United Nations (UN): Definition, Purpose, Structure, and Members (original) (raw)

What Is the United Nations (UN)?

The United Nations (UN) is an international nonprofit organization formed in 1945 to increase political and economic cooperation among its member countries. There are more than 190 member states in the UN—all of which are part of the UN's General Assembly. Headquartered in New York, the organization is guided by a charter and headed by its secretary-general. It focuses on peace, security, human rights, and other issues. The UN is part of the larger United Nations System.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the United Nations (UN)

The United Nations was formed in 1945 in the wake of World War II to reduce international tension, promote human rights, and lower the chance of other large-scale conflicts. It came out of the League of Nations, which was established after WWI in 1920 to promote international relations and cooperation. The league could not prevent the war in Europe and Asia in the 1930s. The U.S. wasn't part of the League of Nations.

Headquartered in New York and led by the Secretary-General, the UN has 193 member states, representing almost every country in the world. There are five permanent U.N. members: the U.S., Russia, France, the U.K., and China. When a new state applies to join the UN, it only takes one permanent member to veto the application.

A few states lack UN membership, though countries exercise de facto sovereignty. In some cases, the international community doesn't recognize non-members as independent, such as Tibet, Somaliland, and Abkhazia. Some countries were blocked from being admitted (Taiwan and Kosovo among others) by more powerful member states.

The UN "coordinates its work with the funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other organizations of the UN System." Some of the key focus areas include:

The United Nations Charter, which is the founding document of the organization, was signed on June 26, 1945, and went into effect on Oct. 24, 1945. It was amended three times between 1963, 1965, and 1973. You can read the full text here.

Structure of the United Nations (UN)

The UN is made up of five principal bodies: the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretariat, the International Court of Justice, the UN Security Council, and the UN Economic and Social Council. A sixth, the UN Trusteeship Council, has been inactive since 1994.

UN General Assembly

This is the UN's main deliberative body, in which all members have equal representation. It is headquartered in New York City, and its responsibilities include setting the UN's budget, appointing rotating members to the Security Council, and passing non-binding resolutions that express the opinions of the international community.

UN Secretariat

The UN Secretariat is the executive wing of the UN, charged with implementing policies set by its deliberative bodies. Its head, the Secretary-General, is the UN's top official. The Secretariat, which is based in New York City, includes the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which dispatches UN soldiers (known as blue helmets) on missions authorized by the Security Council.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice is based in The Hague and has two main functions: to settle disputes submitted by member states according to international law and to issue advisory opinions on legal questions submitted by UN agencies. There are 15 judges, and the court's official languages are French and English. Appeals are not allowed, making the judgments final.

The UN's secretary-general is António Guterres. The secretary-general acts as a diplomat, advocate, civil servant, and chief executive officer (CEO). Guterres assumed the role in 2017 and was sworn in for a second term in 2022.

UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is charged with maintaining international security. It authorizes peacekeeping missions, accepts new U.N. members, and approves changes to the UN charter. The Security Council's structure allows a few powerful member states to dominate the UN: Russia, the U.K., France, China, and the U.S. hold permanent seats on the council and enjoy veto power.

The Security Council's other 10 seats rotate on a staggered two-year schedule. These seats are occupied by Algeria (2025), Ecuador (2024), Guyana (2025), Japan (2024), Malta (2024), Mozambique (2024), South Korea (2025), Sierra Leone (2025), Slovenia (2025), and Switzerland (2024). The years in parentheses indicate the end of their terms on the council.

UN Economic and Social Council

The UN Economic and Social Councilcoordinates the activities of the UN's 15 specialized agencies. These include the:

Which Countries Are Not Members of the United Nations?

There are 193 members of the UN, all of them sovereign nations. A special category allows so-called observer states to participate in General Assembly meetings, but they cannot vote. The two observer states are the Holy See and Palestine. The Holy See, with the pope at its head, was granted the status of a permanent observer in 1964. Palestine officially applied to join the U.N. in 2011, but the UN. Security Council has not voted on the application. In 2012, the State of Palestine was officially recognized as a non-member state. Certain other states, including Kosovo and the Republic of China, or Taiwan, are not members because they're not recognized by all members of the UN.

Who Founded the United Nations?

In April 1945, as World War II was coming to a close, representatives of 50 war-weary countries gathered in San Francisco for the UN Conference on International Organization. For two months, the group worked on drafting and then signing the UN Charter, creating the United Nations, an international organization that all hoped would help prevent another world war. The charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and other nations, and the UN got off the ground officially on Oct. 24, 1945.

Who Is the Secretary-General of the UN?

The ninth secretary-general of the U.N., António Guterres, took office on Jan. 1, 2017. The Portugal native took the oath for his second five-year term, which began in January 2022.

What Are the Agencies Inside the United Nations?

The U.N. has specialized agencies that are autonomous organizations working inside the United Nations. Some pre-date World War I, while others were associated with the League of Nations or arose when the U.N. was created or even later.

Some of the best-known of these agencies, which are headquartered all over the world, include the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the International Labor Organization, the World Bank, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

The Bottom Line

The United Nations is one of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in the world. Established in 1945, the UN has almost 200 member states. Its focus is to promote peace and security, human rights, and humanitarian aid. Operating under the UN System, the UN has five principal bodies. The organization is led by the secretary-general, who acts as a diplomat and an advocate for member states.