History of the United Nations facts for kids
The history of the United Nations is all about how this important world organization came to be. It started during World War II with leaders like US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He really wanted to create a new group to help keep peace after the war, replacing the old League of Nations. Roosevelt imagined that four big powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and China—would work together to solve major world problems through a strong Security Council. However, during the Cold War (from 1947 to 1989), the Soviet Union often used its veto power, which made it hard for the UN to act. Since then, the UN's goals and activities have grown a lot, making it a key international group today.
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Why the UN Was Needed
Before the UN, countries started working together on specific things. For example, the International Telegraph Union began in 1865, and the Universal Postal Union in 1874. These groups helped countries send messages and mail to each other. Both are now part of the United Nations! In 1899, the Hague Convention also set up a court to help countries solve disagreements peacefully.
After World War I, the League of Nations was created in 1919. Its goal was to "promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security." The League had different parts, like an Assembly and a Council, and also a court. The International Labour Organization, which helps workers worldwide, was also created then and is now part of the UN.
How the UN Began
The idea for the UN grew from several meetings and agreements made by the Allies of World War II during the war.
The London Declaration
On June 12, 1941, representatives from many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and exiled governments from Europe, met in London. They signed the Declaration of St James's Palace, sharing their hopes for a peaceful world after the war. This was a very early step toward forming the United Nations.
The Atlantic Charter
Soon after, from August 9-12, 1941, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met. They wrote down their vision for the world in more detail in the Atlantic Charter. Later, on September 24, 1941, the Soviet Union and other Allied governments agreed to these ideas.
The "United Nations" Name
President Roosevelt first suggested the name "United Nations" for the Allies of World War II. He mentioned it to Prime Minister Churchill in December 1941. Churchill liked the idea and remembered that the poet Lord Byron had used the phrase "United Nations" to describe the Allies at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The official "Declaration by United Nations" was written by Roosevelt, Churchill, and Roosevelt's helper, Harry Hopkins, in December 1941. It included ideas from the Soviet Union. The term "United Nations" was first used officially on January 1-2, 1942, when 26 governments signed this Declaration. A big change from the Atlantic Charter was adding a promise for religious freedom, which Roosevelt insisted on. By early 1945, 21 more countries had signed it.
The Declaration stated that all signing governments would use their full power against their enemies and work together, promising not to make separate peace deals. During the war, "United Nations" became the official name for the Allies. To join, countries had to sign the Declaration and declare war on the Axis powers.
Important Wartime Meetings
President Roosevelt strongly supported the idea of "Four Policemen"—the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and China—working together to keep peace.
The first plans for a future international organization came from Allied meetings in 1943. The Moscow Conference led to the Moscow Declarations. These declarations talked about creating a "general international organization" as soon as possible. This was the first official announcement that a new world organization was being planned to replace the old League of Nations. After that, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at the Tehran Conference on October 30, 1943, and discussed the idea further.
Planning the UN's Structure
The Allies agreed on the basic shape of the new organization at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. From September 21 to October 7, leaders from the "Big Four" (US, UK, Soviet Union, China) met in Washington, D.C. They made plans for the new organization's goals, who could join, and how it would work to keep peace and help countries cooperate. Churchill also pushed for France to be a major power again after Paris was freed in August 1944.
For Roosevelt, creating this new organization was the most important goal of the entire war. He believed the "Four Policemen" would make the big decisions. He talked about this idea during his 1944 presidential campaign.
At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin officially agreed to create the United Nations and decided on the structure of the United Nations Security Council. Stalin insisted on having a veto power, and Roosevelt agreed. This helped avoid a weakness of the League of Nations, which sometimes struggled to make members act. They also agreed that countries that had joined the Allies by March 1, 1945, could become members.
The San Francisco Conference
On April 25, 1945, the United Nations Conference on International Organization began in San Francisco. The "Big Four" countries sponsored it. Leaders from these four countries took turns leading the meetings. France was also added as a permanent member of the Security Council because Churchill insisted.
