About the United Nations (UN)

The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, 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.

The UN has created "Millennium Development Goals", a list of priorities that are set to be achieved by 2015. Some of the goals, all of which are supported by UN member states, include halving the world's population of extremely impoverished people, establishing a universal primary education, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and ensuring environmental stability.  The UN is working actively to solve global problems with practical and peaceful solutions.

Background & Purpose

The term, "United Nations" was first used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Second World War, when 26 nations allied themselves against the Axis Powers.  In 1945, the leaders of 50 nations met in San Francisco to create the UN charter.  The UN officially came into being on October 24, 1945, when China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of other signatories ratified the Charter.

The UN, its programs and funds, and the specialized agencies comprise the "UN system." As a family of organizations, the UN performs a vast array of duties that affect us all in myriad ways. These range from the decision of the Security Council to dispatch a peacekeeping operation in response to a dispute, to setting standards for air safety and communications compatibility; from rushing emergency supplies to victims of natural disaster, to coordinating the response to the AIDS pandemic; from helping countries to organize and conduct free and fair elections, to securing low-interest loans to develop the infrastructures of poorer countries.

United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October.

Structure

The six principal organs of the United Nations, are the: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and Secretariat. The United Nations family of organizations is made up of the United Nations Secretariat, the United Nations programmes and funds - such as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) - and the specialized agencies.

The programmes, funds and agencies have their own governing bodies and budgets, and set their own standards and guidelines. Together, they provide technical assistance and other forms of practical help in virtually all areas of economic and social endeavour.

United Nations Peacebuilding Work

The UN promotes peace in a number of ways, both directly and indirectly. In situations of manifest or simmering conflict, the UN employs tools ranging from mediation to the dispatch of peacekeeping forces. In the preventative sphere, the UN works to heal the economic and social causes of war. As a centre for diplomacy and debate, the UN provides a framework for the peaceful settlement of disputes, a means of defusing conflicts before they begin. In times of international crisis, it serves as a focal point for easing tensions and beginning negotiations. The UN also promotes peace through its development of a growing body of international law, as well as through development assistance.

The UN is increasingly undertaking activities that address the underlying causes of conflict and in building what former Secretary-General Kofi Annan called "sustainable peace". The UN system does this through its efforts to support good governance, civil law and order, human rights and democratisation in countries struggling with the aftermath of conflict.

In 2007, a new intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict was established. This UN Peacebuilding Commission is a key addition to the capacity of the International Community in the broad peace agenda. The resolutions that established the Peacebuilding Commission also provided for the establishment of a Peacebuilding Fund and Peacebuilding Support Office.

Along with establishing the International Day of Peace, the UN has also created Human Rights Day, bringing peacebuilding issues to the forefront of global awareness.