The United Nations (UN) was established in 1945. It was set up to promote international relations in the wake of Second World War. It began with 51 countries and has grown to 185 country members, which is almost every country in the world.

The UN consists of six main organs; The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat which are based in New York, and the International Court of Justice, which is located at The Hague, Netherlands.

An important objective of the UN is to assist in resolving international conflicts. While the UN is neither a world government, nor a law making body, it is represented by Member States from around the globe, who with their unique social, political and cultural views, have a voice in the process of formulating policies on matters that affect us all.

Australia is a founding member of the UN. The UN provides an opportunity for Australia to voice our opinion on global events that may affect present and future Australians. In 1998, Australia was the twelfth largest contributor to the UN's regular annual budget. To find out more about Australia's role with the UN, click here.

Aside from conflict resolution and peace keeping which often attract the world's attention, the UN is engaged in a variety of work that aims at improving the lives of people around the world. This includes environmental protection, human rights, alleviation of poverty and economic development, agricultural development and fisheries, child survival and development and the list goes on. To find out more about the UN, click here.

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