10 UNITED NATIONS AT A GLANCE
DID YOU KNOW?
The term “United Nations” was first used by an American President The name “United Nations” was suggested by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was first officially used in 1942, when representatives of 26 countries signed the Declaration by United Nations. As a tribute to President Roosevelt, who died a few weeks before the signing of the Charter, all those present at the San Francisco Conference agreed to adopt the name “United Nations.”
The Charter, the guiding principles of the United Nations, was signed on 26 June 1945, by the representatives of these 50 countries. Poland was not represented at the Conference because at that time the country did not yet have a new government in place. However, Poland signed the Charter by 15 October 1945 and is therefore considered one of the original Members of the United Nations. The 51 original Members States were (in alphabetical order, using the names of the countries as they were known in October 1945): 1.
Argentina
19.
Ethiopia
38. Peru
2.
Australia
20.
France
39. Philippine Republic
3.
Belgium
21.
Greece
4.
Bolivia
22.
Guatemala
5.
Brazil
23.
Haiti
6.
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
24.
Honduras
42. Syria
25.
India
43. Turkey
7.
Canada
26.
Iran
8.
Chile
27.
Iraq
44. Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
9.
China
45. Union of South Africa
40. Poland 41. Saudi Arabia
28.
Lebanon
10. Colombia
29.
Liberia
11. Costa Rica
30.
Luxembourg
12. Cuba
31.
Mexico
13. Czechoslovakia
32.
Netherlands
14. Denmark
33.
New Zealand
15. Dominican Republic
34.
Nicaragua
16. Ecuador
35.
Norway
17. Egypt
36.
Panama
50. Venezuela
18. El Salvador
37.
Paraguay
51. Yugoslavia
46. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) 47. United Kingdom (UK) 48. United States of America (USA) 49. Uruguay