After two months of hard work, the fifty nations at the conference signed the United Nations Charter on June 26. This Charter was like the UN's rulebook. For it to officially start, it needed to be approved by China, France, the USSR, Great Britain, the United States, and most of the other 46 countries that signed it. This happened on October 24, 1945, and that's when the United Nations officially began!
The first meeting of the UN's main assembly was held in London on January 10, 1946. The Security Council met a week later. The old League of Nations officially closed down on April 18, 1946, and passed its work on to the United Nations.
What the UN Does
The United Nations has become very important in many social areas. It works to protect human rights, help countries grow economically, support decolonization (countries becoming independent), and improve health and education. It also helps refugees and deals with trade.
The UN's leaders hoped it would stop conflicts between nations and prevent future wars. While wars still happen, the UN has worked hard to achieve peace.
Helping Countries Become Independent
From 1946 to 1960, the UN made decolonization a top priority. This meant helping colonies ruled by other countries become independent. Many colonies of the British, French, and Dutch empires gained independence by the 1960s, thanks in part to the UN's efforts.
The Korean War (1950–1953)
The United Nations Command (UNC) was a military force created to help South Korea during and after the Korean War. It was the first time an international group like this was put together to keep peace under the UN Charter.
The UNC was formed on July 7, 1950, after the UN Security Council decided that North Korea had attacked South Korea. The Soviet Union, a friend of North Korea, was boycotting the UN at the time, so they couldn't stop the decision. UN member countries were asked to help. During the war, 22 nations sent soldiers or medical staff to the UNC. The United States led the UNC and provided most of the troops and money, but all countries fought under the UN flag.
On July 27, 1953, the UN Command, North Korea, and China signed the Korean Armistice Agreement, which stopped the fighting. This agreement set up groups to make sure the peace terms were followed. The UNC still works today to maintain the armistice and help with talks between North and South Korea.
Keeping the Peace
From about 1947 to 1989, during the Cold War, it was very hard for the UN to agree on peacekeeping missions because the world was divided into two main opposing sides. After the Cold War ended, many people hoped the UN could do more to achieve world peace, as many conflicts were still happening.
In 1948, the UN created its first peacekeeping groups in India-Pakistan and the Middle East. For a long time, peacekeeping missions were run by a small group of officials. These peacekeepers had clear rules: they did not take sides, only used weapons for self-defense, and didn't get involved in politics.
In 1992, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations was created to strengthen the UN's ability to prevent conflicts and keep peace.
Helping in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a special area patrolled by UN peacekeepers. It was set up in 1964 and expanded in 1974 after fighting in Cyprus. This zone, also called the Green Line, separates the two parts of the island.
India and Pakistan
The United Nations India–Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM) was a peacekeeping mission set up in September 1965. Its job was to make sure that a ceasefire and troop withdrawal happened along the India–Pakistan border.
Where the UN Works
Many places wanted to host the UN Headquarters, including cities in Europe and the United States. San Francisco, where the UN was founded, was a favorite for some countries. Philadelphia also offered land.
In 1946, the Rockefeller family offered land along the East River in New York City. This land was chosen, and the UN headquarters officially opened on January 9, 1951. Before the main building was finished, the UN used parts of a factory in Lake Success, New York, and a building in Flushing Meadows.
How the UN is Organized
The basic structure of the United Nations hasn't changed much, even though many more countries have joined. Over the years, the UN has also created many other groups and organizations. Some focus on specific regions, some on peacekeeping missions, and others work on global issues. Some groups, like the International Labour Organization, existed before the UN and later joined it.
Important Moments
- In October 2015, over 350 famous buildings in 60 countries were lit up in blue to celebrate the UN's 70th anniversary.
See also
- Growth in United Nations membership
- List of members of the United Nations Security Council
- Timeline of UN peacekeeping missions
- List of UN Secretaries-General
