Founded in 1945, the United Nations is a global system of interrelated organizations and programs. Its six principal organs—the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and the International Court of Justice—are tasked with maintaining international peace and security, developing economic, social, cultural, and educational opportunities for all people, and solving problems of common interest. A vast Secretariat, with international staff in duty stations around the world, carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization’s organs.
The United Nations Charter set out three fundamental objectives: respect for the equal rights of all peoples and their self-determination; international cooperation in solving global problems; and a global forum for reflection, debate and innovative thinking. Its founding countries gathered in San Francisco in 1945 to draft the Charter, with China, France, India and Russia taking the lead. The United States and the Soviet Union later signed, and the Charter came into effect once it had been ratified by a majority of member governments.
In addition to the six principal organs, the United Nations family includes a variety of independent “specialized agencies” linked to the UN through cooperative agreements and maintaining broad international responsibilities in their fields. The governing bodies of the specialized agencies, which include many regional and national offices, report to the Secretary-General or to the Economic and Social Council. The UN also maintains a global network of peacekeeping operations. Throughout its history, the United Nations has faced challenges to its integrity and impartiality. Among the most notable were the bombing of its headquarters in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, which killed hundreds of staff members, and Moammar Gadhafi’s rambling 90-minute speech at the General Assembly, which went far beyond his allotted 15 minutes.