United Nations (UN) – History, Purpose, Structure, and Key Organizations

Published on 12-Aug-2025

United Nations

The United Nations, shortly known as the UN, is an international governmental organization. Its primary purpose is to maintain international peace and security. The UN works worldwide to develop friendly relations among nations and achieve international cooperation for development. It serves as a hub for coordinating global behavior and is the world's largest and most famous international organization.

The headquarters of the UN is located in New York, with other main offices in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Origin of the Organization

The formation of the UN began when President Franklin D. Roosevelt briefly met with Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in Tehran, Iran. During the meeting in November 1943, Roosevelt proposed establishing an international body with a worldwide assembly of member states. He further suggested the creation of a 10-member executive committee to handle social and economic issues among nations.

The UN was created after the end of World War II as a measure to prevent future wars and global destruction. It succeeded the League of Nations, which was initially considered ineffective.

On April 25th, 1945, fifty governments met in San Francisco for a conference to draft the UN Charter. After revisions, the draft was adopted on June 25th, 1945, and the Charter officially came into force on October 24th, 1945, almost four months afterward.

The Duties of the UN

When the UN began its operations, its goals were defined by the Charter. The organization’s primary objectives include:

Maintaining international peace and security
Protecting human rights
Delivering humanitarian aid
Promoting sustainable development and upholding international law

Initially, the UN had 51 member countries listed in the Charter. Today, the membership has grown to 193 countries, representing almost all the world’s sovereign states.

The Permanent Members

The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, known as the Big 5, are the most important countries in the UN Organization:

China
France
Russia (formerly the Soviet Union)
United Kingdom
United States of America

Currently, more than 150 countries actively participate under the UN Charter.

Leadership

The UN’s chief administrative officer is the Secretary-General. The current Secretary-General is António Guterres, a Portuguese politician and diplomat. He began his first five-year term on January 1st, 2017, and was re-elected on June 8th, 2021.

The UN continues its efforts toward a peaceful and orderly world.