UN Basics
What is a slogan of the United Nations?
Peace, Dignity and Equality on a Healthy Planet.
or
Leave No One Behind
Which Secretary-General introduced the “Millennium Development Goals”?
Kofi Annan
When did Sri Lanka first participate in a UN peacekeeping training program abroad?
1960
Who was the main drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt
How many permanent members are on the UN Security Council and name 3
5 permanent members (USA,
UK, China, Russia and France)
What was the predecessor of the UN and which treaty formally established this predecessor?
League of Nation and the
Treaty of Versailles
Who was the first African UN Secretary-General?
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt)
Who was the first Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the UN?
Sir Senerat Gunewardene
Who is the current High Commissioner for Human Rights?
Volker Türk (as of 2025)
How many principal organs does the UN have and name them
6 principal organs; The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.
How many Member States are in the UN today and which country most recently joined the UN?
193 members and the
South Sudan is the most recent to join
Who was the first woman to serve as President of the UN General Assembly?
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Which Sri Lankan diplomat served as UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs?
Jayantha Dhanapala
Which UN initiative created the concept “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)”?
2005 World Summit Outcome Document
When is International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace?
April 24
How many countries signed the UN Charter in 1945 and where was it signed?
50 countries and it was signed in San Francisco
Which UN Secretary-General won the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously?
Dag Hammarskjöld
Who was the first Sri Lankan to serve as President of the UN Security Council, and in which year?
Sir Claude Corea, 1960
Which country has hosted the most UN peacekeeping missions and Which country has contributed the largest number of peacekeepers as of
31 Jan 2025
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) has hosted the most missions and Nepal is the highest contributor as of 31 Jan 2025
When is International Day of UN Peacekeepers?
May 29
Name the main purposes of the UN.
Maintaining peace & security;
developing friendly relations; achieving international cooperation; harmonizing actions of nations
Who was the only Asian to win both the Nobel Peace Prize and serve as UN Secretary-General?
U Thant (Myanmar)
Who was the first Sri Lankan to serve as President of the UN General Assembly and what major
international legal framework did they help shape?
H. Shirley Amerasinghe and the Law of the Sea Convention
What are UN Peacekeepers often called and what is the symbolic significance of the color of
UN Peacekeepers’ helmets?
Blue Helments and the colour
represents neutrality and peace
What is the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and where is it located?
Settles legal disputes between
states and is located in the Hague, Netherlands