaration.

Practical steps towards the creation of a new international organization for peace and security were taken at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers of the three allied powers: the USSR, the USA and Great Britain (October 19–30, 1943). On November 2, 1943, the Declaration of four states (USSR, USA, Great Britain and China) on the issue of universal security was published. It stated that they "recognize the need to establish in the shortest possible time a universal international organization for the maintenance of international peace and security, based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all peace-loving states, of which all states, large and small, can be members." Thus, in this document, the fundamental basis of the universal MMPO was laid.

Subsequently, the issue of creating an international organization for peace and security was discussed at the Tehran Conference of the leaders of the three allied powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain (Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill), which was held from November 28 to December 1, 1943.

At the Tehran Conference, an agreement was reached on a wide range of issues included in a special document called "Proposals for the Establishment of the General International Security Organization", which contained a list of provisions that, in the opinion of the participating States, were to be enshrined in the charter of the future organization: on goals, principles , membership in the organization; on the composition, functions, powers of its main bodies; about the international court; on measures to maintain international peace and security, including the prevention and suppression of aggression; on international cooperation on economic and social issues; about the secretariat, the procedure for amending the charter, etc.

In the final part of this document, a special section was introduced - "Measures of the transitional period", which provided that before the entry into force of special agreements on military contingents in accordance with the Moscow Declaration, the participating States should consult with each other and, if necessary, with other members of the organization for the purpose of such joint actions on behalf of the organization, which formed the basis of the UN Charter, and this is their great historical significance. They became the subject of discussion by the governments of many countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, who submitted their comments on them.

The next stage in the creation of the UN was the Conference of the Member States of the Anti-Hitler Coalition, which was held in Dumbarton Oaks (USA) in two stages: from August 21 to September 28, 1944 and from September 29 to October 7, 1944. At it, the participating states could not to agree on certain issues, including the procedure for voting in the UN Security Council; on the composition of its non-permanent members; on the statute, composition and procedure for electing the International Court of Justice; on international guardianship; about the seat of the UN; about the participants in the founding conference of the UN and the original membership in the UN and about the immunity of representatives of states.

In practice, the issue of establishing the UN was resolved at the Crimean (Yalta) conference of the leaders of the three powers of the anti-Hitler coalition, held from February 4 to 11, 1945. The Yalta conference has a special place in the political and diplomatic history of World War II. It adopted decisions on the coordination of issues on the voting procedure in the UN Security Council, the principle of unanimity of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the composition of the founding states of the UN.

On the issue of establishing an international guardianship system, it was agreed that such a system would apply:

• - to the existing mandates of the League of Nations; - territories torn away from enemy states as a result of the war;
• – any other territory that can be voluntarily placed under trusteeship.

At the Crimean Conference, it was decided that the founding conference of the United Nations would open on April 25, 1945 in San Francisco and that the UN states "as of February 8, 1945", as well as "those of the acceding nations who declared war on a common enemy by March 1, 1945".

The founding conference of the United Nations was held in San Francisco from April 25 to June 26, 1945. It entered the history of international relations as an event of great political significance and one of the largest conferences. The Conference was attended by 282 delegates, over 1,500 experts, advisers, members of secretariats of delegations, etc.

The work of the Conference was concentrated in four main committees, four commissions and twelve technical committees. Of great importance were the informal meetings of the four heads of delegations - the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China, at which the most pressing issues of the Conference were discussed and the common point of view of the great powers was agreed upon. A total of six such informal meetings were held, at which 27 joint amendments to the UN Charter were adopted.

In general, the discussion of the draft UN Charter and the coordination of the positions of the states-participants of the Conference took place in a sharp and complex diplomatic struggle between the USSR, on the one hand, and the USA and Great Britain, on the other. Nevertheless, over the course of two months, the Conference did a tremendous amount of work, the volume of which can be judged at least by the fact that it considered 1,200 amendments alone on the draft UN Charter, reflecting the various positions of states. All of them were systematized and sent for discussion to the relevant committees of the Conference.

As a result of the great and painstaking work of the Conference, the UN Charter and the Statute of the International Court of Justice were developed, which was an indisputable achievement in the progressive development of international law.

On June 26, 1945, the UN Charter was signed by all the states-participants of the Conference (50 in number). It officially entered into force on October 24, 1945, following its ratification and the deposit of instruments of ratification with the US government by five permanent members of the Security Council and 24 other member states.

October 24, by decision of the General Assembly of the PLO in 1947, was declared UN Day and is celebrated annually by the entire progressive community of the globe.

