UN member countries: history and date of creation, structure, conditions of entry and permanent member countries

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

The largest organization in the world, uniting almost all countries of the world, has been the main platform for dialogue and a tribune from which you can make your message to the world for almost seventy years. Despite harsh criticism of the effectiveness of the organization by the UN member states, there is no more comprehensive tool yet.

Backstory

The Second World War was still going on, when representatives of 26 countries of the world gathered and assumed an obligation on behalf of their states to continue the struggle against the countries of the Nazi coalition. In the final document of this summit, for the first time, the phrase "united nations" was used, which was coined by US President Franklin Roosevelt.

In the fall of 1944, at a conference in Washington Dumbarton Oaks, representatives of the United States, Great Britain, the USSR and China discussed the possibility of creating a world organization. The main contours were agreed, preliminary agreedabout the goals, structure and functions of their offspring.

In February 1945, the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition at a meeting in Y alta announced their firm intention to establish a universal international organization that would maintain peace and security.

Foundation

Almost immediately after the end of the war, delegates from 50 countries gathered in San Francisco for a conference on the creation of an international organization that would cover all countries of the world. Within three months, they developed and agreed on a charter of 111 articles, which was signed on June 25.

Poland is also considered one of the founders, although its representatives did not participate in the conference. The country did not yet have a generally recognized government, there were as many as two - one in London, the other in Lublin. As a result, on October 24, 1945, the charter was signed by the pro-Soviet government. And the list of UN member states was replenished with 51 states.

About organization

The United Nations is the only global coalition that deals with issues of international security and peace, the development of cooperation in the economic, social, cultural and humanitarian fields. All UN member states carry out activities in a variety of areas: from peace issues to problems of lack of drinking water. The UN has achieved significant success in the humanitarian sphere - numerous economic and humanitarian assistance programs to less developed countries have saved thousands of lives.

Goals and objectives

The most important task of the organization is to ensure international security, respect for human rights, as well as peacekeeping. The UN participated in the settlement and cessation of many armed conflicts and international crises: the Caribbean crisis (1962), the Iran-Iraq war (1988), the civil war in Afghanistan (1979-2001) and many other local conflicts. In total, the organization was involved in ending more than 61 skirmishes.

The UN holds forums and conferences on all important socio-economic issues, where solutions are discussed and strategies are developed. A lot of work is being done to overcome the problems of industrialization in developing countries, improve the state of the environment, and help refugees.

Structure

In the organization, the charter defines six main bodies that ensure its functioning. The system also includes fifteen institutions, such as the World He alth Organization, several programs and bodies. The main deliberative and decision-making body, which includes all UN member states, is the General Assembly. At its sessions at the organization's headquarters in New York, all international problems are discussed. The permanent political body is the Security Council, which should ensure the maintenance of peace. All issues of coordination of activities on social and economic issues are entrusted to the Economic and Social Council. The Trusteeship Council administers eleven territories administered by other countries. international Courtresolves disputes between states. The secretariat, under the leadership of the general secretary, ensures the work of all other bodies.

Security Council

The world's main peace body consists of 15 members, including five permanent ones. The permanent members (Russia, USA, UK, France and China) can veto any decision put to a vote. The non-permanent member states of the UN Security Council are elected for a two-year term. The Council may decide to impose sanctions, such as against Iran, and even allow the use of force, as was the case during the Korean War (1950-1953).

Who can join the UN

In order to join the organization, you must be an internationally recognized state. Any peace-loving state that recognizes the charter of the organization and is ready to fulfill the obligations imposed by membership can become a member country of the UN. Another condition for admission is that the organization itself decides whether the candidate can fulfill the obligations that it assumes.

The admission of new UN member states is carried out on the recommendation of the Security Council, which must be approved by a resolution of the General Assembly. When voting in the Security Council, a candidate country needs nine out of fifteen states to vote for it. After receiving the recommendation, the case is submitted to the General Assembly, where the resolution on adoption must gain two-thirds of the votes. The date of admission is the day the resolution on inclusion in the countries-UN members.

There is also observer status, which can be obtained by both recognized and partially recognized states and state-like entities. Usually this right is exercised before becoming a full member (such as Japan and Switzerland) or if they do not have the legal opportunity to become a member (such as the Palestine Liberation Organization at one time). Observer status can be acquired in the General Assembly upon receipt of the majority of votes.

How many countries are in the UN

Among the founding countries of the organization were states with very different international legal status. Some of them were not independent, such as the Soviet republics of Ukraine and Belarus, British India, the American protectorate of the Philippines. Others were effectively independent, like the dominions of Great Britain, including Canada and Australia.

From 2011 to the present, there are 193 permanent member countries of the UN. The growth in the number of members of the organization took place in three waves. In the first decade after its formation, the number of countries increased to seventy-six. By the age of 70, when many former colonies gained independence, the number increased to 127. And by 1990, when there were no more colonies in the world, the number of UN member states began to equal 159. In 2000, after the collapse of the socialist camp, members of the organization became former Soviet republics and some new Eastern European countries.

If you ask the question "which country is not a permanenta member of the UN?", then the answer can be divided into two parts. Firstly, these are two generally recognized states - the Holy See and Palestine. Secondly, these are partially recognized - now there are eight of them, including Taiwan, Kosovo and Abkhazia.

Observers at the UN are now two states - the Holy See and Palestine.