UNITED NATIONS (UN)

The United Nations is an international organization designed to make the enforcement of international law, security, economic development, social progress, and human rights easier for countries around the world. The United Nations includes 193 member countries and its main headquarters are located in New York City.

History and Principles

Prior to the United Nations (UN), the League of Nations was the international organization responsible for ensuring peace and cooperation between world nations. It was founded in 1919 "to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security." At its height, the League of Nations had 58 members and was considered successful. In the 1930s its success waned as the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) gained influence, eventually leading to the start of World War II in 1939.

The term "United Nations" was then coined in 1942 by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Declaration by United Nations. This declaration was made to officially state the cooperation of the Allies (Great Britain, the United States, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and other nations during World War II.

The UN as it is known today however was not officially founded until 1945 when the Charter of the United Nations was drafted at the UN Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, California. The conference was attended by 50 nations and several non-governmental organizations - all of which signed the Charter. The UN officially came into existence on October 24, 1945 after ratification of the Charter.

The principles of the UN as explained in the Charter are to save future generations from war, reaffirm human rights, and establish equal rights for all persons. In addition it also aims to promote justice, freedom, and social progress for the peoples of all of its member states.

Organization

In order to handle the complex task of getting its member states to cooperate most efficiently, the UN today is divided into five branches:-

 The first is the UN General Assembly. This is the main decision-making and representative assembly in the UN and is responsible for upholding the principles of the UN through its policies and recommendations. It is composed of all member states, is headed by a president elected from the member states, and meets from September to December each year.

The UN Security Council is another branch in the organization of the UN and is the most powerful of all the branches. It has power to authorize the deployment UN member states' militaries, can mandate a cease-fire during conflicts, and can enforce penalties on countries if they do not comply with given mandates. It is composed of five permanent members and ten rotating members.

The next branch of the UN is the International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, Netherlands. This branch is responsible for the judicial matters of the UN.

The Economic and Social Council is a branch that assists the General Assembly in promoting economic and social development as well as cooperation of member states.

Finally, the Secretariat is the branch UN headed by the Secretary General. Its main responsibility is providing studies, information, and other data when needed by other UN branches for their meetings.

