Documents, Press Releases and News | Meetings and Events | Website Tools | Permanent Missions
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Overview and General Information About the UN
United Nations Home Page
The homepage of the United Nations, run by the UN Department of Public Information, is the major site for information about core UN activities, including the Secretary General, General Assembly and the Security Council.
United Nations System Chart
Excellent chart illustrating the UN system and how the various UN bodies, Programmes, Funds and Specialized Agencies interact.
About the UN
This UN page provides background and general information about the United Nations.
History of the United Nations
This UN page provides some brief information on how the UN was formed.
UNO Opened; Attlee Asks World Unity (January 11, 1946)
Front page article from the New York Times, January 10, 1946 - reporting on the inaugural sitting of the United Nations General Assembly in London.
Main UN Bodies
Main Bodies of the UN
This page provides an overview and links to homepages of the main bodies of the UN.
General Assembly
The General Assembly is the only UN body to represent all UN member states. Each member state has one vote and while most decisions are taken by simple majority, key issues including on international peace and security and the UN budget require a two-thirds majority.
Security Council
The Security Council is the United Nations' most powerful body. It has "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security." Five powerful countries sit as "permanent members" along with ten other member states, elected for two-year terms.
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the principal UN body coordinating the economic and social work of the organization. Unlike its twin – the Security Council – ECOSOC enjoys little authority in international policymaking.
Secretariat
Headed by the Secretary General, the Secretariat carries out the substantive and administrative work of the United Nations.
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the UN system's highest judicial body. The ICJ arbitrates between states, who must agree to abide by the Court's decision before their case will be heard.
UN Membership
List of UN Member States
This page lists in alphabetical order all UN members and the date they became members.
Growth in UN Membership
This page provides a timeline of UN membership, showing for each year the new UN members.
Security Council Membership
This GPF page lists Security Council membership from 1946 to the present.
Economic and Social Council Membership
This GPF page lists members of ECOSOC since 1997.
UN Documents, Press Releases and News
ODS Search (Official Documents System)
The UN ODS search covers all types of official United Nations documentation, beginning in 1993. Older UN documents are added to the system on a daily basis. ODS also provides access to the resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council from 1946 onwards.
UN Documentation Centre
The UN Documentation Centre provides listings and search facilities for UN Documents, including resolutions and documents of the Security Council, General Assembly, ECOSOC, Secretariat, International Court of Justice and Trusteeship Council.
UNBISnet
The UN Bibliographic Information System provides a catalogue of UN documents and publications indexed by the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. The coverage of UNBISnet is from 1979 onward, however, older documents are being added to the catalogue on a regular basis as a result of retrospective conversion. The site also provides links to voting records and speeches.
UN-I-QUE: United Nations Info Quest
Created by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, the UN Info Quest serves as a guide to the document symbols of tens of thousands of UN documents and publications from 1946 to the present.
Landmark GA Documents
Prepared by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, "landmark" documents from several important GA sessions.
UN Press Releases - Last 30 Days
Search for UN Press Releases published in the last 30 days.
UN Press Releases - Archives
Search for UN Press Releases older than 30 days.
UN News Centre
The UN News Centre offers the most current news of UN activities.
UN Meetings and Events
Conferences and Events
This page provides comprehensive information on UN conferences and events.
Journal of the United Nations
Updated on a daily basis, the Journal of the United Nations lists meetings of the Security Council, ECOSOC, General Assembly and more.
Calendar of UN Events
This page links to calendars of events at the UN, including, conferences, meetings, launching of major reports, exhibits and observances.
Exhibitions at UN Headquarters
This page provide information on the exhibitions at the UN headquarters in New York.
UN Website Tools
Official Web Site Locator for the UN System
This UN page provides a comprehensive and easy-to-use access point for web resources throughout the UN system as a whole, including well-organized lists of links, search capabilities, alphabetical index, and more.
Recent Additions
This UN page lists new developments at the UN and on the UN website.
Permanent Missions to the UN
Blue Book - Permanent Missions to the United Nations
Contact information for staff at all permanent missions to the UN.
Permanent Missions to the UN (New York)
This page links to all permanent missions to the UN located in New York.
