Skip to main content
Peace, dignity and equality
on a healthy planet
- UN Charter
- Preamble
- Chapter I: Purposes and Principles (Articles 1-2)
- Chapter II: Membership (Articles 3-6)
- Chapter III: Organs (Articles 7-8)
- Chapter IV: The General Assembly (Articles 9-22)
- Chapter V: The Security Council (Articles 23-32)
- Chapter VI: Pacific Settlement of Disputes (Articles 33-38)
- Chapter VII: Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression (Articles 39-51)
- Chapter VIII: Regional Arrangements (Articles 52-54)
- Chapter IX: International Economic and Social Cooperation (Articles 55-60)
- Chapter X: The Economic and Social Council (Articles 61-72)
- Chapter XI: Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories (Articles 73-74)
- Chapter XII: International Trusteeship System (Articles 75-85)
- Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship Council (Articles 86-91)
- Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice (Articles 92-96)
- Chapter XV: The Secretariat (Articles 97-101)
- Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions (Articles 102-105)
- Chapter XVII: Transitional Security Arrangements (Articles 106-107)
- Chapter XVIII: Amendments (Articles 108-109)
- Chapter XIX: Ratification and Signature (Articles 110-111)
- Amendments to Articles 23, 27, 61, 109
United Nations Charter:
Preamble
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
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, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,
HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.
- UN Charter
- Preamble
- Chapter I: Purposes and Principles (Articles 1-2)
- Chapter II: Membership (Articles 3-6)
- Chapter III: Organs (Articles 7-8)
- Chapter IV: The General Assembly (Articles 9-22)
- Chapter V: The Security Council (Articles 23-32)
- Chapter VI: Pacific Settlement of Disputes (Articles 33-38)
- Chapter VII: Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression (Articles 39-51)
- Chapter VIII: Regional Arrangements (Articles 52-54)
- Chapter IX: International Economic and Social Cooperation (Articles 55-60)
- Chapter X: The Economic and Social Council (Articles 61-72)
- Chapter XI: Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories (Articles 73-74)
- Chapter XII: International Trusteeship System (Articles 75-85)
- Chapter XIII: The Trusteeship Council (Articles 86-91)
- Chapter XIV: The International Court of Justice (Articles 92-96)
- Chapter XV: The Secretariat (Articles 97-101)
- Chapter XVI: Miscellaneous Provisions (Articles 102-105)
- Chapter XVII: Transitional Security Arrangements (Articles 106-107)
- Chapter XVIII: Amendments (Articles 108-109)
- Chapter XIX: Ratification and Signature (Articles 110-111)
- Amendments to Articles 23, 27, 61, 109
- ‹ UN Charter
- up
- Chapter I: Purposes and Principles (Articles 1-2) ›
Main Bodies
- General Assembly
- Security Council
- Economic and Social Council
- Trusteeship Council
- International Court of Justice
- Secretariat
Departments / Offices
- New York
- Geneva
- Nairobi
- Vienna
- UN System Directory
- UN System Chart
- Global Leadership
- UN Information Centres
Resources / Services
- Emergency information
- Reporting Wrongdoing
- UN Journal
- Documents
- Guidelines for gender-inclusive language
- Databases
- Library
- UN iLibrary
- UN Chronicle
- UN Yearbook
- Bookshop
- Publications for sale
- Maps
- Media Accreditation
- NGO accreditation at ECOSOC
- NGO accreditation at DGC
- Visitors’ services
- Exhibits
- Procurement
- Employment
- Internships
- Model UN
- Academic Impact
- UN Archives
- UN Audiovisual Library
- How to donate to the UN system
- Information on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- Africa Renewal
- Ten ways the UN makes a difference
- High-level summits 2023
Key Documents
- UN Charter
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Statute of the International Court of Justice
- Annual Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization
Issues / Campaigns
- Global Issues
- Observances
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Our Common Agenda
- Summit of the Future
- Climate Action
- UN and Sustainability
- Action for Peacekeeping (A4P)
- Global Ceasefire
- Global Crisis Response Group
- Call to Action for Human Rights
- Disability Inclusion Strategy
- Fight Racism
- Hate Speech
- Safety of Journalists
- Rule of Law
- Action to Counter Terrorism
- Victims of Terrorism
- Children and Armed Conflict
- Violence Against Children (SRSG)
- Sexual Violence in Conflict
- Refugees and Migrants
- Action Agenda on Internal Displacement
- Spotlight Initiative
- Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
- Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect
- The Rwanda Genocide
- The Holocaust
- The Question of Palestine
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade
- Decolonization
- Messengers of Peace
- Roadmap for Digital Cooperation
- Digital Financing Task Force
- Data Strategy
- Countering Disinformation
- UN75: 2020 and Beyond
- Women Rise for All
- Stop the Red Sea Catastrophe
- Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint Coordination Centre
- Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response (Donate)
- Israel-Gaza Crisis