The United Nations was established by the Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice.
The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of 50 countries; Poland signed on 15 October 1945. There were 51 Founding Members in 1945. The founding members of the United Nations are the countries that were invited to participate in the 1945 San Francisco Conference at which the UN Charter and Statute of the ICJ was adopted. Participation was determined by virtue of having signed or adhered to the Declaration by United Nations (1942) or as approved at the Conference.
In accordance with Article 110, the Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945, after ratification by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of the other countries. Twenty-two countries subsequently deposited their instruments of ratification. The table below reflects the pattern of ratification: first the five permanent members, then the other countries that ratified by 24 October, and then the remaining countries.
Since 1945, some of the Founding Members have changed their names, others have been dissolved and new states have succeeded them.
Original Member State | Date of Signing | Deposit of Ratification | Current Name/Successor States |
---|---|---|---|
Republic of China | 26 June 1945 | 28 Sept. 1945 | People's Republic of China |
France | 26 June 1945 | 31 Aug. 1945 | |
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Russian Federation |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 26 June 1945 | 20 Oct. 1945 | |
United States of America | 26 June 1945 | 8 Aug. 1945 | |
Argentina | 26 June 1945 | 24 Sept. 1945 | |
Brazil | 26 June 1945 | 21 Sept. 1945 | |
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Belarus |
Chile | 26 June 1945 | 11 Oct. 1945 | |
Cuba | 26 June 1945 | 15 Oct. 1945 | |
Czechoslovakia | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | Czechia and Slovakia |
Denmark | 26 June 1945 | 9 Oct. 1945 | |
Dominican Republic | 26 June 1945 | 4 Sept. 1945 | |
Egypt | 26 June 1945 | 22 Oct. 1945 | |
El Salvador | 26 June 1945 | 26 Sept. 1945 | |
Haiti | 26 June 1945 | 27 Sept. 1945 | |
Iran | 26 June 1945 | 16 Oct. 1945 | |
Lebanon | 26 June 1945 | 15 Oct. 1945 | |
Luxembourg | 26 June 1945 | 17 Oct. 1945 | |
New Zealand | 26 June 1945 | 19 Sept. 1945 | |
Nicaragua | 26 June 1945 | 6 Sept. 1945 | |
Paraguay | 26 June 1945 | 12 Oct. 1945 | |
Philippine Commonwealth | 26 June 1945 | 11 Oct. 1945 | Philippines |
Poland | 15 Oct. 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | |
Saudi Arabia | 26 June 1945 | 18 Oct. 1945 | |
Syrian Arab Republic | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | |
Turkey | 26 June 1945 | 28 Sept. 1945 | Türkiye |
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Ukraine |
Yugoslavia | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia |
Australia | 26 June 1945 | 1 Nov. 1945 | |
Belgium | 26 June 1945 | 27 Dec. 1945 | |
Bolivia | 26 June 1945 | 14 Nov. 1945 | Plurinational State of Bolivia |
Canada | 26 June 1945 | 9 Nov. 1945 | |
Colombia | 26 June 1945 | 5 Nov. 1945 | |
Costa Rica | 26 June 1945 | 2 Nov. 1945 | |
Ecuador | 26 June 1945 | 21 Dec. 1945 | |
Ethiopia | 26 June 1945 | 13 Nov. 1945 | |
Greece | 26 June 1945 | 25 Oct. 1945 | |
Guatemala | 26 June 1945 | 21 Nov. 1945 | |
Honduras | 26 June 1945 | 17 Nov. 1945 | |
India | 26 June 1945 | 30 Oct. 1945 | |
Iraq | 26 June 1945 | 21 Dec. 1945 | |
Liberia | 26 June 1945 | 2 Nov. 1945 | |
Mexico | 26 June 1945 | 7 Nov. 1945 | |
Netherlands | 26 June 1945 | 10 Dec. 1945 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) |
Norway | 26 June 1945 | 27 Nov. 1945 | |
Panama | 26 June 1945 | 13 Nov. 1945 | |
Peru | 26 June 1945 | 31 Oct. 1945 | |
Union of South Africa | 26 June 1945 | 7 Nov. 1945 | South Africa |
Uruguay | 26 June 1945 | 18 Dec. 1945 | |
Venezuela | 26 June 1945 | 15 Nov. 1945 | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela |
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