In the summer of 1945, a Preparatory Commission was established in London, consisting of all UN member states to resolve organizational and other practical issues (the structure of the PLO bodies, rules of procedure, funding, the location of the UN, etc.). Serious behind-the-scenes disputes arose over the location: Great Britain and some other states advocated the location of the UN headquarters in Europe (Geneva), and the United States and Latin American states saw the territory of the United States as the location of the PLO. On December 10, 1945, the US Congress unanimously passed a resolution inviting the United Nations to the United States. On February 14, 1946, during the voting in the Preparatory Commission, 23 votes were cast for Geneva, 25 against (including the USSR, Yugoslavia, Ukrainian SSR, BSSR and Czechoslovakia), two delegations abstained (Ecuador, USA). 30 representatives voted for the United States, 14 voted against, 6 abstained. Thus, by a majority of votes, it was decided to place the UN headquarters in the United States. The first session of the UN General Assembly opened on January 10, 1946 in London (because the UN did not have its own building). On January 17, 1946, the first meeting of the UN Security Council was held there.

A certain amount ($ 8.5 million) was allocated by J. D. Rockefeller for the acquisition of the current site in Manhattan. The authorities of the city of New York also allocated plots of land adjacent to this place and carried out clearing of the territory, construction of the necessary infrastructure facilities and arrangement of the adjacent territory in the amount of $ 30 million. dollars for the construction of the UN headquarters. The laying of its foundation took place on October 24, 1949. The building itself was built quite quickly. Already in 1952, both the General Assembly and the UN Security Council held their meetings in the new building.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a special agency of the United Nations, established by 184 states. The IMF was created on December 27, 1945 after the signing by 28 states of an agreement developed at the UN Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods on July 22, 1944. In 1947, the foundation began its activities. The headquarters of the IMF is located in Washington, USA.

The IMF is an international organization that unites 184 states. The fund was created to ensure international cooperation in the monetary sphere and maintain the stability of exchange rates; supporting economic development and employment levels in countries around the world; and providing additional funds to the economy of a particular state in the short term. Since the IMF was created, its purposes have not changed, but its functions - which include monitoring the state of the economy, financial and technical assistance to countries - have evolved significantly to meet the changing goals of the member countries that are the subjects of the world economy.

IMF Membership Growth, 1945-2003
(number of countries)

The objectives of the International Monetary Fund are:

• To ensure international cooperation in the monetary sphere through a network of permanent institutions that advise and take part in solving many financial problems.
• To promote the development and balanced growth of international trade, and to contribute to the promotion and maintenance of a high level of employment and real incomes and to develop the productive forces in all member countries of the fund as the primary objects of economic policy.
• Ensure the stability of exchange rates, maintain correct exchange agreements between participants and avoid various discriminations in this area.
• Help build a multilateral payment system for current transactions between fund member countries and to remove restrictions on foreign exchange that hinder the growth of international trade.
• Provide support to member states of the fund by providing funds to the fund to solve temporary problems in the economy.
• In line with the above, shorten the duration and reduce the degree of imbalance in the international balances of the accounts of its members.

Role of the International Monetary Fund

The IMF helps countries develop their economies and implement selected economic projects through three main functions - lending, technical assistance and monitoring.

Providing loans. The IMF provides financial assistance to low-income countries experiencing balance of payments problems through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program and, for temporary needs arising from external shocks, through the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF) program. The interest rate on PRGF and ESF is concessional (only 0.5 percent) and loans are repaid over 10 years.

Other functions of the IMF:

• promotion of international cooperation in monetary policy
• expansion of world trade
• stabilization of monetary exchange rates
• advising debtor countries (debtors)
• development of international financial statistics standards
• collection and publication of international financial statistics

Main lending mechanisms

1. Reserve share. The first portion of foreign currency that a member country can purchase from the IMF within 25% of the quota was called "gold" before the Jamaica Agreement, and since 1978 - the reserve share (Reserve Tranche). The reserve share is defined as the excess of the quota of a member country over the amount in the account of the National Currency Fund of that country. If the IMF uses part of the national currency of a member country to provide credit to other countries, then the reserve share of such a country increases accordingly. The outstanding amount of loans made by a member country to the Fund under the NHS and NHA loan agreements constitutes its credit position. The reserve share and lending position together constitute the "reserve position" of an IMF member country.

