UNITED NATIONS CHARTER
II. DEVELOPMENT
Active vocabulary
| international law agreement protocol covenant convention pact | assume obligations charter bilateral multilateral consensual negotiation |
| to be binding | Status |
1. Answer the following questions using the information from the text:
1. What words meaning a “treaty” can you come across in the text?
2. Is it obligatory for a state to ratify any international treaty?
3. What types of treaties can countries sign?
4. Why should any international treaty be registered with the UN Secretariat and published by it?
5. Why is the present system of international law called consensual?
2. Match the definitions with the words meaning the changes to be made to treaties:
| a)implementation b) reservation c) interpretation d) termination e) amendment f) invalidation g) protocol | 1) statement purporting to exclude or to modify the legal obligation and its effects on the reserving state, must be included at the time of signing or ratification; 2) the act of correction, improvement, changing for better of the existing treaty; 3) an additional treaty or international agreement that supplements a previous treaty, can amend the previous treaty, or add additional provisions; 4) change in the domestic law of a state party that will direct or enable it to fulfill treaty obligations; 5) explanation of the ordinary meaning given to the terms of the treaty in their context and in the light of its object and purpose, can be performed by the International tribunals and arbiters; 6) ending the treaty; 7) consideration a treaty as unenforceable and void under international law. |
3. Make the nouns adding suffixes to the following verbs, use them in the sentences of your own:
Register, amend, adopt, sign, ratify, implement, apply, enforce, reserve, interpret, negotiate, conclude, terminate, oblige.
4. Put the verbs in brackets in necessary form:
The United Nations Charter is the treaty that _______ (form) and establishes the international organization _______ (call) the United Nations. It ___ ______ (sign) at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in the Veterans Auditorium (now the Herbst Theatre) of the War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco, California, United States, on June 26, 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries (Poland, the other original member, which ___ ______ (not represent) at the conference, signed it later). It ______ (enter) into force on October 24, 1945, after _______ (be) ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council—the Republic of China (later replaced by the People's Republic of China), France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (later replaced by the Russian Federation), the United Kingdom, and the United States—and a majority of the other signatories.
As a charter, it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, the Charter _______ (state) that obligations to the United Nations ______ (prevail) over all other treaty obligations. Most countries in the world have now ratified the Charter. One notable exception is the Holy See (Vatican City State), which has chosen to remain a permanent observer state and therefore _______ (be) not a full signatory to the Charter.
4. (a) Translate the entry from the encyclopedia. What is the main subject of the text?
1) the work of the United Nations
2) celebrities who work for the Secretary General
3) the Secretary General and his/her department
Організація Об’єднаних Націй працює в багатьох різних галузях. Щоб виконувати свої завдання, ООН має великий відділ міжнародних цивільних службовців (Секретаріат), в якому працюють понад 9000 осіб. Цей підрозділ ООН очолює Генеральний Секретар, відповідальний за щоденну успішну роботу ООН і багатьох її проектів.
Генеральний Секретар ООН є також символом Об’єднаних Націй, представником народів світу, що має можливість просити про допомогу.
Генеральний Секретар також обирає Посланців миру, які популяризують діяльність ООН. Посланцями миру обирали Лучано Паваротті, Мохаммеда Алі.
(b) Are these statements true or false, or does the text not say?
1. The UN helps protect endangered animals.
2. The Secretariat manages the UN’s Daily business.
3. The Secretary General is very well paid.
4. The Secretary General can request that the UN solves a problem.
5 The countries in the United Nations select the Messengers of Peace.
6. The Messengers of Peace tell the world about the UN’s work.
7. Politicians can become Messengers of Peace