United Nations Charter
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{{Infobox Treaty
| name = United Nations Charter
| long_name =
| image = 24479.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| caption = UN Charter signing ceremony
| type =
| date_drafted =
| date_signed = [[June 26]], [[1945]]
| location_signed = [[San Francisco]], [[United States]]
| date_sealed =
| date_effective = [[October 24]], [[1945]]
| condition_effective = [[Ratification]] by [[Republic of China|China]], [[France]], the [[Soviet Union]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[United States]] and by a majority of the other signatory states.
| date_expiration =
| signatories =
| parties = 192
| depositor =
| language =
| languages =
| wikisource = Charter of the United Nations
}}
The '''United Nations Charter''' is the [[treaty]] that forms and establishes the [[international organization]] called the [[United Nations]].<ref name=intro>[http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/ Introductory Note]</ref> It was signed at the [[United Nations Conference on International Organization]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], [[United States]], on June 26, 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries ([[Poland]], the other original member, which was not represented at the conference, signed it later). It entered into force on [[October 24]], [[1945]], after being ratified by the five permanent members of the [[Security Council]]—the [[Republic of China]] (later replaced by the [[People's Republic of China]]), [[France]], the [[Soviet Union|Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] (later replaced by the [[Russia|Russian Federation]]), the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]]—and a majority of the other signatories.
As a [[Charter]], it is a constituent treaty, and all members are bound by its articles. Furthermore, the Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty obligations.<ref name=intro /> Most countries in the world have now ratified the Charter. One notable exception is the [[Holy See]], which has chosen to remain a permanent observer state and therefore is not a full signatory to the Charter. [http://www.holyseemission.org/short_history.html]
== Organization of the document ==
The Charter consists of a ''[[Preamble to the United Nations Charter|preamble]]'' and a series of articles grouped into chapters.<ref name=intro />
*'''[[Chapter I of the United Nations Charter|Chapter I]]''' sets forth the purposes of the [[United Nations]], including the important provisions of the maintenance of international [[peace]] and [[security]].
*'''[[Chapter II of the United Nations Charter|Chapter II]]''' defines the criteria for membership in the United Nations.
*'''[[Chapter III of the United Nations Charter|Chapters III]]-[[Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter|XV]]''', the bulk of the document, describe the organs and [[institution]]s of the UN and their respective powers.
*'''[[Chapter XVI of the United Nations Charter|Chapters XVI]] and [[Chapter XVII of the United Nations Charter|Chapter XVII]]''' describe arrangements for integrating the UN with established [[international law]].
*'''[[Chapter XVIII of the United Nations Charter|Chapters XVIII]] and [[Chapter XIX of the United Nations Charter|Chapter XIX]]''' provide for [[Amendments to the United Nations Charter|amendment]] and [[ratification]] of the [[Charter]].
The following chapters deal with the [[enforcement]] powers of [[UN]] bodies:
*'''[[Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter|Chapter VI]]''' describes the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]]'s power to investigate and mediate [[dispute]]s;
*'''[[Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter|Chapter VII]] ''' describes the Security Council's power to authorize economic, [[diplomatic]], and military sanctions, as well as the use of military force, to resolve disputes;
*'''[[Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter|Chapter VIII]]''' makes it possible for regional arrangements to maintain peace and security within their own region;
*'''[[Chapter IX of the United Nations Charter|Chapters IX]] and [[Chapter X of the United Nations Charter|Chapter X]]''' describe the UN's powers for economic and social cooperation, and the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council]] that oversees these powers;
*'''[[Chapter XII of the United Nations Charter|Chapters XII]] and [[Chapter XIII of the United Nations Charter|Chapter XIII]]''' describe the [[Trusteeship Council]], which oversaw [[decolonization]];
*'''[[Chapter XIV of the United Nations Charter|Chapters XIV]] and [[Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter|Chapter XV]]''' establish the powers of, respectively, the [[International Court of Justice]] and the [[United Nations Secretariat]].
*'''Chapters XVI through Chapter XIX''' deal respectively with [[Chapter XVI of the United Nations Charter|XVI: miscellaneous provisions]], [[Chapter XVII of the United Nations Charter|XVII: transitional security arrangements]] related to [[World War II]], [[Chapter XVIII of the United Nations Charter|XVIII: the charter amendment process]], and [[Chapter XIX of the United Nations Charter|XIX: ratification of the charter]].
== Purposes of the United Nations ==
===Chapter 1, Article 1 of the UN Charter states:===
The Purposes of the United Nations are<ref name=intro />
# To maintain international [[peace]] and [[security]], to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
# To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of [[equal rights]] and [[self-determination]] of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
# To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
# To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.
===Chapter 1, Article 2 of the UN Charter states:===
The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles:<ref name=intro />
# The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.
# All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.
# All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
# All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.
# All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the present Charter, and shall refrain from giving assistance to any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.
# The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act in accordance with these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.
# Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter Vll.<ref name=intro />
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==See also==
* [[Dumbarton Oaks Conference]] - Conference where most of the Charter was drafted and negotiated
* [[United Nations Conference on International Organization]] - "[[San Francisco]] Conference" where the Charter was finalized and signed.
* [[Command responsibility]]
* [[Nuremberg Principles]]
* [[Bush Doctrine#Implications of the UN Charter for the Bush Doctrine|Implications of the Charter for the Bush Doctrine]]
{{UN portal}}
==External links==
*[http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter Full text of the charter]
*[http://www.worldinbalance.net/agreements/1945-uncharter.html Easy-to-read version of the charter at the Center for a World in Balance]
*[http://uncharter.org Searchable/cross-referenced/Trackback-enabled text of the charter]
*[http://www.law-ref.org/UN-CHARTER/index.html Charter of the United Nations at Law-Ref.org] - fully indexed and crosslinked with other documents
*[http://www.filepedia.org/node/14 Full text of the charter in PDF Format at filepedia.org]
*[http://www.peacekey.com/1-1-a/UN_Web/1_UN_Book/The_Fearful_Master_09.htm Alger Hiss recounts transporting the UN Charter after its signing.]
{{UN Charter}}
{{International Criminal Law}}
{{Supranationalism/World government topics|state=autocollapse}}
[[Category:International law]]
[[Category:Treaties]]
[[Category:United Nations Charter|*]]
[[Category:1945 in law]]
[[Category:Crime of aggression]]
[[Category:Political charters]]
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[[ca:Carta de les Nacions Unides]]
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[[eo:Ĉarto de la Unuiĝintaj Nacioj]]
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[[fr:Charte des Nations unies]]
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[[pl:Karta Narodów Zjednoczonych]]
[[pt:Carta das Nações Unidas]]
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