General Information

THE UNITED NATIONS AND MUN

Overview and History of the United Nations and MUN

Countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security established the United Nations on October 24, 1945. Today, 192 countries are members, nearly every nation in the world. The United Nations is comprised of more than 30 affiliated organizations.

The United Nations Charter defines the purpose of the UN as:

1. To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime brought untold sorrow to mankind,

2. To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small,

3. To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and

4. To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

Model United Nations has existed since the birth of the UN as a forum to develop a worldwide understanding of these goals in students and to teach about international leadership, current international affairs, and the processes of the United Nations.