United States and the United Nations facts for kids
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| United Nations membership | |
|---|---|
| Membership | Full member |
| Since | October 24, 1945 |
| UNSC seat | Permanent |
| Permanent Representative | Linda Thomas-Greenfield |
The United States is a founding member of the United Nations. It is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. This means the U.S. has a special role in keeping global peace.
The main home of the United Nations is in New York City, USA. This is where the General Assembly often meets. The United States gives the most money to the United Nations. It provides a large part of the budget used for peacekeeping around the world. The U.S. played a very important part in creating the UN.
How the United States Helped Create the UN
The idea for the UN grew from a plan called the Atlantic Charter. It first appeared in the Declaration by United Nations on January 1, 1942. At that time, 26 countries promised to keep fighting against the Axis powers during World War II.
The main idea for the UN came from an older group called the League of Nations. However, the goal was to fix the League's problems. Leaders wanted to create an organization that would be the best way to keep peace and stability worldwide.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the U.S. was key in getting other leaders to join. He convinced Winston Churchill from the United Kingdom and Joseph Stalin from the Soviet Union. They talked a lot about the UN's structure and goals. These important talks happened at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference and the Yalta Conference. Roosevelt saw the UN as a major success for his political work.
In 1945, representatives from 50 countries met in San Francisco. They discussed plans made by China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These plans came from the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944.
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin looked at these plans again at the Yalta Conference in February 1945. They wanted to agree on the UN's structure and when the San Francisco meeting would happen. They decided that certain members would have a "veto power." This meant the UN could not take big actions without their agreement. Even though this veto power caused some arguments, it was very important to Roosevelt and his allies. During the Yalta conference, Stalin agreed that the Soviet Union would join the UN.
Another important step before the UN was formed happened at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The goal was to create a new, stable system for world money and trade. This system helped open up global markets later on. It led to groups like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. These groups work with the UN but are separate from it.
The United Nations officially started on October 24, 1945. This was when its main document, the Charter, was approved. China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other countries signed it.
The United Nations was the first major international group that the United States strongly supported. An earlier group, the League of Nations, was pushed by President Woodrow Wilson after World War I. He hoped it would stop future wars. Most European countries supported it, but the United States Congress never approved it.
The UN During the Cold War
Soon after the UN began, the United States had disagreements with another Security Council member. The Soviet Union was also a permanent member. This meant it could stop any important UN decision with its veto. In fact, the Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, used the veto power more than anyone else. People even called him "Mr. Veto."
The relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (and later Russia) in the UN changed over time. These changes mirrored the bigger global situation between the two powers. For example, when the Soviet Union was not attending Security Council meetings, the U.S. and the UN worked together. They spoke out against North Korea's invasion of South Korea. This led to the Korean War, which the UN supported.
Later, the U.S. convinced all permanent members of the Security Council to allow force against Iraq. This happened after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991. This was a big step toward the U.S. and Russia working together again after the end of the Cold War.
