History of the United Nations

HISTORY OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.

States first established international organizations to cooperate on specific matters. The International Telecommunication Union was founded in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, and the Universal Postal Union was established in 1874. Both are now United Nations specialized agencies.

In 1899, the International Peace Conference was held in The Hague to elaborate instruments for settling crises peacefully, preventing wars and codifying rules of warfare. It adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began work in 1902.

The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an organization conceived in similar circumstances during the first World War, and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles "to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security." The International Labour Organization was also created under the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League. The League of Nations ceased its activities after failing to prevent the Second World War.

In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year.

1941 - 1950

Date	Milestones
12 June 1941	Inter-Allied Declaration "To work together, with other free peoples, both in war and in peace" Signed in London on 12 June 1941, the Inter-Allied Declaration was a first step towards the establishment of the United Nations.
14 August 1941	Atlantic Charter On 14 August 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States and Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom proposed a set of principles for international collaboration in maintaining peace and security. The document, signed during a meeting on the ship H.M.S. Prince of Wales, "somewhere at sea", is known as the Atlantic Charter.
1 January 1942	Declaration by United Nations On 1 January 1942, representatives of 26 Allied nations fighting against the Axis Powers met in Washington, D.C. to pledge their support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the "Declaration by United Nations". This document contained the first official use of the term "United Nations", which was suggested by President Roosevelt.
30 October 1943	Moscow and Teheran Conferences In a declaration signed in Moscow on 30 October 1943, the Governments of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and China called for an early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. That goal was reaffirmed at the meeting of the leaders of the United States, the USSR, and the United Kingdom at Teheran on 1 December 1943.
21 September 1944- 7 October 1944	Dumbarton Oaks Conference The first blueprint of the UN was prepared at a conference held at a mansion known as Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. During two phases of meetings which ran from 21 September through 7 October 1944, the United States, the United Kingdom, the USSR and China agreed on the aims, structure and functioning of a world organization.
11 February 1945	Yalta Conference On 11 February 1945, following meetings at Yalta, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Premier Joseph Stalin declared their resolve to establish "a general international organization to maintain peace and security".
25 April 1945	San Francisco Conference On 25 April 1945, delegates of 50 nations met in San Francisco for the United Nations Conference on International Organization. The delegates drew up the 111-article Charter, which was adopted unanimously on 25 June 1945 in the San Francisco Opera House. The next day, they signed it in the Herbst Theatre auditorium of the Veterans War Memorial Building.
24 October 1945	24 October 1945 The United Nations is created as its Charter is ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and the majority of other signatories, and comes into force.
10 January 1946	The first General Assembly, with 51 nations represented opens in Central Hall, Westminster, London.
17 January 1946	Security Council meets for the first time in London, adopting its rules of procedure.
24 January 1946	General Assembly adopts its first resolution. Its main focus: peaceful uses of atomic energy and the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction.
1 February 1946	Trygve Lie of Norway becomes first Secretary-General.
24 October 1947	"United Nations Day" officially designated by the General Assembly.
May 1948	United Nations Troop Supervision Organization (UNTSO) UNTSO was the first peacekeeping operation established by the United Nations.
10 December 1948	General Assembly adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
7 January 1949	A UN envoy, Ralph Bunche secures cease-fire between the new State of Israel and Arab States.
24 October 1949	Cornerstone laid for present UN Headquarters in New York City.
27 June 1950	Security Council, acting in the absence of the Soviet Union, calls on Member States to help southern part of Korea repel invasion from the north. The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed on 27 July 1953 by the UN Command and the Chinese-North Korean Command.

1951-1960

Date	Milestones
7 April 1953	The General Assembly nominates Dag Hammarskjöld as Secretary General of the United Nations.
1954	UN High Commissioner for Refugees wins first of two Nobel Peace Prizes, for its work with European refugees.
7 November 1956	First Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly meets on the Suez Canal crisis and, on 5 November, decides to establish the first UN peace-keeping force- the UN Emergency Force (UNEF).
September 1960	17 newly independent States, 16 from Africa, join the UN -the biggest increase in membership in any one year.

