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Introducing the United Nations

The United Nations was founded on 24th October 1945 with the hope that succeeding generations could be saved from the scourge of war and that common standards could be agreed on human rights, international law and social progress. The UN is based on the principle of collective security - that any breach of international peace by one State will be punished jointly by the rest of the international community. Grounded on these ideals of global governance, since 1945 the UN system has expanded to consider nearly all areas of international relations - from its leadership in areas of development, security and human rights to less well-publicised work in areas as diverse as road traffic standards and the protection of cultural heritage.

Following the end of the Second World War, its initial 51 Member States officially adopted the United Nations Charter - the treaty document that acts as the organisation’s constitution. Over the past 60 years, the United Nations has grown to a total of 192 Member States. With the recent admission of Switzerland, Timor-Leste and Montengro, the Holy See is the only widely recognised State that is not a Member.

According to Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, the purposes of the UN are:

  • to maintain international peace and security;
  • to develop friendly relations among nations;
  • to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
  • and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends.

For 2004-2005, the UN budget was US$3.16 billion - five cents for every 100 people of the world’s population. The organisation is funded by contributions from Member States, with the funds that each State provides calculated mainly on the basis of Gross National Product.

In addition, the UN family embraces a much larger group of agencies and forums, some older than the UN itself. Many of these organisations are independent from the UN with separate governing bodies and budgets, but maintain strong links through co-operative agreements. Known as ‘specialized agencies’, they include the International Monetary Fund (INF), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The International Maritime Organization, the only member of the UN family to be hosted in the UK, is also a ‘specialized agency’.

Also part of the UN system, a number of other UN programmes and funds come under the direct authority of the General Assembly or Economic and Social Council. These include the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).