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United Nations Charter
United Nations Charter with the Egyptian delegation at the signing ceremony in San Francisco.jpg
UN Charter signing ceremony
Signed
Location		 June 26, 1945
San Francisco, California, United States
Effective
Condition		 October 24, 1945
Ratification by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, United States and by a majority of the other signatory states.
Parties 192
Wikisource logo Charter of the United Nations at Wikisource

The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations.[1] It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on June 26, 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries (Poland, the other original member, which was not represented at the conference, signed it later). It entered into force on October 24, 1945, after being ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council—the Republic of China (later replaced by the People's Republic of China), France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (later replaced by the Russian Federation), the United Kingdom, and the United States—and a majority of the other signatories.Today 192 countries are the members of the United Nations.

As a charter, it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, the Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty obligations.[1] Most countries in the world have now ratified the Charter. One notable exception is the Holy See, which has chosen to remain a permanent observer state and therefore is not a full signatory to the Charter.[2]

Contents

[edit] Summary

The Charter consists of a preamble and a series of articles grouped into chapters.[1]

The preamble consists of two principle parts. The first part containing a general call for the maintenance of peace and international security and respect for human rights. The second part of the preamble is a declaration in a contractual style that the governments of the peoples of the United Nations have agreed to the Charter.

The following chapters deal with the enforcement powers of UN bodies:

[edit] Charter Provisions

[edit] Preamble

Main article: Preamble to the United Nations Charter

The Preamble to the treaty reads as follows:

"We the peoples of the United Nations determined: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, And for these ends: to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims: Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations."

Although the Preamble is an integral part of the Charter, it does not set out any of the rights or obligations of member states, rather its purpose is to serve as an interpretative guide for the provisions of the Charter through the highlighting of some of the core motives of the founders of the organisation. [3]

[edit] Chapter I: Purposes And Principles

Main article: Chapter I of the United Nations Charter

[edit] Article 1

The Purposes of the United Nations are[1]

  1. To maintain international peace and security, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
  2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
  3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
  4. To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

[edit] Article 2

The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles:[1]

  1. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.
  2. All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.
  3. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
  4. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.
  5. All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.
  6. The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.
  7. Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.[1]

[edit] Chapter II: Membership

Main article: Chapter II of the United Nations Charter

[edit] Chapter III: Organs

  1. There are established as principal organs of the United Nations: a General Assembly, a Security Council, an Economic and Social Council, a Trusteeship Council, an International Court of Justice and a Secretariat.
  2. Such subsidiary organs as may be found necessary may be established in accordance with the present Charter.

[edit] Chapter IV: The General Assembly

[edit] Chapter V: The Security Council

right

[edit] Chapter VI: Pacific Settlement of Disputes

[edit] Chapter VII: Action with respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression

Main article: Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter

[edit] Chapter VIII: Regional Arrangements

[edit] Chapter IX: International Economic and Social Co-operation

[edit] Chapter X: The Economic and Social Council

[edit] Chapter XI: Declaration regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories

[edit] Chapter XII: International Trusteeship System

[edit] Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship System

[edit] Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice

[edit] Chapter XV: The Secretariat

- It comprises the secretary general and such other staff as the organization may require. - It provides services to the other organ of the united nation, he G.A, the S.C, the ECOSOC, and the trusteaship council, as well as their subsidiary bodies. - Thr secretary general is appointed by the G.A on the recommendation of security council. - The staff of the secretariat is appointed by the secretary general according to the regulation laid G.A. - The secretariat is located at the headquarter of the U.N in new york. - The secretariat also includes the regional commission secretariat at Baghdad, Bangkok, Geva and Santiago.

function of Secretariat:

1- preparation of report and other documents containing information, analysis, historical background research finding, policy suggestions and so forth, to facilitate deliberations and decision making by other organs. 2- to facilitate legislative organs and their subsidiary bodies. 3- provision of meating services for the G.A and other organs 4- provision of editorial, translation and document reproduction services for the issuance of UN documents in different language. 5- conduct of studies and provision of information to various member states in meeting challenge in various fields 6- preparation of statistical publication, information bulletiin and analytical work which the G.A. has decided 7- organization of conferences experts group meetings and seminar on topics of concern to the international community 8- provision of technical assistance to develop countries. 9- understanding of service mission to countries, areas or location as authorized by the G.A or the security council

[edit] Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions

[edit] Chapter XVII: Transitional Security Arrangements

[edit] Chapter XVIII: Amendments

[edit] Chapter XIX: Ratification and Signature

[edit] See also

United Nations portal

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Introductory Note
  2. ^ Short History
  3. ^ Report of the Rapporteur of Commission I/1 UNICO VI, pp 446-7, Doc. 944 I/1/34(1).

[edit] External links