2. Credit shares. Funds in foreign currency that can be purchased by a member country in excess of the reserve share (in case of its full use, the IMF's holdings in the country's currency reach 100% of the quota) are divided into four credit shares, or tranches (Credit Tranches), which make up 25% of the quota . Member countries' access to IMF credit resources within the framework of credit shares is limited: the amount of the country's currency in the IMF's assets cannot exceed 200% of its quota (including 75% of the quota paid by subscription). Thus, the maximum amount of credit that a country can receive from the Fund as a result of using the reserve and loan shares is 125% of its quota. However, the charter gives the IMF the right to suspend this restriction. On this basis, the Fund's resources in many cases are used in amounts exceeding the limit fixed in the statute. Therefore, the concept of "upper credit shares" (Upper Credit Tranches) began to mean not only 75% of the quota, as in the early period of the IMF, but amounts exceeding the first credit share.

3. Stand-by Arrangements (since 1952) provide a member country with a guarantee that, up to a certain amount and for the duration of the arrangement, subject to specified conditions, the country can freely receive foreign currency from the IMF in exchange for the national one. This practice of granting loans is the opening of a line of credit. If the use of the first credit share can be made in the form of a direct purchase of foreign currency after the approval of the request by the Fund, then the allocation of funds against the upper credit shares is usually carried out through arrangements with member countries on standby credits. From the 1950s to the mid-1970s, stand-by credit agreements had a term of up to a year, since 1977 - up to 18 months and even up to 3 years due to the increase in balance of payments deficits.

4. The Extended Fund Facility (since 1974) supplemented the reserve and credit shares. It is designed to provide loans for longer periods and in larger amounts in relation to quotas than under normal loan shares. The basis for a country's request to the IMF for a loan under extended lending is a serious imbalance in the balance of payments caused by adverse structural changes in production, trade or prices. Extended loans are usually provided for three years, if necessary - up to four years, in certain portions (tranches) at fixed intervals - once every six months, quarterly or (in some cases) monthly. The main purpose of stand-by and extended loans is to assist IMF member countries in the implementation of macroeconomic stabilization programs or structural reforms. The Fund requires the borrowing country to fulfill certain conditions, and the degree of their rigidity increases as you move from one credit share to another. Certain conditions must be met before obtaining a loan. The obligations of the borrowing country, which provide for the implementation of appropriate financial and economic measures, are recorded in the "Letter of intent" or the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies sent to the IMF. The course of fulfillment of obligations by the country - the recipient of the loan is monitored by periodically evaluating the special performance criteria provided for by the agreement. These criteria can be either quantitative, referring to certain macroeconomic indicators, or structural, reflecting institutional changes. If the IMF considers that a country uses a loan in contradiction with the goals of the Fund, does not fulfill its obligations, it can limit its lending, refuse to provide the next tranche. Thus, this mechanism allows the IMF to exert economic pressure on borrowing countries.

Unlike the World Bank, the IMF focuses on relatively short-term macroeconomic crises. The World Bank lends only to poor countries, the IMF can lend to any of its member countries that lack foreign exchange to cover short-term financial obligations.

Structure of governing bodies

The supreme governing body of the IMF is the Board of Governors, in which each member country is represented by a governor and his deputy. Usually these are finance ministers or central bankers. The Council is responsible for resolving key issues of the Fund's activities: amending the Articles of the Agreement, admitting and expelling member countries, determining and revising their shares in the capital, and electing executive directors. The Governors meet in session usually once a year, but may hold meetings and vote by mail at any time.

The authorized capital is about 217 billion SDRs (as of January 2008, 1 SDR was equal to about 1.5 US dollars). It is formed by contributions from member countries, each of which usually pays approximately 25% of its quota in SDRs or in the currency of other members, and the remaining 75% in its national currency. Based on the size of quotas, votes are distributed among member countries in the governing bodies of the IMF.

The Executive Board, which sets policy and is responsible for most decisions, consists of 24 executive directors. Directors are nominated by the eight countries with the largest quotas in the Fund - the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The remaining 176 countries are organized into 16 groups, each of which elects an executive director. An example of such a group of countries is the unification of the countries of the former Central Asian republics of the USSR under the leadership of Switzerland, which was called Helvetistan. Often the groups are formed by countries with similar interests and usually from the same region, such as francophone Africa.

The largest number of votes in the IMF (as of June 16, 2006) are: USA - 17.08% (16.407% - 2011); Germany - 5.99%; Japan - 6.13% (6.46% - 2011); UK - 4.95%; France - 4.95%; Saudi Arabia - 3.22%; China - 2.94% (6.394% - 2011); Russia - 2.74%. The share of 15 EU member countries is 30.3%, 29 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have a total of 60.35% of votes in the IMF. The share of other countries, which make up over 84% of the number of members of the Fund, accounts for only 39.65%.

