In the ashes of World War II, fifty nations united to sign the United Nations’ founding charter eight decades ago on Thursday with the goal of “saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
But this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that the Charter “is a promise of peace, dignity and cooperation among nations.”
However, detractors claim that the organization has done nothing to prevent the innumerable battles that have subsequently erupted and to rage around the world today.
Here is a look at the history of the UN Charter.
Key ideas
The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, according to the charter, which was conceived in the early years of World War II and signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945.