As it turns 75, the United Nations is still seen as a force for good

75 years ago, on October 24, 1945, the United Nations came into existence, when representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco to draw up the United Nations Charter.

“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,” the Charter’s preamble reads, and the organization’s mission persists until today.

75 years on, the UN has 193 member states, representing almost all of the world’s sovereign states. And while the organization hasn’t managed to eradicate conflict, poverty or human rights violations altogether, its positive impact in the world is widely recognized. According to an international survey, conducted by Ipsos in 2019, 7 in 10 respondents from 28 countries think that the UN will continue to be a positive force in the world over the next decade. Belief in the association varies across nations, however, as the following chart illustrates.