International Organisations
Evolution of the UN
Compare the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The League of Nations was set up after the First World War to keep peace, but it failed to stop the Second World War (1939–45). That war's horror led to a stronger body, the UN.
How it was built:
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| August 1941 | Atlantic Charter: US President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill set out their aims for the post-war world |
| January 1942 | Declaration by United Nations: the Allies fighting the Axis powers signed it |
| February 1945 | Yalta conference: the 'Big Three' agreed to found a world organisation |
| April–June 1945 | San Francisco conference drafted the UN Charter, signed by 51 states |
| 24 October 1945 | The UN came into being: now UN Day |
India joined on 30 October 1945. With new countries freed from colonial rule, membership kept growing, reaching 193 by 2011 (South Sudan being the newest).
The main organs:
- General Assembly: all members, one country, one vote, whatever its size. It debates world issues.
- Security Council: responsible for peace and security. It has five permanent members, the US, Russia, the UK, France and China, plus ten elected members.
- Secretary-General: heads the UN staff. The ninth, António Guterres of Portugal, took office in 2017.
Specialised agencies do practical work around the world: WHO (health), UNDP (development), UNHCR (refugees), UNICEF (children), UNESCO (education, science and culture).
India is not a permanent member of the Security Council, a question we return to in a later lesson.
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