What the UN, NATO, the EU and the WTO do

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations; the Security Council voting rule is from Article 27 of the UN Charter): The General Assembly has all 193 Member States, each with one vote, and important questions need a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. The Security Council has 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent, and can impose sanctions. A Council decision on a matter of substance needs nine yes votes, and a no vote from any one of the five permanent members blocks it. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): In 1945 some 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. In 1960 the General Assembly's Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples affirmed the right of all peoples to self-determination and called for a speedy and unconditional end to colonialism. About 80 former colonies have become independent since the UN was created. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948, as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental rights to be universally protected. Its drafters came from different legal and cultural backgrounds in all regions. Card D, an invented speech by a delegate, written for this sheet (not a real person): "Our resolution won 120 of the 193 votes in the General Assembly. The Security Council has not acted, but the world has spoken."

2. 1.

   Card D is an invented delegate's speech. What can it show, Ari asks?

   • That the Security Council refused to act, since the speaker says it has not acted
   • What one delegate says about a vote and the Council, which a vote record would have to confirm
   • That the resolution now binds each state, since the Assembly passed it and the speaker is sure
   • The official result of the vote, since delegates report votes correctly to the Assembly
3. 2.

   Card C says the General Assembly proclaimed the Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard. What does that support, Bo asks?

   • It gave the Security Council power over rights, since the UN has a Council that deals with threats
   • It applied just to member states, since the Assembly is made of member states and speaks for them
   • The Declaration is a binding treaty, since the Assembly proclaimed it for the peoples and nations
   • The Assembly proclaimed shared standards; the card does not say the Declaration bound states like a treaty
4. 3.

   Card B says about 80 former colonies became independent since the UN was created. A student says the UN caused decolonization. What does Card B allow, Esme asks?

   • The UN caused it, since the independence of about 80 colonies came after the UN was created
   • Decolonization ended in 1960, since the Declaration called for a speedy end to colonialism
   • The UN had no role, since colonies became independent on their own after the war ended
   • The UN called for an end to colonialism and many colonies became independent; the card does not show cause
5. 4.

   Card D says the resolution won 120 of 193 votes. On an important question, did it pass, if all 193 voted, Jun asks?

   • No: it needs yes votes from each of the 193 members, so any gap in agreement stops it
   • No: two-thirds of 193 is about 129, and 120 is a majority but not two-thirds
   • Yes: the Security Council did not block it, and that is what decides an Assembly vote
   • Yes: 120 is more than half of 193, and a majority of the members is enough to pass
6. 5.

   In the Security Council, nine members vote yes and one permanent member votes no. What happens, Kira asks?

   • It is sent to the General Assembly, which decides by two-thirds of the members voting
   • It is blocked, since a no vote from any one permanent member stops the decision even with nine yes votes
   • It passes, since nine yes votes is enough for a decision of the Security Council
   • It passes, since nine of 15 is a majority of the Council and the permanent members are just five
7. 6.

   Eight Council members vote yes, none votes no and seven abstain. What happens, Luz asks?

   • It passes, since no member voted no and an abstention counts as support
   • It fails, since a decision needs nine yes votes and eight is one short of that
   • It is blocked by a permanent member, since the permanent members are most of the votes
   • It passes, since eight is more than half of 15 and a majority of the Council decides

8. Use this

   Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the European Union): On May 9, 1950 the Schuman plan was announced. On April 18, 1951 six countries, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, signed the coal and steel treaty. The Treaties of Rome were signed on March 25, 1957, and the bodies were in place on January 1, 1958. The single market, with free movement of people, goods, services and money, was launched on January 1, 1993. The Maastricht Treaty, signed on February 7, 1992, officially created the European Union when it came into force on November 1, 1993. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. The euro was introduced on January 1, 1999 in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions. Today the EU has 27 member countries, with years of entry running from 1958 to 2013. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the World Trade Organization): The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed on October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members. The WTO, established on January 1, 1995 after the Uruguay Round of talks (1986 to 1994), is the only international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It has 166 members, which together make up 98 percent of world trade. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from NATO): The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1949 by 12 founding members. Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty, in Article 5: an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The treaty is based on Article 51 of the UN Charter. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the US Department of State and the United Nations): The League of Nations was created after World War I, in 1920, as a forum for resolving international disputes, based in Geneva. The United States never joined it. World War II showed the need for a more effective organization, and the United States became a founding member of the UN. Representatives of 50 countries signed the UN Charter in San Francisco in 1945, and the UN officially began on October 24, 1945.

