THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION _____________________________ 1945-1965: The First 20 Years D. Smith / MBSS

Inter-Allied Declaration Signed in London, June 12, 1941 the Inter-Allied Declaration: "to work together, with other free peoples, both in war and in peace" was a first step towards the establishment of the United Nations.

The Atlantic Charter Signed by FDR & Churchill on Aug. 14, 1941, on the HMS Prince of Wales, off the coast of Newfoundland. The Charter proposed a set of eight principles for international collaboration

Declaration of the United Nations January 1, 1942, reps of 26 Allied nations met in Washington, D.C. They pledged their support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the “Declaration by United Nations”, (the first official use of the term "United Nations", suggested by FDR).

Moscow & Tehran Conferences A declaration signed in Moscow on Oct. 30, 1943 by the USSR, the UK, the USA, and China It called for an early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. That goal was reaffirmed at the Tehran Conference by Stalin, FDR, & Churchill on Dec. 1, 1943.

Dumbarton Oaks Conference The first blueprint of the UN was prepared at a conference held at a mansion known as Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. In meetings from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7, 1944, the US, the UK, the USSR and China agreed on the aims, structure and functioning of a world organization.

Yalta Conference On February 11, 1945, following meetings at Yalta, FDR, Churchill and Stalin declared their resolve to establish "a general international organization to maintain peace and security".

San Francisco Conference April 25, 1945: delegates of 50 nations met in San Francisco for the UN Conference on International Organization. They drew up the 111-article Charter. June 25, 1945: the charter was adopted in the San Francisco Opera House. June 26, 1945, it was signed in the auditorium of the Veterans War Memorial Building.

It’s Official! Oct. 24, 1945: The United Nations is created. Its Charter is ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and the majority of other signatories.

Structure of the UN

Important Firsts Jan. 10, 1946, the first General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, opens in London. Jan. 17, 1946, the first Security Council meeting in London; rules of procedure were adopted. Jan. 24, 1946, the General Assembly adopts its first resolution. Its main focus: peaceful uses of atomic energy and the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction.

The First Secretary-General Feb. 1, 1946: Trygve Lie of Norway becomes the first Secretary-General of the UN. He served until Nov. 1952.

United Nations Day October 24, 1947, "United Nations Day" is officially designated by the G.A. In 1971 the G.A. adopted a resolution declaring that United Nations Day shall be an international holiday and recommended that it should be observed as a public holiday by all member states

Palestine June 1948, the first UN observer mission established in Palestine -the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). Jan. 7, 1949, a UN envoy, Ralph Bunche, secures a cease-fire between the new State of Israel and Arab States.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Dec. 10, 1948, the G.A. adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the most translated document in the world. The Commission on Human Rights was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, and the principal drafter was Canadian lawyer John Humphrey.

United Nations Headquarters Oct. 24, 1949, the cornerstone is laid for the present UN Headquarters in New York City. SG Lie & Chief Architect W. Harrison seal cornerstone, New York, Dec 24/49 (23397 UN/DPI).

United Nations Headquarters Before the New York Headquarters was ready, the UN met in various temporary locations. The site of UN Headquarters is owned by the United Nations; it is an international territory.

Korean Crisis June 27, 1950, the Security Council calls on Member States to help South Korea repel an invasion from the north. The USSR was boycotting the Security Council, protesting the exclusion of Communist China from the UN. The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed on July 27, 1953 by the UN Command and the Chinese-North Korean Command.

The Suez Crisis All attempts at a resolution to the Suez Crisis in the Security Council are blocked by French & British vetoes. Nov. 1, 1956: the first Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly met. Canadian External Affairs Minister, Lester Pearson, suggests UN troops to enforce a cease-fire. Nov. 5, the G.A. decides to establish the first UN peace-keeping force- the UN Emergency Force (UNEF).

UN Membership September, 1960, 17 newly independent States, 16 from Africa, join the UN. This is the biggest increase in membership in any one year.

2nd Secretary General 1952- Swedish politician Dag Hammarskjold becomes the Sec. Gen. Sept. 18, 1961: S.G. Hammarskjold dies in an aircraft crash while on mission to Congo.

3rd Secretary General U Thant, a Burmese diplomat, was chosen to be the new Secretary-General in 1961. He served as S.G. until 1971.

Security Council Action Aug. 7, 1963, the Security Council votes voluntary arms embargo against South Africa. March 4, 1964, the Security Council approves the dispatch of peacekeeping force to Cyprus.

Nobel Peace Prizes 1945: Cordell Hull, ex-US Sec. of state for his work in establishing the UN. 1950: Ralph Bunche, Director of the UN Division of Trusteeship, Acting mediator in Palestine. 1954: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 1957: Lester Pearson, Pres. of the 7th UN session, for his role in the Suez Crisis 1961: Dag Hammarskjold: U.N. Sec.Gen. 1965: UNICEF- for its work to help children.