1961-1970

Date	Milestones
18 September 1961	Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold dies in an aircraft crash while on mission to Congo. He is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously in 1961. Security Council Special Report on the fatal flight of the aircraft carrying Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold.
3 November 1961	The General Assembly nominates U Thant as Secretary General of the United Nations.
7 August 1963	Security Council votes voluntary arms embargo against South Africa.
4 March 1964	Security Council approves dispatch of peacekeeping force to Cyprus.
1965	UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1965.
27 October 1966	The UN General Assembly strips South Africa of its mandate to govern South-West Africa (Namibia).
16 December 1966	The Security Council impose mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
22 November 1967	Following the six-day war in 1967, the Security Council, after lengthy negotiations, adopts resolution 242 (1967), as the basis for achieving peace in the Middle East.
12 June 1968	General Assembly approves the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and calls for its ratification.
4 January 1969	The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination comes into force.
1969	The International Labour Organization (ILO) is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1969.

1971 - 1980

Date	Milestones
25 October 1971	The General Assembly votes to seat representatives of the People's Republic of China.
22 December 1971	The General Assembly nominates Kurt Waldheim as Secretary General of the United Nations.
June 1972	The first UN Environment Conference is held in Stockholm, Sweden, leading to the establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi.
13 November 1974	The General Assembly recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people".
June - July 1975	International Women's Year is marked by the first World Conference on Women, held in Mexico City.
4 November 1977	The Security Council adopts mandatory arms embargo against South Africa.
May - June 1978	The General Assembly convenes, for the first time, a special session on disarmament.
18 December 1979	The General Assembly adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, covering political, economic, social, cultural and civic values.
8 May 1980	Three years after the last case was reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declares smallpox eradicated.

1981 - 1990

Date	Milestones
1981	UN High Commissioner for Refugees is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time, for its assistance to Asian refugees.
25 November 1981	General Assembly adopts Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
10 December 1982	New UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is signed by 117 States and two entities — the largest number of signatures ever affixed to a treaty on its first day.
December 1984	Secretary-General Javier Perez De Cuellar sets up a UN Office for Emergency Operations in Africa to help coordinate famine relief efforts.
10 December 1984	General Assembly adopts the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
July 1985	Thousands gather in Nairobi to attend the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the UN Decade for Women, marking the end of the UN Decade for Women.
September 1987	Efforts of UNEP lead to the signing of the Treaty on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, known as the Montreal Protocol — a follow-up to the 1985 Vienna Convention on the Ozone Layer.
1988	United Nations Peacekeeping Forces are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time there were seven peacekeeping or observer missions in operation.
April 1989	The UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) is deployed throughout Namibia to monitor South Africa's withdrawal and provide electoral assistance. Elections were held in November 1989; Namibia becomes independent on 21 March 1990.
2 September 1990	Convention on the Rights of the Child comes into force.
29 - 30 September 1990	UNICEF convenes the World Summit for Children, attended by 71 Heads of State and Government. A Plan of Action is adopted.

1991 - 2000

Date	Milestones
31 May 1991	A cease-fire in the 16-year civil war in Angola is negotiated, then administered by the UN Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM II).
3 December 1991	Boutros Boutros-Ghali is appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations by the UN General Assembly, after recommendation of the Security Council.
31 December 1991	Agreement signed at UN Headquarters, through the good offices of the Secretary-General, between the Government of El Salvador and National Liberation Front (FMLN).
31 January 1992	First ever Security Council Summit, with leaders from all 15 members in attendance, is held in New York leading to the Secretary-General's report, An Agenda for Peace.
June 1992	The UN Conference on Environment and Development, the "Earth Summit", is held in Rio De Janeiro attended by leaders from over 100 countries, the largest intergovernmental gathering in history, resulting in Agenda 21, a plan of action for sustainable development.
17 June 1992	Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali issues "An Agenda for Peace" on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
1993	Eritrean independence was declared on 27 April, 1993 as a result of a referendum held with UN verification, with more than 98.5% of registered voters voting. Eritrea was subsequently admitted to membership in the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
May 1993	UN-supervised elections were held in Cambodia, resulting in a new government, and the drafting of a new constitution, ending nearly 15 years of strife in the war-torn country.
June 1993	The World Conference on Human Rights is held in Vienna, which commemorated the International Year for the World's Indigenous People (1993)
6 May 1994	The Secretary-General produces a report on "An Agenda for Development", a blueprint for improving the human condition.
23 June 1994	Elections are held in South Africa from 26 to 29 April, observed by 2,527 staff of the United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA) deployed around the country. On 25 May, the Security Council lifted the arms embargo and other restrictions against South Africa. On 23 June, after 24 years, South Africa took its place once again in the General Assembly.
5-15 September 1994	The International Conference on Population and Development, is held in Cairo, attended by representatives from 179 countries and addressed by 249 speakers. The Conference had population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development as its overall theme.
October 1994	Mozambique's first multi-party elections are held on 27-29 October, monitored by some 2,300 international observers.
1995	A worldwide, year-long programme of activities and celebrations marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations. The theme of the anniversary was "We the peoples of the United Nations...United for a Better World".
March 1995	The World Summit for Social Development — one of the largest gathering of world leaders in history — meets in Copenhagen to renew the commitment to combating poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.
26 June 1995	A conference is held in San Francisco, California to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter.
September 1995	The Fourth World Conference on Women meets in Beijing to continue international efforts to advance the status of women worldwide.
22-24 October 1995	A special commemorative meeting attended by Heads of State and Government is held at Headquarters culminating the observance of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations.
10 September 1996	The General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. This is a turning point in the history of efforts towards nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The treaty was opened for signature on 24 September.
17 December 1996	The General Assembly appoints by acclamation Kofi Annan, of Ghana, as the seventh United Nations Secretary-General with a term begining on 1 January 1997 and ending 31 December 2001.

