United Nations Charter

United Nations Charter
Name	United Nations Charter
Long name	Charter of the United Nations
Caption	First page of the 1945 United Nations Charter
Type	Founding treaty
Date drafted	1945
Date signed	26 June 1945
Location signed	San Francisco, California, United States
Date effective	24 October 1945
Condition effective	Ratification by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and a majority of the other signatory states.
Signatories	50
Parties	193 Member states of the United Nations
Depositor	United States
Language	Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Wikisource	Charter of the United Nations

United Nations Charter. The foundational treaty of the United Nations, it was signed in 1945 and established the organization's core purposes, governing structure, and fundamental principles of international relations. Serving as a constitution for the global body, it outlines the rights and obligations of Member states of the United Nations and created its principal organs, including the Security Council and the International Court of Justice. The document emerged from the wartime alliance and represents a concerted effort to maintain international peace and security following the devastation of the Second World War.

Background and drafting

The impetus for a new international organization arose during the latter stages of the Second World War, as leaders sought to create a more effective successor to the failed League of Nations. Key discussions began with the Declaration by United Nations in 1942 and advanced at major wartime conferences, including the Moscow Conference and the Tehran Conference. The foundational framework was negotiated by the "Big Four" powers—the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China—at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. Final drafting and debate occurred at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, which was attended by delegates from fifty nations, culminating in its signing on 26 June 1945.

Structure and content

The document consists of a preamble and 111 articles grouped into nineteen chapters. It establishes the six principal organs of the United Nations: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. Key chapters detail the purposes and principles of the organization, membership criteria, the functions and powers of the main bodies, and arrangements for international economic and social cooperation. Specific provisions, such as Chapter VII, grant the Security Council authority to authorize enforcement measures, including the use of force.

Ratification and entry into force

Following the signing ceremony in San Francisco, the treaty was subject to ratification by the signatory states according to their respective constitutional processes. As stipulated, it entered into force on 24 October 1945, upon ratification by the five permanent members of the Security Council—China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and a majority of the other original signatories. This date is now celebrated annually as United Nations Day. The depositary government for the treaty is the United States, with the original copy held in the National Archives in Washington, D.C..

Key principles and purposes

The charter enshrines several fundamental principles governing the conduct of its members and the organization itself. These include the sovereign equality of all states, the obligation to settle international disputes by peaceful means, and the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. The primary purposes, articulated in Article 1, are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of self-determination, achieve international cooperation in solving problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these common ends.

Amendments and review

The charter contains a formal amendment process outlined in Chapter XVIII. Amendments require adoption by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of the member states, including all the permanent members of the Security Council. Notable amendments have expanded the membership of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Article 109 also provided for a General Conference to review the charter, though such a conference has never been convened.

Role in international law

As a multilateral treaty, it constitutes a primary source of international law and holds a superior legal position within the United Nations system, as obligations under the charter prevail over those under any other international agreement for member states. Its principles, particularly those concerning the prohibition of aggression and the right to self-defense, have been foundational in shaping modern international law and are frequently cited in rulings by the International Court of Justice. The charter's framework has influenced the development of numerous subsequent treaties and legal norms, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of the post-war international legal order.

Category:United Nations Category:Treaties concluded in 1945 Category:Treaties entered into force in 1945