The United Nations

The United Nations was founded in 1945 after World War II by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, achieving worldwide cooperation to solve international economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems, and serving as a centre for harmonizing the actions of States to attain these goals.

The Security Council, the principal organ of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security, shall consist of five permanent members – China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with due regard to the need for balanced geographical representation. The Council’s decisions on substantive matters require the affirmative vote of nine of its 15 members, including the concurring votes of all of the permanent members (often referred to as the veto power).

The General Assembly is the main organ of the United Nations for the development of friendly relations among nations, promoting social progress and better standards of living in larger freedom, and taking measures for the prevention and suppression of conflict. The Assembly shall consider the annual and special reports of the Security Council and shall perform its functions with regard to trusteeship agreements for areas not designated as strategic, including the approval of the terms of such agreements.