The United Nations The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945. The UN describes itself as a 'global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity.' It was founded by 51 states and as of 2005 it consists of 191 member states, including virtually all internationally-recognized independent nations. From its headquarters in New York City, the member countries of the UN and its specialized agencies give guidance and make decisions on substantial and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout each year. The organization is structurally divided into administrative bodies, including the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, UN Economic and Social Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UN Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice, as well as counterpart bodies dealing with the governance of all other UN system agencies, for example, the WHO and UNICEF. The organization's most visible public figure is the Secretary-General. The UN was founded at the conclusion of World War Il by the victorious world powers, and the founders of the UN had high hopes that it would act to prevent conflicts between nations and make future wars impossible, by fostering an ideal of collective security. The organization's structure still reflects in some ways the circumstances of its founding specifically, in addition to the rotating national members of the prominent United Nations Security Council, there are five permanent members with veto(否决) power—the United States of America, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and People's Republic of China (which replaced the Republic of China). The name 'United Nations' was devised by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first used in the 'Declaration by United Nations' of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. The United Nations Charter was drawn up by the representatives of 50 countries at the United Nations Conference on International Organization, which was held at San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June, 1945 .They deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries Poland, not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States and by a majority of other signatories 24 October is celebrated, each year as United Nations Day. Preamble to the Charter The Preamble(序言) to the Charter expresses the ideals and common aims of all the peoples whose governments joined together to form. the United Nations: 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 fro the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of in- ternational 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, an