Charter of the United Nations

The Charter of the United Nations (also known as the UN Charter) of 1945 is the
Charter of the United
foundational treaty of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization.[1] The
Nations
UN Charter articulated a commitment to uphold human rights of citizens and
outlined a broad set of principles relating to achieving ‘higher standards of living’,
addressing ‘economic, social, health, and related problems,’ and ‘universal respect
for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without
distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.’[2] As a charter, it is a constituent
treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, Article 103 of the
Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty
obligations.[1][3]

The Charter was opened for signature on 26 June 1945 and was signed at the San
Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United
States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries (Poland, the
other original member, which was not represented at the conference, signed it two
months later). It entered into force on 24 October 1945, after being ratified by the
original five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—the
Republic of China (after 1949, located in Taiwan and was later replaced by the UN Charter
People's Republic of China), the Provisional Government of the French Republic Drafted 14 August 1941
(later replaced by the Fourth Republic and then the Fifth Republic), the Union of Signed 26 June 1945
Soviet Socialist Republics (later replaced by the Russian Federation), the United
Location San Francisco,
Kingdom, and the United States—and a majority of the other signatories. In the
California, United
meantime, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place on 6 and 9
States
August, respectively; the introduction of this new weapon of warfare completely
changed the security environment in which the UN Charter was promulgated. Most Effective 24 October 1945
countries in the world have now ratified the Charter. Condition Ratification by China,
France, the Soviet
24 October was later declared as United Nations Day by the United Nations General
Union, the United
Assembly.[4]
Kingdom, the United
States and by a
majority of the other
Contents signatory states.
Parties 193
Summary
Charter Provisions Depositary United States
Preamble Languages Arabic, Chinese,
Chapter I: Purposes And Principles English, French,
Article 1
Russian, and Spanish
Article 2
Chapter II: Membership Charter of the United Nations at
Chapter III: Organs Wikisource
Chapter IV: The General Assembly
Chapter V: The Security Council
Chapter VI: Pacific Settlement of Disputes
Chapter VII: Action with respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches
of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression
 Chapter VIII: Regional Arrangements
Chapter IX: International Economic and Social Co-operation
Chapter X: The Economic and Social Council
Chapter XI: Declaration regarding Non-Self-Governing erritories
T
Chapter XII: International Trusteeship System
Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship Council
Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice
Chapter XV: The Secretariat
Functions of the Secretariat
Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions
Chapter XVII: Transitional Security Arrangements
Chapter XVIII: Amendments
Chapter XIX: Ratification and Signature
See also
References
External links

Summary
The Charter consists of apreamble and a series of articles grouped into chapters.[1]

The preamble consists of two principal parts. The first part contains a general call
for the maintenance of peace and international security and respect for human rights.
The second part of the preamble is a declaration in a contractual style that the
governments of the peoples of the United Nations have agreed to the Charter and it
is the first international document regarding human rights.

Chapter I sets forth the purposes of the United Nations, including the
important provisions of the maintenance of internationalpeace and
security.
Chapter II defines the criteria for membership in the United Nations. Insignia appeared in the frontispiece
Chapters III–XV, the bulk of the document, describe the organs and of the charter, prototype of the
institutions of the UN and their respective powers. current logo of the United Nations.
Chapters XVI and Chapter XVII describe arrangements for integrating
the UN with establishedinternational law.
Chapters XVIII and Chapter XIX provide for amendment and ratification of the Charter.
The following chapters deal with theenforcement powers of UN bodies:

Chapter VI describes the Security Council's power to investigate and mediatedisputes;

Chapter VII describes the Security Council's power to authorize economic, diplomatic, and military sanctions, as well
as the use of military force, to resolve disputes;
Chapter VIII makes it possible for regional arrangements to maintain peace and security within their own region;
Chapters IX and Chapter X describe the UN's powers for economic and social cooperation, and the Economic and
Social Council that oversees these powers;
Chapters XII and Chapter XIII describe the Trusteeship Council, which oversaw decolonization;
Chapters XIV and Chapter XV establish the powers of, respectively, the International Court of Justiceand the
United Nations Secretariat.
Chapters XVI through Chapter XIXdeal respectively withXVI: miscellaneous provisions, XVII: transitional security
arrangements related to World War II, XVIII: the charter amendment process, and XIX: ratification of the charter

Charter Provisions

Preamble
The Preamble to the treaty reads as follows:[5][6]

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS

DETERMINED

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war ,

which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to
mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,in the dignity
and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men
and women and of nations large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for
the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of
international law can be maintained, and
to promote social progress and better standards of life in
larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS World War II poster from the United
States on the UNITED NATIONS –
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one PREAMBLE TO THE CHARTER OF
another as good neighbours, and
THE UNITED NATIONS
to unite our strength to maintain international peace and
security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the
institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used,
save in the common interest, and
to employ international machinery for the promotion of the
economic and social advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS

TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.

Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives

assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full
powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present
Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an
international organization to be known as the United Nations.

Although the Preamble is an integral part of the Charter, it does not set out any of the rights or obligations of member states; its
purpose is to serve as an interpretative guide for the provisions of the Charter through the highlighting of some of the core motives of
the founders of the organization.[7]

Chapter I: Purposes And Principles

Article 1
The Purposes of the United Nations are[1]

1. To maintain internationalpeace and security, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of
threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring
about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law
, adjustment or
settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle ofequal rights and self-determination
of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or
humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouragingrespect for human rights and forfundamental freedoms
for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
 4. To be a centre for harmonizing the actions ofnations in the attainment of
these common ends.

Article 2
The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1,
[1]
shall act in accordance with the following Principles:

1. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of

all its Members.
2. All Members, in order to ensure, to all of them the rights and benefits
resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations
assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter .
3. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means
in such a manner that international peace and security , and justice, are
not endangered.
4. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from thethreat
or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence "WE THE PEOPLES OF THE
of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of UNITED NATIONS"
the United Nations.
5. All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any
action it takes in accordance with the present Charter , and shall refrain
from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.
6. The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these
Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security .
7. Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are
essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to
settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures
under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.[1]

Chapter II: Membership

Chapter II of the United Nations Charter deals with membership of the United Nations ganization
or

Chapter III: Organs

1. There are established as principal organs of the United Nations: a General Assembly, a Security Council, an
Economic and Social Council, a Trusteeship Council, an International Court of Justice and a Secretariat.
2. Such subsidiary organs as may be found necessary may be established in accordance with the present Charter .

Chapter IV: The General Assembly

Chapter V: The Security Council

COMPOSITION

Article 23

1. The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent
members of the Security Council. The General Assembly shall elect ten other Members of the United Nations to be non-permanent
members of the Security Council, due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United
Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization, and also to equitable
geographical distribution.
2. The non-permanent members of the Security Council shall be elected for a term of two years. In the first election of the non-
permanent members after the increase of the membership of the Security Council from eleven to fifteen, two of the four additional
members shall be chosen for a term of one year
. A retiring member shall not be eligible for immediate re-election.

3. Each member of the Security Council shall have one representative.

FUNCTIONS and POWERS

Article 24

1. In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary
responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security
, and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility
the Security Council acts on their behalf.

2. In discharging these duties the Security Council shall act in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.
The specific powers granted to the Security Council for the dischar
ge of these duties are laid down in Chapters VI, VII, VIII, and XII.

3. The Security Council shall submit annual and, when necessary

, special reports to the General Assembly for its consideration.

Article 25

The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the
present Charter.

Article 26

In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of
the world's human and economic resources, the Security Council shall be responsible for formulating, with the assistance of the
Military Staff Committee referred to in Article 47, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment
of a system for the regulation of armaments.

VOTING

Article 27

1. Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote.

2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an firmative

af vote of nine members.

3. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the
concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that, in decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a
party to a dispute shall abstain from voting.

PROCEDURE

Article 28

1. The Security Council shall be so organized as to be able to function continuously. Each member of the Security Council shall for
this purpose be represented at all times at the seat of the Or
ganization.

2. The Security Council shall hold periodic meetings at which each of its members may, if it so desires, be represented by a member
of the government or by some other specially designated representative.

3. The Security Council may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Organization as in its judgment will best facilitate
its work.

Article 29
The Security Council may establish such subsidiary or
gans as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.

Article 30

The Security Council shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including the method of selecting its President.

Article 31

Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of
any question brought before the Security Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of that Member are specially
affected.

