When did the UN come into existence?

The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, upon ratification of the Charter by the five permanent members of the Security Council: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union and China — and by a majority of the other 46 nations.

How many countries does the UN have?

At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; as of 2023, it has 193 – almost all of the world's sovereign states. The UN's mission to preserve world peace was complicated in its early decades due in part to Cold War tensions that existed between the United States and Soviet Union and their respective allies.

How does the UN work?

The UN’s work is guided by its founding charter. The charter is based on the principle of sovereign equality which means that each member state is equal in its right to govern itself. The UN also drew up the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

What is the UN General Assembly?

The UN's General Assembly (UNGA) is the main meeting which decides what the organisation should do. It is the only meeting at which all of the 193 UN members are represented. The General Assembly takes place every September, at the UN's headquarters in New York. This year, it started on 5 September.