2001 - 2010

Date	Milestones
6-8 June 2001	From 6 to 8 June 2001, five years after Habitat II, the General Assembly of the United Nations holds a special session to review and appraise implementation of the Habitat Agenda worldwide: Istanbul+5.
25-27 June 2001	During the course of the 26th special session of the General Assembly, the Member States adopt the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS Text of the Declaration
29 June 2001	Acting on a recommendation by the Security Council, the General Assembly appointed Kofi Annan by acclamation to a second term of office, beginning on 1 January 2002 and ending on 31 December 2006.
12 December 2001	The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the UN and to Secretary- General Kofi Annan for "their efforts in favor of a better organized and more peaceful world".
18–22 March 2002	The International Conference on Financing for Development is held in Monterrey (Mexico). The Member States adopt the Monterrey Consensus.
8–12 April 2002	The Second World Assembly on Ageing seeks to ensure that people everywhere are enabled to age with security and dignity, and continue to participate in their societies as citizens with full rights. Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing
8–10 May 2002	The Special Session on Children brings together more than 7000 people. The International Conference on Children is the most important of its kind organized in over 10 years.
1 July 2002	The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first permanent treaty based international criminal court established to promote precedence of rule of law and to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. The Rome Statute, the legal basis for establishing the International Criminal Court, was adopted on July 17 1998 by 120 countries participating in the United Nations Diplomatic Plenipotentiary Conference on the establishment of an International Criminal Court.
26 August – 4 September 2002	The Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg 2002) recommends a series of measures to reduce poverty and to protect the environment. Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
19 August 2003	A monument dedicated to the memory of all the United Nations staff members who have lost their lives in the service of peace is unveiled on the North lawn of the United Nations garden of the Secretariat building, at New York Headquarters.
31 October 2003	The United Nations Convention against Corruption is adopted.
10–12 December 2003	The First Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is held in Geneva. Declaration of Principles Plan of Action The Second Phase is held in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005. Tunis Commitment Tunis Agenda for the Information Society
24 January 2005	The 28th Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations commemorates the 60th Anniversary of Liberation of the Nazi Concentration Camps.
11 February 2005	60th Anniversary of the San Francisco Conference. The United Nations celebrates the 60 years of its Charter, signed in San Francisco.
13 April 2005	The General Assembly adopts the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.
8 March 2005	On the occasion of the Special Session on Children, Member States adopt a Declaration on Human Cloning.
14–16 September 2005	The World Summit 2005 convenes more than 170 Heads of State and Government to reach major decisions on ending poverty, promoting human rights, fighting terrorism and helping countries recover from deadly conflict. Outcome Document
7 October 2005	The 7 October 2005, the Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, “for efforts in preventing military use of atomic energy and work in favor of a peaceful use of this type of energy.”
24 October 2005	The United Nations celebrates its 60th Anniversary.
20 December 2005	The General Assembly of the UN creates the Peacebuilding Commission to help countries emerging from conflict to achieve a sustainable peace.
15 March 2006	The General Assembly establishes the Human Rights Council. Its main purpose is to address situations of human rights violations and to provide recommendations.
13 October 2006	The General Assembly nominates Ban Ki-moon as Secretary General of the United Nations.
12 October 2007	The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 conjointly to the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and to Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. for their efforts in collecting and diffusing knowledge on climactic changes induced by humans.
3 May 2008	The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enters into force. It is the first international human rights treaty that was negotiated with the participation of civil society.
January 12, 2010	An earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale hit Haiti, killing 300,000 people and devastating the country. The deadliest disaster in the history of UN peacekeeping operations killed 101 members of the UN family .
July 2, 2010	The General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women