From: mcyang@pollux.usc.edu (Bien-Chao Iunn)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan
Subject: Join United Nations under the name of Taiwan
Date: 24 Jul 1992 10:51:34 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: pollux.usc.edu

Dear friends,

	I received the following interesting report from my e-mail box.

	While KMT, for its own political interest, keeps Taiwan isolated
	from the international community, the United Nations has gone
	through a major change in the past few years.   As a group of
	people who care very much about motherland, I have been thinking
	what we can do in order to bring our country Taiwan back to
	the stage of the world.  This might be critical if Taiwan is
	going to face any aggression from some hostile countries such
	as China.

	I hope that the following  report can give you more insight about
	the issue.

******************************************************************************

Speaking Of :
	" The Expanding U.N. "
--	Tuesday, July 21, 1992. Los Angeles Times, 
	(Weekly) World Report Section, p.H/4.
--	Compiled by 
	Times Staff writer Stanley Meisler and Researcher Kevin Fox.
	(source : Europa World Yearbook 1992, Encyclopedia Britannical, United
		  Nations Department of Public Information, World Book.)

	
**** Trends in Membership :

	The United Nations grew slowly in its first decade. Cold War tensions
mounted among the permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France,
British, the Soviet Union and the United States -- and only nine of 31 
applicants were accepted for admission.

	In 1955, a Canadian-led compromise was supported by the General
Assembly and the Security Council, and 16 new members were added. Membership
increased steadily from that point.

	The decline of European colonialism in Africa and Asia during the 1960s
led to a surge in membership. Seventeen countries were admitted in 1960, the
single largest yearly increase.

	Decolonization continued through the 1970s and spread to include much
of the Persian Gulf region in 1971.

	The fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union 
resulted in the recent influx of new members with the former Yugoslav republics
of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia representing the newest members.


**** The Rise in The Ranks :

	United Nations membership is rising dramatically this decade after 
gaining only seven members in the 80's. There are now 178 members in the 
organization, formed after World War II to promote international peace and
security. Membership allows a nation to send a representative to New York to
meet and discuss international problems.

	(U.N. Membership statistics :
		1940s	--	59.
		1950s	--	83.
		1960s	--	125.
		1970s	--	150.
		1980s	--	157.
		1990s 	--	178 (to date).
	)


**** New Members in the '90s :
	April 23, 1990	:	Namibia.
	Sept. 18, 1990	:	Liechtenstein.
	Sept. 17, 1991	:	North Korea,
				Federated States of Micronesia,
				Estonia,
				Latvia,
				Lithuania,
				Marshall Islands,
				South Korea.
	March 2, 1992 	:	Armenia,
				Azerbaijan,
				Kazakhstan,
				Kyrgyzstan,
				Moldova,
				San Marino,
				Tajikistan,
				Turkmenistan,
				Uzbekistan.
	May 22, 1992	:	Bosnia-Herzegovina,
				Croatia,
				Slovenia.


**** Requirement to Join :

	The U.N. Charter states that membership is open to all "peace-loving 
states" that are "able and willing" to carry out the obligations of membership.

	A two-third vote is required from the General Assembly following a 
recommendation by a majority of the 14-member Security Council.


**** Notable Holdouts : Why They Haven't Joined.

	Switzerland	Has a long tradition of neutrality, and many believe
			membership in the U.N. would jeopardize that position.
--->>	Taiwan		Originally held the China seat but was replaced by the 
			People's Republic of China and has never applied as
			Taiwan, having not relinquished its claim to be the
			legitimate government of China.
	Monaco		Though a sovereign state, the principality's foreign
			policy is under the control of France.
	Andorra		Independence in question, it is jointly ruled by 
			Spain Bishop of Urgel and the president of France.
	Vatican City	Not considered by all nations to be sovereign.
	Tonga		Independent since 1970, has never applied for 
			admission.


**** Centered Around General Assembly :
	The U.N. charters, the organization's manual, sets up six major
	operating units (as depicted) :
	(at the center) :
	 General Assembly 	:
			The only major unit to which all members belong.
	(clockwise) :
	International Court of Justice :
			Handles international legal disputes.
	Secretariat :
			Helps other units work together efficiently.
	Trusteeship :
			Overesees territories that were not self-governing
			when United Nations was founded.
	Security Council :
			Responsible for maintaining peace.
	Economic and Social Council :
			Advances human rights and promotes better living
			standards.