United Nations Day is observed every year on 24 October to mark the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. The United Nations officially came into being on that day after the Charter was ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of other signatories. The 2025 observance marked the 80th anniversary of the organisation under the theme Building Our Future Together.
What Is United Nations Day and When Is It Celebrated?
United Nations Day is the annual observance held on 24 October to commemorate the day the UN Charter entered into force in 1945. It is a day to publicise the aims, work and achievements of the United Nations and to build public support for its mission of peace and cooperation.
The General Assembly designated 24 October as United Nations Day in 1947, and the day has been observed since 1948. In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that member states observe it as a public holiday, though countries follow this advice in different ways. Celebrations include flag ceremonies, cultural programmes, exhibitions, school events and public campaigns at headquarters in New York and in member states.
Why Was the United Nations Formed?
The United Nations was created to prevent another world war and to provide a permanent forum where disputes could be settled by negotiation instead of force. It replaced the League of Nations, which had been set up after the First World War but failed to stop aggression in the 1930s and the outbreak of the Second World War.
The term United Nations was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, when 26 Allied nations pledged to continue the war effort together. Wartime talks then shaped the design. Proposals were prepared at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington in 1944, voting rules for the Security Council were settled at Yalta in February 1945, and the final plan was agreed at the United Nations Conference on International Organization held in San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945.
Representatives of 50 nations took part in the San Francisco Conference. Poland, which could not attend, signed later and became one of the 51 original members. On 26 June 1945, the Charter was signed. It entered into force on 24 October 1945 after ratification by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with a majority of other signatories. That date is treated as the official birth of the United Nations.
What Is the United Nations Charter?
The UN Charter is the founding treaty of the United Nations. It was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945. As an international treaty, it binds member states and sets out the purposes, principles and structure of the organisation. The original signed copy is preserved in the US National Archives.
The Charter begins with a Preamble that opens with the words We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. It then lays down four main purposes in Article 1:
- To maintain international peace and security through collective measures and peaceful settlement of disputes
- To develop friendly relations among nations based on equal rights and self determination of peoples
- To achieve cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting human rights for all without distinction of race, sex, language or religion
- To be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations to attain these common ends
Article 2 lists the guiding principles. These include the sovereign equality of all members, good faith in meeting Charter obligations, peaceful settlement of disputes, and a ban on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, which appears in Article 2(4). The Charter also provides for enforcement action by the Security Council under Chapter VII and recognises the right of self defence in Article 51.
Six Principal Organs of the United Nations
The Charter creates six principal organs under Article 7. Five are based at headquarters in New York. The International Court of Justice sits at The Hague in the Netherlands, making it the only principal organ outside New York.
| Organ | Seat | Main Role |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly | New York | Main deliberative body with all 193 member states, each with one vote. It discusses global issues, approves the budget, admits new members and elects members of other organs. Its resolutions are not legally binding but carry political weight |
| Security Council | New York | Holds primary responsibility for peace and security. It has 15 members, including 5 permanent members with veto power. Its decisions are binding and it can impose sanctions and authorise peace operations |
| Economic and Social Council | New York | Central body for coordination on economic, social and environmental work. It has 54 members elected for three year terms and guides work on development goals |
| Trusteeship Council | New York | Supervised trust territories moving toward self government or independence. It suspended operations in 1994 after Palau, the last trust territory, became independent |
| International Court of Justice | The Hague | Principal judicial organ. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions. It has 15 judges elected for nine year terms |
| Secretariat | New York | Carries out day to day work. It is headed by the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five year renewable term |
The Security Council has five permanent members. They are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia assumed the Soviet Union seat in 1991. In 1971, the General Assembly recognised the People’s Republic of China as the lawful representative of China. Ten non permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for two year terms, with seats shared among regions.
Where Is the United Nations Headquartered and Who Leads It?
The United Nations headquarters stands on an 18 acre site in the Turtle Bay area of Manhattan in New York City, along the East River. The land was made available with the help of an $8.5 million donation from John D. Rockefeller Jr. Construction began in 1948 and the complex was completed in 1952. Under a 1947 agreement with the United States, the headquarters district functions as international territory administered by the United Nations.
The organisation also maintains major offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. Geneva hosts large humanitarian and human rights operations, Vienna focuses on drugs, crime and nuclear energy, and Nairobi hosts the environment and settlements programmes. The United Nations uses six official languages. They are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Membership has grown from 51 original members to 193 member states today. South Sudan, admitted in 2011, is the newest member. Two entities, the Holy See and the State of Palestine, take part as permanent observer states without a vote in the General Assembly.
The chief administrative officer is the Secretary-General. Antonio Guterres of Portugal, the ninth Secretary-General, took office on 1 January 2017 and was reappointed for a second term running to December 2026. Earlier in his career he served as Prime Minister of Portugal and as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The first Secretary-General was Trygve Lie of Norway, who took office in 1946.
India and the United Nations
India is a founding member of the United Nations. Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar signed the Charter on behalf of India at San Francisco in 1945. India has played a visible role in peacekeeping, decolonisation, human rights and development debates from the early years.
India is among the largest cumulative contributors to UN peacekeeping. More than 290,000 Indian personnel have served in over 50 missions since the 1950s, starting with medical support in Korea and including service in the Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2007, India deployed the first all women Formed Police Unit to Liberia. Nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives in service, the highest sacrifice by any contributor.
India has also sought reform of the Security Council and has pressed for a permanent seat, arguing that the Council should reflect current global realities and give greater voice to developing countries.
United Nations at 80 in 2025
The year 2025 marked 80 years of the United Nations. The global theme was Building Our Future Together. Events included a commemorative meeting on Charter Day on 26 June, when the original Charter returned for display at headquarters in New York, and a high level meeting on 22 September to review eight decades of work and the path ahead.
In India, the 80th anniversary was marked with a commemorative postage stamp released by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and a reception at UN House in New Delhi. The milestone also highlighted ongoing work on peace, humanitarian aid, human rights, climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.
Key Takeaways
- United Nations Day is observed every year on 24 October to mark the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.
- The Charter was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by 50 nations, with Poland signing later as the 51st original member.
- The United Nations has six principal organs, and only the International Court of Justice at The Hague is based outside New York.
- The United Nations headquarters is in New York City, membership stands at 193 states, and South Sudan (2011) is the newest member.
- The 2025 theme for the 80th anniversary was Building Our Future Together.
