United Nations

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The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that was founded in 1945 in San Francisco, California in the United States, when 50 nations signed the United Nations Charter. As stated in the charter, the UN's mission is to prevent international war, protect human rights, support social progress and justice, and help with economic progress.[1] The United Nations supplanted the failed League of Nations, which had been established in the 1920s.

Origins

The term 'United Nations' was created by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt[2] and first used in the January 1 1942 Declaration by United Nations when 26 Allied countries affirmed their willingness to continue fighting "for victory over Hitlerism".[3]

Structure

The United Nations is composed of 6 main bodies:[4]

General Assembly

The head of each member nation's delegation to the United Nations is titled Ambassador.

Security Council

The Security Council has 15 members, including 5 permanent members: Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Economic and Social Council

Trusteeship Council

International Court of Justice

Secretariat

Secretary General

Departments and agencies

National representatives to these organizations may also have the rank and title of Ambassador.

Major UN roles in history

References

  1. The UN Charter
  2. The Statesman's Yearbook, Macmillan Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-1-4039-9278-9
  3. Declaration by United Nations
  4. UN.org Main Bodies