Four months after the end of World War II, on 24 October 1945, the United Nations officially came into existence. Four years of planning and hope had materialized in an international organization intended to maintain peace, give humanitarian assistance to those in need, protect human rights and uphold international law.
The Charter of the United Nations sets out the fundamental principles upon which the Organization is founded. It establishes the Security Council to be responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, subject to the superintendence of the General Assembly. The Council consists of five permanent members (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Each member has one vote, and decisions require nine affirmative votes to pass. If no member can agree on a resolution, the power to block passage is exercised by the permanent five members, known as the veto.
The Charter also provides that no member may invoke against another member any treaty or international agreement unless it has been registered in accordance with the procedure laid down in Chapter X. This is a key safeguard against the misuse of the Organization’s powers by any Member. A new State must apply for admission to the United Nations and submit to the Council a letter formally declaring that it accepts its obligations under the Charter. The Council shall recommend the admission of the State to the General Assembly, which must approve it by a two-thirds majority vote.