What is the UN?

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The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that describes itself as a "global association of governments facilitating co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity."

The UN and its family of organizations work to protect the environment, resolve international conflicts, fight disease, promote respect for human rights and reduce poverty.

Read more about the structure of the UN.

Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist refugees, set up programmes to clear landmines, help expand food production, lead the fight against AIDS and much more.

The United Nations was formed on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries. Today, 191 countries - nearly every nation in the world - belong to the UN. At the Millenium Summit in 2000 the UN’s member countries agreed on eight Millenium Development Goals to tackle poverty worldwide.

Each member country has to sign the UN Charter. It sets out basic principles of international relations and all members of the UN must accept these principles.

According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:

to maintain international peace and security
to develop friendly relations among nations
to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights
to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations