The United Nations (UN), which emerged in 1945 from the devastation of global conflict, aims to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
Its mission is to maintain international peace and security and to promote friendly relations between countries.
The UN Charter upholds human rights and proposes that states should work together to overcome social, economic, humanitarian and cultural challenges.
Background:
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The UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations, was established after the 1914-18 World War.
It aimed to prevent another global conflict, but it failed to halt the slide towards war in the 1930s and was disbanded in 1946.
Civil war in Liberia prompted the UN’s biggest troop deployment.
Much of the league’s structure and many of its aims were adopted by its successor.
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In 1944 the US, Britain, the Soviet Union and China met in Washington and agreed on a blueprint for a proposed world organisation.
The blueprint formed the basis of talks in 1945 between representatives from 50 countries. Under the terms of the resulting charter the UN came into being on 24 October 1945. United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 Oct. each year.
Foundation:
The United Nations formally came into existence on October 24th, 1945 at Yalta.
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Headquarters:
The headquarters of United Nations are located in First Avenue, U.N. Plaza, New York, U.S.A.
U.N. Flag:
It was adopted by U.N. General Assembly on October 20th, 1947. The flag consists of U.N. emblem (an outline of the polar map of world flanked by two Olive branches) in white centered on a light blue background.