The United Nations is the world's largest intergovernmental organisation, founded in 1945 in the wake of the Second World War to maintain international peace and security. Its membership covers nearly every sovereign state, and its remit reaches from preventing armed conflict and brokering ceasefires to coordinating humanitarian aid, setting health policy through the WHO, and protecting refugees through UNHCR.
At a glance
- Founded: 1945 (The UN Charter signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, entered into force 24 October 1945)
- Headquarters: usa-state/new-york/" data-it-autolink="1">New York, United States
- Official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
- Website: www.un.org
Mission
The four stated purposes in the UN Charter are: maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of equal rights and self-determination; achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems; and promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Structure
The UN has six principal organs. The General Assembly is the only body where every member state has one vote. The Security Council is responsible for international peace and security and has fifteen members, of which five (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) are permanent and hold veto power. The Economic and Social Council coordinates economic and social work. The Trusteeship Council suspended operations in 1994. The International Court of Justice in The Hague is the principal judicial organ. The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, carries out the day-to-day work of the organisation.
Member states
The UN has 193 member states — nearly every sovereign country in the world. Non-members holding permanent observer status include Vatican City and Palestine.
Key facts
- The UN headquarters in New York occupies an 18-acre site that is technically international territory — under UN jurisdiction rather than US sovereignty.
- Six languages are official; English and French are the working languages of the Secretariat.
- The UN flag's pale blue (Pantone 279) was deliberately chosen to be visually distinct from any national flag.
- The Trusteeship Council, one of the six principal organs, suspended operations in 1994 when the last UN trust territory (Palau) became independent — but it has never been formally abolished and could in principle resume duties.
- Funding comes from assessed contributions (proportional to GDP) plus voluntary contributions; the United States is the largest contributor by a significant margin.
Historic milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1945 | San Francisco Conference signs the UN Charter |
| 1948 | Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted |
| 1956 | First UN peacekeeping force (Suez Crisis) |
| 1971 | PRC replaces ROC in the China seat |
| 2000 | Millennium Development Goals adopted |
| 2015 | Sustainable Development Goals adopted |
