Sri Lanka, Feb. 15 -- The United Nations, created in 1945 following the devastation caused by World War II was mandated with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security.

But the 76-year-old organization and its affiliated bodies - including the 193-member General Assembly and the 15-member Security Council- take decisions mostly by open voting, and few, by secret ballot.

But the seriousness of the UN's far-reaching mandate has been tempered by occasional moments of levity which have rocked the Glass House by the East River - with laughter.

The UN is a rich source of anecdotes - both real and apocryphal - in which the General Assembly (UNGA), the UN's highest policy-making body, takes center stage, along wit...