Article 32

Any Member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council or any state which is not a Member of the United
Nations, if it is a party to a dispute under consideration by the Security Council, shall be invited to participate, without vote, in the
discussion relating to the dispute. The Security Council shall lay down such conditions as it deems just for the participation of a state
which is not a Member of the United Nations.

Chapter VI: Pacific Settlement of Disputes

Chapter VII: Action with respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and
Acts of Aggression

Chapter VIII: Regional Arrangements

Chapter IX: International Economic and Social Co-operation

Chapter X: The Economic and Social Council

Chapter XI: Declaration regarding Non-Self-Governing T

erritories

Chapter XII: International Trusteeship System

Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship Council

Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice

Chapter XV: The Secretariat

It comprises the Secretary-General and such other staf f as the organization may require.
It provides services to the other organs of the United Nations, such as the General Assembly , the S.C, the ECOSOC,
and the trusteeship council, as well as their subsidiary bodies.
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of security council.
The staff of the secretariat is appointed by the Secretary-General according to the regulations laid down by the
General Assembly.
 The secretariat is located at the headquarters of the U.N inNew York.
The secretariat also includes the regional commission secretariat atBaghdad, Bangkok, Geneva and Santiago.

Functions of the Secretariat

1. preparation of report and other documents containing information, analysis, historical background research finding,
policy suggestions and so forth, to facilitate deliberations and decision making by other organs.
2. to facilitate legislative organs and their subsidiary bodies.
3. provision of meeting services for the General Assembly and other organs
4. provision of editorial, translation and document reproduction services for the issuance of UN documents in ferent
dif
language.
5. conduct of studies and provision of information to various member states in meeting challenge in various fields
6. preparation of statistical publication, information bulletin and analytical work which the General Assembly has
decided
7. organization of conferences experts group meetings and seminar on topics of concern to the international community
8. provision of technical assistance to develop countries.
9. understanding of service mission to countries, areas or location as authorized by the General Assembly or the
security

Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions

Chapter XVII: Transitional Security Arrangements

Chapter XVIII: Amendments

Chapter XIX: Ratification and Signature

Chapter XIX of the United Nations Charter deals with ratification and signature of the UN Charter. It provided that the Charter
would enter into force once ratified by the Permanent Five members of the United Nations Security Council and a majority of the
other signatory states.

See also
Command responsibility
History of United Nations peacekeeping
Nuremberg Principles
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
United Nations Conference on International Organization
United Nations Day
United Nations System

References
1. "Introductory Note" (https://web.archive.org/web/20050509082013/http://www .un.org/aboutun/charter/). Un.org.
Archived from the original (https://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/)on 9 May 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
2. Christopher N.J. Roberts (June 2017)."William H. Fitzpatrick's Editorials on Human Rights (1949)"(http://www.gesch
ichte-menschenrechte.de/schluesseltexte/william-h-fitzpatricks-editorials-on-human-rights-1949/)
. Quellen zur
Geschichte der Menschenrechte [Sources on the History of Human Rights] . Human Rights Working Group in the
20th Century. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
3. "Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions"(https://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter16.shtml). Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20130201193409/http://www .un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter16.shtml)from the
 original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
4. United Nations General AssemblySession 2 Resolution 168. United Nations Day A/RES/168(II) (http://www.un.org/g
a/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/168(II))31 October 1947. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
5. "Charter of the United Nations and Statue of the International Court of Justice"
(https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publicatio
n/CTC/uncharter.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 17 February 2018.
6. "Preamble" (http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/preamble/index.html). United Nations. Retrieved 17 February
2018.
7. Report of the Rapporteur of Commission I/1 UNICO VI, pp 446–7, Doc. 944 I/1/34(1).

External links
Full Text In the UN Website
Scanned copy of the signed charter
Original ratifications.
Ratifications/admissions under Article IV.
Alger Hiss recounts transporting the UN Charter after its signing.
Procedural history note and audiovisual materialon the Charter of the United Nationsin the Historic Archives of the
United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law
Declaration of Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation Among States in
Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations
Lecture by Annebeth Rosenboomentitled Practical Aspects of Treaty Law: Treaty Registration under Article 102 of
the Charter of the United Nationsin the Lecture Series of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law
Christopher N.J. Roberts (June 2017)."William H. Fitzpatrick's Editorials on Human Rights (1949)" . Quellen zur
Geschichte der Menschenrechte [Sources on the History of Human Rights] . Human Rights Working Group in the
20th Century.

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