The Reference Library
Diplomacy & Politics Glossary
Every term you need — from Model UN procedure to international law, economics, and political theory. Clear definitions, real examples, and cross-linked concepts.
- Terms
- 2,494 terms· showing letter U (46)
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- 13 categories
Showing 46 entries
U
46 entriesUbuntu Philosophy
Nelson Mandela's African philosophy emphasizing community, shared humanity, and…
UN Development Programme (UNDP)
The UN's lead agency for development assistance, operating in ~170 countries on…
UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
One of the UN's six principal organs, coordinating the economic, social, and…
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
The UN's leading authority on the environment, headquartered in Nairobi — the…
UN General Assembly
The plenary deliberative organ of the United Nations where all 193 member…
UN GGE (Group of Governmental Experts on ICT)
The UN expert process that produced foundational consensus reports on cyber…
UN Human Rights Council
UN body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide through…
UN Network on Migration
The UN system mechanism coordinating implementation of the Global Compact for…
UN Peacebuilding Commission
A UN body that supports post-conflict recovery and institution building to…
UN Peacekeeping Operations
United Nations missions deploying military and civilian personnel to maintain…
UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
The UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, working in 150+ countries on…
UN Responsibility to Protect Doctrine
International norm that states have a duty to protect populations from mass…
UN Secretariat
The administrative organ of the United Nations, headed by the…
UN Security Council
The UN organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international…
UN Trusteeship Council
A principal organ of the UN that supervised decolonization of trust territories…
Unconscious Bias
Implicit attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding, actions, and…
UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development)
The UN body promoting development-friendly integration of developing countries…
UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinating global environmental…
Unfairness
A Theory Argument claiming that an opponent's actions or arguments violate the…
Unfairness Argument
An Unfairness argument claims that a rule or violation makes the debate unjust…
Unfriendly Amendment
An amendment proposed to a Draft Resolution without the original sponsors'…
Unfriendly Signatory
A delegate who signs a Draft Resolution but does not fully support it and may…
UNHCR
The United Nations agency responsible for protecting and supporting refugees…
UNICEF
The United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and…
Unilateral Sanctions
Trade or financial penalties imposed by one country independently to influence…
Unipolar Moment
The period after the Cold War when the United States emerged as the sole global…
Unipolarity
International system structure dominated by a single superpower with unmatched…
Uniqueness
In Policy debate, the argument that a particular Disadvantage or impact is…
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
A principal UN organ responsible for promoting international economic and…
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
A UN agency responsible for coordinating environmental activities and assisting…
United Nations Founding
The establishment of the international organization in 1945 aimed at promoting…
United Nations General Assembly
The UN General Assembly is the main deliberative body where all member states…
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
A UN agency mandated to protect and support refugees and displaced persons…
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
A UN agency mandated to protect and support refugees worldwide.
United Nations Human Rights Committee
A Treaty Body monitoring implementation of the International Covenant on Civil…
United Nations Security Council
A principal UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and…
United Nations Trusteeship Council
A former UN body established to oversee the administration of trust territories…
Universal Basic Income
A government program providing all citizens with a regular, unconditional sum…
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
A foundational UN document adopted in 1948 outlining fundamental human rights…
Universal Jurisdiction
Allows states to prosecute certain serious international crimes regardless of…
Universal Periodic Review
A mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council that reviews the human rights…
Unmoderated Caucus
A flexible debate period where delegates freely discuss and negotiate without…
Unmoderated Caucus Time Allocation
The process by which the chair determines the length of an Unmoderated Caucus…
UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime)
The UN office leading global efforts against illicit drugs, organized crime,…
Unpacking Positions
Analyzing stated positions to reveal underlying interests and needs in conflict…
US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral
A 2024-launched trilateral framework between the US, Japan, and the Philippines…