The IMF operates the principle of "weighted" number of votes: the ability of member countries to influence the activities of the Fund by voting is determined by their share in its capital. Each state has 250 "basic" votes, regardless of the size of its contribution to the capital, and an additional one vote for every 100 thousand SDRs of the amount of this contribution. In the event that a country bought (sold) SDRs received by it during the initial issue of SDRs, the number of its votes increases (reduces) by 1 for every 400,000 purchased (sold) SDRs. This correction is carried out by no more than 1/4 of the number of votes received for the country's contribution to the Fund's capital. This arrangement ensures a decisive majority of votes for the leading states.

Decisions in the Board of Governors are usually taken by a simple majority (at least half) of the votes, and on important issues of an operational or strategic nature, by a “special majority” (respectively, 70 or 85% of the votes of the member countries). Despite some reduction in the share of US and EU votes, they can still veto key decisions of the Fund, the adoption of which requires a maximum majority (85%). This means that the United States, together with the leading Western states, has the ability to exercise control over the decision-making process in the IMF and direct its activities based on their own interests. With coordinated action, developing countries are also in a position to avoid making decisions that do not suit them. However, it is difficult for a large number of heterogeneous countries to achieve coherence. At a meeting of Fund leaders in April 2004, the intention was to "enhance the ability of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to participate more effectively in the IMF's decision-making mechanism."

An essential role in the organizational structure of the IMF is played by the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC; International Monetary and Financial Committee). From 1974 until September 1999, its predecessor was the Interim Committee on the International Monetary System. It consists of 24 IMF governors, including from Russia, and meets in its sessions twice a year. This committee is an advisory body of the Board of Governors and does not have the power to make policy decisions. Nevertheless, it performs important functions: directs the activities of the Executive Council; develops strategic decisions related to the functioning of the world monetary system and the activities of the IMF; Submits proposals to the Board of Governors to amend the Articles of Agreement of the IMF. A similar role is also played by the Development Committee - the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the WB and the Fund (Joint IMF - World Bank Development Committee).

Board of Governors (1999) The Board of Governors delegates many of its powers to the Executive Board, that is, the directorate responsible for the conduct of the IMF's affairs, which includes a wide range of political, operational and administrative matters, in particular the provision of loans to member countries and overseeing their exchange rate policies.

The IMF Executive Board elects for a five-year term a Managing Director who leads the Fund's staff (as of March 2009 - about 2,478 people from 143 countries). As a rule, he represents one of the European countries. Managing Director (since July 5, 2011) - Christine Lagarde (France), her first deputy - John Lipsky (USA). Head of the IMF Resident Mission in Russia - Odd Per Brekk.

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization of states created to maintain and strengthen international peace, security, and development of cooperation between countries.

History of creation:

The name United Nations, proposed by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was first used in the Declaration of the United Nations on January 1, 1942, when, during World War II, representatives of 26 states pledged on behalf of their governments to continue the common struggle against the Axis.

The first international organizations were created for cooperation in certain areas. The current International Telecommunication Union was established in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, the Universal Postal Union was founded in 1874. Both organizations are today specialized agencies of the United Nations.

The First International Peace Conference was convened in The Hague in 1899 to develop agreements on the peaceful resolution of crises, the prevention of war, and the rules of war. The conference adopted the Convention for the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began its work in 1902.

The forerunner of the UN was the League of Nations, an organization conceived under similar circumstances during the First World War and established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles "to promote co-operation among peoples and to promote peace and security."

The International Labor Organization was also created under the Treaty of Versailles as an associated institution with the League. The League of Nations ceased its activities due to its inability to prevent the Second World War.

In 1945, representatives from 50 countries met in San Francisco for the United Nations Conference on the Creation of an International Organization to draft the UN Charter. The delegates based their work on the proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States in Dumbarton Oaks in August-October 1944. The charter was signed on June 26, 1945 by representatives of 50 countries. Poland, not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became the 51st Founding State.

The United Nations officially exists since October 24, 1945, by which date the Charter has been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States and most of the other signatory states. The twenty-fourth of October is celebrated annually as United Nations Day.

The first contours of the UN were outlined at a conference in Washington, Dumbarton Oaks. At two series of meetings, held from September 21 to October 7, 1944, the United States, Great Britain, the USSR and China agreed on the goals, structure and functions of the world organization.

On February 11, 1945, after meetings in Yalta, the leaders of the USA, Great Britain and the USSR Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin declared their determination to establish "a universal international organization for the maintenance of peace and security."

On April 25, 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco for the United Nations Conference on the Creation of an International Organization to draw up the UN Charter.

