For more than eight decades, the United Nations has tried to bring countries together to address global poverty, provide humanitarian aid, resolve armed conflicts and make the world more peaceful.

Here is a look at its history and the role of the annual U.N. General Assembly, which convenes this week with nearly 200 leaders.

The United Nations rose from the ashes of World War II.

The United Nations Charter was signed at a conference in San Francisco in June 1945, led by Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the United States.

When the Charter took effect on Oct. 24 that year, a devastating global war had just ended, leaving millions dead and much of the industrialized world in ruins. Many parts of Africa and Asia were still ruled by colonial powers, which had been weakened in the war.

After fierce negotiations, 50 nations agreed to a Charter that begins, “We the peoples of the United Nations.”

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Supported by

Advertisement