An international organization is a body set up by states to do together what they cannot do as well alone. Membership, aims and headquarters are the facts to keep straight.
The idea
The United Nations was founded in 1945, after the Second World War, to keep peace, and its headquarters are in New York. Its General Assembly includes all member states. The Security Council deals with peace and security, and five permanent members hold a veto. Specialised agencies work on health, education, labour and similar fields. The African Union, which succeeded the Organization of African Unity, has its headquarters in Addis Ababa. It works on peace, cooperation and integration among African states.
ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, was established by the Treaty of Lagos in 1975. Its headquarters are in Abuja. It was set up to integrate the economies of West Africa, and it has also acted on peace and security in the region. When you compare the three, use the same headings: who belongs, what it was set up to do, and where it sits. Do not give the United Nations the job of a regional body, or ECOWAS a global membership it does not have.
What earns the marks
Headquarters are easy marks and easy to swap. United Nations: New York. African Union: Addis Ababa. ECOWAS: Abuja. Aims should match the body. A veto belongs to the Security Council, not to the General Assembly. ECOWAS is West Africa, not the whole continent. The African Union is the continent. If you discuss a failure, name the constraint, such as members' sovereignty or lack of funds, rather than a slogan about uselessness.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
4 marks
State the headquarters and one aim of each of the following.
(a) The United Nations (2 marks)
(b) ECOWAS (2 marks)
Model answer
(a) New York. An aim is to maintain international peace and security.
(b) Abuja. An aim is economic integration of West African states.
Mark scheme
United Nations headquarters: New York1 mark
A correct aim, such as peace, or cooperation on economic and social problems1 mark
ECOWAS headquarters: Abuja1 mark
A correct aim, such as economic integration or regional peace1 mark
2Question 2
2 marks
Where are the headquarters of the African Union, and which organisation did it succeed? (2 marks)
Model answer
Addis Ababa. It succeeded the Organization of African Unity.
Mark scheme
Addis Ababa1 mark
The Organization of African Unity1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
Why can a permanent member of the UN Security Council block a resolution? (2 marks)
Model answer
Each of the five permanent members has a veto. A negative vote from one of them stops the resolution, even if other members support it.
Mark scheme
The permanent member has a veto1 mark
One veto prevents adoption of the resolution1 mark
Practise Government with Anna
More questions on this topic are inside GLearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
Where are the headquarters of the UN, the African Union and ECOWAS?+
The United Nations sits in New York. The African Union sits in Addis Ababa. ECOWAS sits in Abuja. The United Nations was founded in 1945. ECOWAS was established by the Treaty of Lagos in 1975.
What is the veto in the Security Council?+
A permanent member can vote against a substantive resolution and stop it being adopted. The General Assembly does not work by that veto. Do not move the veto to a regional body that does not have it. All WASSCE Government past questions