Delegates from countries representing over 80% of the world's population gathered in San Francisco. The Conference was attended by 850 delegates, and together with their advisers, the staff of delegations and the secretariat of the Conference, the total number of persons who took part in the work of the Conference reached 3,500. In addition, there were more than 2,500 representatives of the press, radio and newsreels, as well as observers from various societies and organizations. The San Francisco Conference was not only one of the most important in history, but in all likelihood the largest of any international gathering that has ever taken place.

On the agenda of the Conference were proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, on the basis of which the delegates were to work out a Charter acceptable to all states.

The charter was signed on June 26, 1945 by representatives of 50 countries. Poland, not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became the 51st Founding State.

The UN officially exists since October 24, 1945 - by this day the Charter has been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States and most of the other signatory states. October 24 is celebrated annually as United Nations Day.

The preamble to the Charter refers to the determination of the peoples of the United Nations to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".

192 states of the world are members of the UN.

Principal organs of the UN:

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) - the main deliberative body, consists of representatives of all UN member states (each of them has 1 vote). 193 Member States.

The UN Security Council operates permanently. Under the Charter, the Security Council is given primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. If all means of peaceful resolution of the conflict are used, the Security Council is competent to send observers or troops to the areas of conflicts to maintain peace in order to reduce tension and separate the troops of the warring parties. 5 permanent (China, France, Russian Federation, UK, United Kingdom) and 10 non-permanent members elected for a two-year term. A State which is a Member of the United Nations but is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without the right to vote, in deliberations when the Council considers that the matter under consideration affects the interests of that State. Both Members and non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute before the Council, may be invited to participate, without the right to vote, in the deliberations of the Council; The Council determines the conditions for the participation of a non-member State. Over the entire existence of the UN, the UN peacekeeping forces have carried out about 40 peacekeeping operations.

The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) is authorized to conduct research and draw up reports on international issues in the field of economic, social, culture, education, health, human rights, ecology, etc., to make recommendations on any of them to the GA. 54 members. The 4 member states of the Council are elected by the General Assembly for a term of three years. Seats on the Council are distributed on the basis of geographical representation, with 14 seats for African States, 11 for Asian States, 6 for Eastern European States, 10 for Latin American and Caribbean States and 13 for Western European and other States.

The International Court of Justice, the main judicial body established in 1945, resolves legal disputes between states with their consent and gives advisory opinions on legal matters. 15 judges

The UN Secretariat was created to ensure the proper conditions for the activities of the organization. The secretariat is headed by the chief administrative officer of the UN - the UN Secretary General (since January 1, 2007 - Ban Ki-moon (Korea).

The UN has a number of its own specialized agencies - international intergovernmental organizations on economic, social and humanitarian issues (UNESCO, WHO, FAO, IMF, ILO, UNIDO and others) associated with the UN through ECOSOC, international agreements. Most members of the UN are members of the specialized agencies of the UN.

The UN common system also includes autonomous organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The official languages ​​of the UN and its organizations are English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.

The UN headquarters is located in New York.

The United Nations is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. In 2001, the Prize "For Contribution to a Better World and Strengthening World Peace" was awarded jointly to the organization and its Secretary General, Kofi Annan. In 1988, the UN Peacekeeping Forces received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Functions:

The objectives of the UN, enshrined in its Charter, are the maintenance of international peace and security, the prevention and elimination of threats to peace, and the suppression of acts of aggression, the settlement or resolution by peaceful means of international disputes, the development of friendly relations between nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; implementation of international cooperation in the economic, social, cultural and humanitarian fields, promotion and development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

Members of the UN have pledged to act in accordance with the following principles: the sovereign equality of states; settlement of international disputes by peaceful means; renunciation in international relations of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

peacekeeping mission. The UN Charter itself does not provide for the conduct of peacekeeping operations. However, they may be determined by the goals and principles of the UN, so the General Assembly regularly considers the need for a particular peacekeeping mission.

The implementation of a UN peacekeeping operation can be expressed in:

Investigation of incidents and negotiation with conflicting parties in order to reconcile them;

Verification of compliance with the ceasefire agreement;

Contribute to the maintenance of law and order;

Providing humanitarian assistance;

Monitoring the situation.

The first UN peacekeeping mission was to supervise the truce reached in the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948. It is also known to conduct peacekeeping missions in Cyprus (in 1964 - to stop hostilities and restore order), in Georgia (in 1993 - to resolve the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict), Tajikistan (1994 - to resolve the religious conflict), as well as peacekeeping missions UN sent to Yugoslavia and Somalia.