San Francisco played host to a remarkable gathering in April 1945: the United Nations Conference on International Organization. Delegates from more than 50 nations — all of which had stood together in opposition to the Axis powers throughout World War II — came together with a shared vision. Their mission? To build an entirely new international body committed to fostering global peace and security while ensuring the horrors of world war would never be repeated. That vision became reality on June 26, 1945, when the United Nations Charter was signed at the conference, formally bringing the United Nations into existence.

Known simply as the UN, this organization stands as the world's largest and most important international body. At its core lies a commitment to peacekeeping — working to defuse both potential and active conflicts through peaceful means. Beyond that, the UN strives to deepen ties among nations by encouraging cooperation and equality. It also champions fundamental freedoms for every person and tackles pressing economic, social, and health challenges around the globe. Member nations are bound by these objectives, which override any other treaties they may have entered into. Today, delegates from 193 countries enjoy equal representation within the UN General Assembly.

Interesting Facts about the UN:

  • The United Nations lends support to approximately 67 countries each year in conducting their elections.
  • Through its efforts, the UN delivers vaccines — among them the Polio vaccine — to 45% of the world's children.
  • Empowering women and girls across the globe is a central part of the UN's work. This includes providing female sex education in countries like Bhutan, organizing self-defense classes for women in Kenya, and delivering training to women who have survived gender-based violence worldwide.
  • Remarkably, the UN's entire global peacekeeping budget amounts to just 1% of the United States military budget.
  • The UN headquarters sits on international soil, which means it operates its own security force, fire department, and post office. Official meetings at the UN are conducted in 6 different languages.