October 24, 2026 will mark 81 years since the United Nations (UN) officially came into existence.
The United Nations was created when countries came together after World War Two to prevent another such conflict and to replace an ineffective League of Nations.
On June 26, 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944.
The Charter then came into force on October 24, 1945.
But much has changed geopolitically since the international organisation's founding.
The UN operates through several bodies, including the General Assembly, where all 193 member states have equal representation to deliberate on global issues, and the Security Council, which is tasked with addressing threats to international peace and can authorize sanctions or military action.
Other areas of the UN include the International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague, which serves as the organisation's judicial arm which settles legal disputes between states and offers advisory opinions on international law.
The UN also oversees a range of specialized agencies and programs such as UNICEF, which advocates for children's rights, and the World Health Organization (WHO), which coordinates international public health efforts.
Furthermore, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established in 1945 with the goal of promoting international collaboration through education, science, culture, and communication.
These bodies come to the fore at different points in time and on different questions.
The UN finds itself navigating an increasingly volatile global landscape, marked by deepening crises that test the limits of multilateral diplomacy and humanitarian response.
This week's high-level General Assembly will convene just weeks after several AI industry leaders called for a coordinated slowdown of the development of the increasingly powerful technology, warning that it could soon improve on its own and slip beyond human control.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a major focus during the US-Iran war with UN Secretary-General António Guterres urging restraint in and around the Strait of Hormuz, warning of potentially grave consequences for civilians and the global economy.
Furthermore, the war in Ukraine is in its fourth year and continues to undermine the UN Charter, with relentless Russian attacks causing widespread civilian casualties and displacement.
In Sudan, the conflict between rival military factions has escalated into one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, displacing millions and severely limiting aid delivery.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Palestine conflict in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, sees Gaza facing catastrophic destruction, prompting urgent UN relief operations.
Several leaders have called for a reform of the United Nations and in particular the 15-member Security Council, arguing it was unfair that the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain were the only permanent veto-wielding powers.