Creation of the UN

The United Nations (UN) was created in 1945, at the end of the Second World War, with the aim of preventing another major international conflict and encouraging cooperation between countries. The idea developed during the war, as the Allied powers sought to build a system that could replace the League of Nations, which had failed to prevent the outbreak of the conflict.

In 1941, the Atlantic Charter outlined principles for a more peaceful international order. The name "United Nations" was later adopted in the Declaration by United Nations, signed in January 1942 by 26 countries fighting the Axis powers. In 1944, representatives of the major Allied powers discussed the future organization at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in Washington, D.C.

The founding conference took place in San Francisco from April to June 1945. Representatives of 50 countries worked on and signed the Charter of the United Nations on June 26, 1945. The organization officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, after the Charter had been ratified by the required states, including the five future permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The UN was designed to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, promote international cooperation, and support human rights. Its creation marked a major step toward organized multilateral cooperation, although disagreements between states would continue to shape its history.