In the aftermath of the Second World War, countries around the world agreed that an international institution was necessary to cooperatively and peacefully resolve global conflicts. The United States was instrumental in the design and formation of the United Nations through the vision of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. The United Nations initially had 51 Member States; today the membership has grown to include 192 countries. Headquartered in New York City, the UN has become the main forum for leaders across the globe to discuss critical challenges facing the world. The U.S. continues to be a key Member of the United Nations, particularly as its largest funder, and helps guide the resolution of global problems. At the same time, the UN remains central to U.S. foreign policy.
About the UN
Priorities of the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
The UN Security Council
The UN General Assembly
UN Agencies, Funds and Programs
Great Moments in the UN's History:
 1946: United Nations Founded
President Harry Truman, along with representatives from 50 other countries, signed the UN Charter in San Francisco, California. |
1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights Signed
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt personally helped prepare the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first document considered to have international normative value. |
 1950: Korean War Ended
With news that the DPRK attacked the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the Security Council declared the attack to be a breach of peace and recommended that Member States make forces available to a UN Unified Command under the United States. In all, 16 nations supplied troops. UN agencies such as UNDP assisted South Korea in rebuilding and providing development assistance, allowing it to become one of the largest economies in the world today. |
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1962: Cuban Missile Crisis Resolved
UN Secretary-General U Thant is widely credited for having defused the Cuban Missile Crisis by interceding between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, thereby avoiding a nuclear war. |
1980: Smallpox Eradicated
A 13-year effort by the UN's World Health Organization resulted in the complete eradication of smallpox in 1980—saving an estimated $1 billion a year in vaccination and monitoring. |
1992: World Environment Conference Held
The "Earth Summit" (UN Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil—the largest intergovernmental gathering at the time—resulted in global agreements in biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. |
2005: Humanitarian Response to the South Asian Tsunami Led by UN
The United Nations was credited with coordinating and leading the historic international relief effort in 12 countries undertaken in response to the 2004 South Asian Tsunami. |
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