Lightbox. United Nations

As the seat of power in the United Nations, the Security Council and its five permanent members have influence in every corner of the globe. Through an investigation into the Security Council's history and role at the UN, profiles of the five permanent members, and criticisms concerning it, students will understand how this central part of the United Nations wields so much power in the world.

The United Nations (UN) has had much success in helping free territories from the control of colonial powers. When the UN was founded in 1945, parts of Africa and Southeast Asia and many Pacific Islands fell under the category of Non-Self-Governing Territories. By 2005, more than 80 of these territories had become self-governing.

Human rights have been central to the United Nations (UN) since the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and they continue to play a role in debates about the UN's responsibility to protect the vulnerable. Despite having proven ineffective in preventing some human rights abuses, the UN has done important work in setting standards and creating the rules that govern international human rights law.

An overview of the history and structure of the United Nations.

Since its beginning, the United Nations (UN) has worked through its various agencies to bring assistance where people are hungry or lack shelter, education, or medical care. Over the course of many decades, humanitarian efforts by UN agencies have reduced and eliminated many deadly diseases, eased the distress of millions of refugees, and provided immediate aid during natural disasters. Readers will explore how the UN works to alleviate the effects of human-made as well as natural disasters in Humanitarian Relief and Lending a Hand, one of the titles in The United Nations series.

In the aftermath of World War II, leaders came together in the belief that, with the cooperation of all nations, a lasting peace could be achieved. The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 with the goal of maintaining international peace and security. Since that time, violence and turmoil have tested the UN's resolve, and it continues to be involved in peacekeeping operations around the world today.