Afghanistan - Nov 19, 1946
Albania - Dec 14, 1955
Algeria - Oct 8, 1962
Andorra - July 28, 1993
Angola - Dec 1, 1976
Antigua and Barbuda - Nov 11, 1981
Argentina - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Armenia - March 2, 1992
Australia - Nov 1, 1945 (original UN member)
Austria - Dec 14, 1955
Azerbaijan - March 2, 1992
The Bahamas - Sept 18, 1973
Bahrain - Sept 21, 1971
Bangladesh - Sept 17, 1974
Barbados - Dec 9, 1966
Belarus - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Belgium - Dec 27, 1945 (original UN member)
Belize - Sept 25, 1981
Benin - Sept 20, 1960
Bhutan - Sept 21, 1971
Bolivia - Nov 14, 1945 (original UN member)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - May 22, 1992
Botswana - Oct 17, 1966
Brazil - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Brunei - Sept 21, 1984
Bulgaria - Dec 14, 1955
Burkina Faso - Sept 20, 1960
Burundi - Sept 18, 1962
Cambodia - Dec 14, 1955
Cameroon - Sept 20, 1960
Canada - Nov 9, 1945 (original UN member)
Cape Verde - Sept 16, 1975
Central African Republic - Sept 20, 1960
Chad - Sept 20, 1960
Chile - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
China - Oct 25, 1971*
Colombia - Nov 5, 1945 (original UN member)
Comoros - Nov 12, 1975
Republic of the Congo - Sept 20, 1960
Democratic Republic of the Congo - Sept 20, 1960
Costa Rica - Nov 2, 1945 (original UN member)
Cote d'Ivoire - Sept 20, 1960
Croatia - May 22, 1992
Cuba - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Cyprus - Sept 20, 1960
Czech Republic - Jan 19, 1993
Denmark - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Djibouti - Sept 20, 1977
Dominica - Dec 18, 1978
Dominican Republic - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
East Timor - Sept 22, 2002
Ecuador - Dec 21, 1945 (original UN member)
Egypt - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
El Salvador - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Equatorial Guinea - Nov 12, 1968
Eritrea - May 28, 1993
Estonia - Sept 17, 1991
Ethiopia - Nov 13, 1945 (original UN member)
Fiji - Oct 13, 1970
Finland - Dec 14, 1955
France - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Gabon - Sept 20, 1960
The Gambia - Sept 21, 1965
Georgia - July 31, 1992
Germany - Sept 18, 1973
Ghana - March 8, 1957
Greece - Oct 25, 1945 (original UN member)
Grenada - Sept 17, 1974
Guatemala - Nov 21, 1945 (original UN member)
Guinea - Dec 12, 1958
Guinea-Bissau - Sept 17, 1974
Guyana - Sept 20, 1966
Haiti - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Honduras - Dec 17, 1945 (original UN member)
Hungary - Dec 14, 1955
Iceland - Nov 19, 1946
India - Oct 30, 1945 (original UN member)
Indonesia - Sept 28, 1950
Iran - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Iraq - Dec 21, 1945 (original UN member)
Ireland - Dec 14, 1955
Israel - May 11, 1949
Italy - Dec 14, 1955
Jamaica - Sept 18, 1962
Japan - Dec 18, 1956
Jordan - Dec 14, 1955
Kazakhstan - March 2, 1992
Kenya - Dec 16, 1963
Kiribati - Sept 14, 1999
Korea, North - Dec 17, 1991
Korea, South - Dec 17, 1991
Kuwait - May 14, 1964
Kyrgyzstan - March 2, 1992
Laos - Dec 14, 1955
Latvia - Sept 17, 1991
Lebanon - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Lesotho - Oct 17, 1966
Liberia - Nov 2, 1945 (original UN member)
Libya - Dec 14, 1955
Liechtenstein - Sept 18, 1990
Lithuania - Sept 17, 1991
Luxembourg - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Macedonia - April 8, 1993
Madagascar - Sept 20, 1960
Malawi - Dec 1, 1964
Malaysia - Sept 17, 1957
Maldives - Sept 21, 1965
Mali - Sept 28, 1960
Malta - Dec 1, 1964
Marshall Islands - Sept 17, 1991
Mauritania - Oct 27, 1961
Mauritius - April 24, 1968
Mexico - Nov 7, 1945 (original UN member)
Micronesia, Federated States of - Sept 17, 1991
Moldova - March 2, 1992
Monaco - May 28, 1993
Mongolia - Oct 27, 1961
Montenegro - June 28, 2006
Morocco - Nov 12, 1956
Mozambique - Sept 16, 1975
Myanmar (Burma) - April 19, 1948
Namibia - April 23, 1990
Nauru - Sept 14, 1999
Nepal - Dec 14, 1955
Netherlands - Dec 10, 1945 (original UN member)
New Zealand - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Nicaragua - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Niger - Sept 20, 1960
Nigeria - Oct 7, 1960
Norway - Nov 27, 1945 (original UN member)
Oman - Oct 7, 1971
Pakistan - Sept 30, 1947
Palau - Dec 15, 1994
Panama - Nov 13, 1945 (original UN member)
Papua New Guinea - Oct 10, 1945
Paraguay - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member country)
Peru - Oct 31, 1945 (original UN member)
Philippines - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Poland - Oct 24, 1945
Portugal - Dec 14, 1955
Qatar - Sept 21, 1977
Romania - Dec 14, 1955
Russia - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Rwanda - Sept 18, 1962
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Sept 23, 1983
Saint Lucia - Sept 18, 1979
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Sept. 16, 1980
Samoa - Dec 15, 1976
San Marino - March 2, 1992
Sao Tome and Principe - Sept 16, 1975
Saudi Arabia - Oct 24, 1945
Senegal - Sept 28, 1945
Serbia - Nov 1, 2000
Seychelles - Sept 21, 1976
Sierra Leone - Sept 27, 1961
Singapore - Sept 21, 1965
Slovakia - Jan 19, 1993
Slovenia - May 22, 1992
Solomon Islands - Sept 19, 1978
Somalia - Sept 20, 1960
South Africa - Nov 7, 1945 (original UN member)
South Sudan - July 14, 2011
Spain - Dec 14, 1955
Sri Lanka - Dec 14, 1955
Sudan - Nov 12, 1956
Suriname - Dec 4, 1975
Swaziland - Sept 24, 1968
Sweden - Nov 19, 1946
Switzerland - Sept 10, 2002
Syria - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Tajikistan - March 2, 1992
Tanzania - Dec 14, 1961
Thailand - Dec 16, 1946
Togo - Sept 20, 1960
Tonga - Sept 14, 1999
Trinidad and Tobago - Sept 18, 1962
Tunisia - Nov 12, 1956
Turkey - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Turkmenistan - March 2, 1992
Tuvalu - Sept 5, 2000
Uganda - Oct 25, 1962
Ukraine - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
United Arab Emirates - Dec 9, 1971
United Kingdom - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
United States of America - Oct 24, 1945 (original UN member)
Uruguay - Dec 18, 1945
Uzbekistan - March 2, 1992
Vanuatu - Sept 15, 1981
Venezuela - Nov 15, 1945 (original UN member)
Vietnam - Sept 20, 1977
Yemen - Sept 30, 1947
Zambia - Dec 1, 1964
Zimbabwe - Aug 25, 1980

*Taiwan was a member country of the United Nations from October 24, 1945 to October 25, 1971. Since then, China replaced Taiwan on the United Nations Security Council and in the U.N.