9. 7.

   Cards A to D mention the League of Nations and the UN. Which comparison is fair, Pia asks?

   • Both are forums for settling disputes; the UN began in 1945 and the US was a founder
   • The two had the same members, since the UN took over the League's Geneva office
   • The League was a trade body and the UN a defense alliance, so they had different jobs
   • The UN replaced the League in 1920, when the United States joined it, and the League ended at once

10. Use this

    Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations; the Security Council voting rule is from Article 27 of the UN Charter): The General Assembly has all 193 Member States, each with one vote, and important questions need a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. The Security Council has 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent, and can impose sanctions. A Council decision on a matter of substance needs nine yes votes, and a no vote from any one of the five permanent members blocks it. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): In 1945 some 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. In 1960 the General Assembly's Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples affirmed the right of all peoples to self-determination and called for a speedy and unconditional end to colonialism. About 80 former colonies have become independent since the UN was created. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948, as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental rights to be universally protected. Its drafters came from different legal and cultural backgrounds in all regions. Card D, an invented speech by a delegate, written for this sheet (not a real person): "Our resolution won 120 of the 193 votes in the General Assembly. The Security Council has not acted, but the world has spoken."

11. 8.

    Suppose 190 members are present and voting, and 3 are absent. How many yes votes make two-thirds, Ren asks?

    • 126 votes, since two-thirds of 190 is 126 when rounded down
    • 129 votes, since two-thirds of 193 is about 128.7
    • 127 votes, since two-thirds of 190 is about 126.7
    • 96 votes, since more than half of 190 is a majority

12. Use this

    Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the European Union): On May 9, 1950 the Schuman plan was announced. On April 18, 1951 six countries, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, signed the coal and steel treaty. The Treaties of Rome were signed on March 25, 1957, and the bodies were in place on January 1, 1958. The single market, with free movement of people, goods, services and money, was launched on January 1, 1993. The Maastricht Treaty, signed on February 7, 1992, officially created the European Union when it came into force on November 1, 1993. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. The euro was introduced on January 1, 1999 in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions. Today the EU has 27 member countries, with years of entry running from 1958 to 2013. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the World Trade Organization): The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed on October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members. The WTO, established on January 1, 1995 after the Uruguay Round of talks (1986 to 1994), is the only international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It has 166 members, which together make up 98 percent of world trade. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from NATO): The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1949 by 12 founding members. Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty, in Article 5: an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The treaty is based on Article 51 of the UN Charter. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the US Department of State and the United Nations): The League of Nations was created after World War I, in 1920, as a forum for resolving international disputes, based in Geneva. The United States never joined it. World War II showed the need for a more effective organization, and the United States became a founding member of the UN. Representatives of 50 countries signed the UN Charter in San Francisco in 1945, and the UN officially began on October 24, 1945.

13. 9.

    Card A: six countries signed the coal and steel treaty in 1951; the EU has 27 members today. A student says "the EU grew by 21 countries since 1951." What limits that, Tala asks?

    • There is no limit, since 27 minus 6 is 21 and the same Union has grown by that many countries
    • It should be 21 percent, since 21 is the growth rate of the membership since 1951
    • It should be 33, since the six founders of 1951 are added to the 27 members of today
    • The 1951 body was not the EU, which began in 1993, so 21 compares different bodies
14. 10.

    Card B says the WTO's 166 members make up 98 percent of world trade. Which conclusion does that figure support, Zee asks?

    • Its members carry out nearly all world trade, though a share of trade is not a share of countries
    • That 98 percent of countries belong to it, since 98 percent is close to the whole world
    • That the WTO controls 98 percent of world trade, since its members make up that share and it sets their rules
    • That trade grew after 1995, since the WTO began on January 1, 1995