Editing League of Nations (section)

===Permanent organs===

The main constitutional organs of the League were the Assembly, the council, and the Permanent Secretariat. It also had two essential wings: the [[Permanent Court of International Justice]] and the [[International Labour Organization]]. In addition, there were several auxiliary agencies and bodies.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|pp=48, 66}} Each organ's budget was allocated by the Assembly (the League was supported financially by its member states).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=University of Indiana|access-date=5 October 2011|title=Budget of the League|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~league/pictorialsurvey/lonapspg30.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823153107/http://www.indiana.edu/~league/pictorialsurvey/lonapspg30.htm|archive-date=23 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

The relations between the assembly and the council and the competencies of each were for the most part not explicitly defined. Each body could deal with any matter within the sphere of competence of the league or affecting peace in the world. Particular questions or tasks might be referred to either.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|pp=48–49}}

[[Unanimity]] was required for the decisions of both the assembly and the council, except in matters of procedure and some other specific cases such as the admission of new members. This requirement was a reflection of the league's belief in the sovereignty of its component nations; the league sought a solution by consent, not by dictation. In case of a dispute, the consent of the parties to the dispute was not required for unanimity.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|p=53}}

The Permanent Secretariat, established at the seat of the League at Geneva, comprised a body of experts in various spheres under the direction of the [[Secretary General|general secretary]].{{sfn|Northedge|1986|p=50}} Its principal sections were Political, Financial and Economics, Transit, Minorities and Administration (administering the [[Saar (League of Nations)|Saar]] and [[Free City of Danzig|Danzig]]), Mandates, Disarmament, Health, Social (Opium and Traffic in Women and Children), Intellectual Cooperation and International Bureaux, Legal, and Information. The staff of the Secretariat was responsible for preparing the agenda for the Council and the Assembly and publishing reports of the meetings and other routine matters, effectively acting as the League's civil service. In 1931 the staff numbered 707.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=15 September 2011|publisher=United Nations Office at Geneva|url=http://biblio-archive.unog.ch/detail.aspx?ID=245|title=League of Nations Secretariat, 1919–1946|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212075827/http://biblio-archive.unog.ch/detail.aspx?ID=245|archive-date=12 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:League of Nations 1923.jpg|thumb|A session of the Assembly (1923), meeting in Geneva at the ''Salle de la Réformation'' (in a building at the corner of ''Boulevard Helvétique'' and ''Rue du Rhône'') from 1920 to 1929, and at the ''Bâtiment électoral'' or ''Palais Électoral'' (''Rue du Général- Dufour'' 24) from 1930 to 1936 as well as for special sessions at the ''Palais&nbsp;du désarmement'' adjacent to the [[Palais Wilson]],<ref name="UN GENEVA 1920">{{cite web | title=Main Organs of the League of Nations | website=UN GENEVA | date=1920-12-16 | url=https://www.ungeneva.org/en/library-archives/league-of-nations/organs | access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref> before moving into the ''Assembly Hall'' of the [[Palace of Nations]].]]

The Assembly consisted of representatives of all members of the League, with each state allowed up to three representatives and one vote.<ref name="UNOG">{{cite web | title =Organization and establishment:The main bodies of the League of Nations | publisher =The United Nations Office at Geneva | url =http://www.unog.ch/80256EE60057D930/(httpPages)/84C4520213F947DDC1256F32002E23DB?OpenDocument | access-date =18 May 2008 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081209115248/http://www.unog.ch/80256EE60057D930/(httpPages)/84C4520213F947DDC1256F32002E23DB?OpenDocument | archive-date =9 December 2008 | url-status =dead | df =dmy-all }}</ref> It met in Geneva and, after its initial sessions in 1920,{{sfn|Northedge|1986|p=72}} it convened once a year in September.<ref name="UNOG"/> The special functions of the Assembly included the admission of new members, the periodical election of non-permanent members to the council, the election with the Council of the judges of the Permanent Court, and control of the budget. In practice, the Assembly was the general directing force of League activities.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|pp=48–50}}

The Council acted as a type of executive body directing the Assembly's business.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|p=48}} It began with four permanent members – [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Great Britain]], [[France]], [[Italy]], and [[Japan]] – and four non-permanent members that were elected by the Assembly for a three-year term.{{sfn|Northedge|1986|pp=42–48}} The first non-permanent members were [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Greece]], and [[Spain]].<ref name=photo>{{cite web|access-date=15 September 2011|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~league/photos.htm|publisher=University of Indiana|title=League of Nations Photo Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909035837/http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eleague/photos.htm|archive-date=9 September 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

The composition of the Council was changed several times. The number of non-permanent members was first increased to six on 22 September 1922 and to nine on 8 September 1926. [[Werner Dankwort]] of Germany pushed for his country to join the League; joining in 1926, Germany became the fifth permanent member of the Council. Later, after Germany and Japan both left the League, the number of non-permanent seats was increased from nine to eleven, and the Soviet Union was made a permanent member giving the council a total of fifteen members.<ref name=photo/> The Council met, on average, five times a year and in extraordinary sessions when required. In total, 107 sessions were held between 1920 and 1939.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=15 September 2011|publisher=University of Indiana|title=Chronology 1939|url=http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1939.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927120649/http://www.indiana.edu/~league/1939.htm|archive-date=27 September 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>