united nations

             their programmes. Made up of a staff working at Headquarters and all over the.
             world, it carries out the day-to-day work of the UN. At its head is the.
             Secretary-General. Staff members are drawn from some 170 countries.
             WHAT THE UN DOES FOR PEACE . . .
             Throughout its 50 years of existence, a central purpose of the UN has.
             been to preserve world peace. The UN has helped resolve disputes between nations,.
             reduce tensions, prevent conflicts and put an end to fighting. It has carried.
             out complex operations involving peacemaking, peace-keeping and humanitarian.
             assistance. It has thus played a major role in resolving some of the most.
             protracted conflicts of recent years. The means at its disposal to bring about.
             peace are varied: a Security Council decision ordering a cease-fire and laying.
             down guidelines for settling a dispute . . . good offices of the Secretary-.
             General . . . a compromise worked out by a mediator . . . unpublicized.
             diplomatic approaches during informal encounters . . . dispatch of a fact-.
             finding team . . . observer missions or peace-keeping forces made up of.
             contingents from Member States under the command of the UN.
             The demand for UN peace-keeping has increased dramatically, with 21 new.
             operations in 1988-1994, compared with 13 over the previous 40 years.
             In early 1995, about 69,000 UN troops, military observers and civilian.
             police, provided by 77 countries, were deployed in various areas of the world.
             More than 720,000 military personnel have served with the UN forces since 1948,.
             and more than 1,100 peace-keepers have lost their lives. Many thousands of.
             civilians have also served.
             . . in Somalia.
             The civil war that broke out in 1991 resulted in more than 300,000.
             people dead and five million threatened by hunger. The UN helped eliminate mass.
             starvation, stop the large-scale killings and bring a bitter conflict to an end.
             It established in April 1992 the UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), followed in.