United Nations

Following the devastation of the Second World War, the United Nations (UN) was established on 26 June 1945. The UN was created with the aim of maintaining international peace and security, following the devastation of the two World Wars. The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations. It was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization and came into force on 24 October 1945. The UN Day is celebrated on 24 October of each year. To date, 193 member states have signed the UN Charter and become a member of the UN. The main bodies of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the UN Secretariat.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions run from September to the September of the following year. A President, elected from among the Member States, preside over each session. The current President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly is Annalena Baerbock. Khalilur Rahman was elected as the President of the 81st Session of the General Assembly on 2 June 2026, and he will officially begin his duties on 8 September 2026 when the 81st Session of the General Assembly officially begins.

The daily work of the UN is carried out through the UN Secretariat headed by the UN Secretary-General. The current Secretary General of the United Nations is António Guterres. A new Secretary General will be selected this year and will officially take over the role from 1 January 2027. The headquarters of the UN is located in New York. Other hubs are located in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.