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The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter.
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration. Although not a legally binding treaty, it is considered a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, and has provided the basic philosophy for many legally binding international instruments.
(formerly titled "Basic Facts About the UN")
The United Nations Today, reflects the multitude of ways in which the United Nations touches the lives of people everywhere. It chronicles the work of the Organization in such areas as peace, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament and international law. In describing the work of the United Nations family of organizations, this book provides a comprehensive account of the many challenges before the international community, as well as the joint ongoing efforts to find solutions.
The entire book is available for downloading in pdf: http://unic.un.org/aroundworld/unics/common/documents/publications/
untoday/UN_TODAY_BOOK_eng.pdf
The United Nations was established, in the aftermath of a devastating war, to help stabilize international relations and give peace a more secure foundation.
Amid the threat of nuclear war and seemingly endless regional conflicts, peacekeeping has become an overriding concern of the United Nations, and the activities of the blue-helmeted peacekeepers have emerged as among the most visible.
But the United Nations is much more than a peacekeeper and a forum for conflict resolution. Often without attracting attention, the UN and its family of agencies are engaged in a vast array of work that seeks to improve people’s lives around the world.
60 Ways the UN Makes a Difference gives a sampling of what the United Nations and its component bodies have accomplished since 1945, when the world Organization was founded.
Book version (PDF 3.03MB): http://www.un.org/un60/60ways_book.pdf
Printable version (PDF 155KB): http://www.un.org/un60/60ways_short.pdf
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