A ‣ United Nations

The UN is an international organisation constituted¹ in 1945 to make the world a better place for humanity². From its foundation³, it has pursued⁴ these key aims:
• To keep peace throughout the world.
• To establish⁵ friendly relations between countries.
• To work together to improve people’s lives by conquering⁶ poverty, disease, illiteracy⁷ and environmental destruction, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms.
• To be a centre for supporting nations in achieving these goals.

In other words, the UN stresses the importance of negotiation⁸ when there are disagreements between countries. It is opposed to injustice⁹ and upholds¹⁰ the rights of minorities¹¹ but it will only support military intervention¹² if its Security Council agrees that this is justified¹³.

¹ formed (used about an official organisation)
² all people
³ time when it was established [founded]
⁴ try to achieve (pursue with this meaning collocates with words like aim, goal, career, strategy)
⁵ set up, put in place
⁶ beating, getting rid of
⁷ inability to read or write
⁸ discussions in an attempt to reach an agreement
⁹ unfairness
¹⁰ supports
¹¹ groups of people who differ racially or in some other way from most of the people in the place where they live (minority collocates with adjectives like ethnic, religious, oppressed)
¹² involvement in a difficult situation in order to improve it
¹³ caused by a good reason

B ‣ Political movements

A political movement is a group of people with the same beliefs who work together in the attempt to achieve something. They oft en make use of a slogan, a short phrase that catches people’s attention and is easy to remember. The aim of a political movement might be the liberation of a minority, perhaps, or the integration of one particular social group into the society from which it is, or feels itself to be, excluded. Members of a political movement sometimes go on a march, a walk where they can demonstrate their solidarity with others sharing the same attitudes and aims.

C ‣ International conferences

A major international conference is currently meeting in Rio. Delegates¹ from 60 different countries are attending. Their aim is to determine ways in which each country can minimise the energy requirements of its infrastructure², with a view to slowing the rate of global warming. The governments of each country recognise³ the importance of these discussions and have undertaken⁴ to support any programme of measures agreed on by the conference. Although some of the issues under discussion are undeniably⁵ delicate⁶, the conference has so far shown more unity⁷ than is customary⁸ at such gatherings.

¹ representatives
² basic systems and services such as transport
³ accept
⁴ promise
⁵ certainly
⁶ needing to be handled with great skill
⁷ being together as one
⁸ usual