The Birth of the United Nations

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The name «United Nations» was devised by US president Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first used in the «Declaration by United Nations» of January 1, 1942 during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.

Then came a series of meetings held by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, a beautiful mansion in Washington, D.C. During three months (August, September, and October) in 1944 those people were engaged in a difficult and painful process of working out proposals for a future Organization's Charter.

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From April 25 to June 26, 1945 the United Nations Conference on International Organization was held in San Francisco, USA. The world was excited when the delegates announced their intention to establish a truly representative and genuinely moral international organization to replace the inter-war League of Nations and to make the first step towards real unity and cooperation. After all the bloodshed at the fronts, after all the atrocities in concentration camps, after all the destruction from bombing, after all the horrors of Nazism and fascism, there appeared hope. It found manifestation in the United Nations Charter that was drawn up in San Francisco. The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945 by the representatives of the fifty countries that had assembled there. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.

It should be noted that until 1971 the «China» that was shown on the membership roles in the UN was not the major world power led by Mao tze Tung, but the tiny American puppet government of Taiwan, as the USA refused to recognize the communist mainland government. In 1971 the People's Republic of China replaced Taiwan.

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The United Nations officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. That is why each year United Nations Day is celebrated all over the world on October 24.

The United Nations has gone a long way since 1945. New states have been admitted to the Organization. At present its membership is 193.

Under the Charter, the official languages of the United Nations are: Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Arabic has been added as an official language of 3 of the UN principal bodies: the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. (Based on the materials from World Encyclopaedia of Peace (1999), Chicago, vol.6)

Vocabulary List

1

to devise (a plan, a means, a mechanism, a system, a strategy) – придумать, разработать (план, средство, механизм, систему, стратегию)

to pledge smb to do smth – обязать кого-л. сделать что-л.

Axis Powers – державы оси "Берлин-Рим-Токио"

to be engaged in (research, a legal dispute, canvassing) – заниматься чем-л., быть занятым (научно-исследовательской работой, судебной тяжбой, агитацией)

2

genuinely (happy; sorry; believe that...) – искренне, по-настоящему (счастливый; сожалеть; верить, что...)

the League of Nations – Лига Наций

bloodshed – кровопролитие

an atrocity – зверство, зверское преступление, жестокость

to commit an atrocity – совершить злодеяние

to find manifestation in – проявиться в (чём-л.), найти воплощение в (чём-л.)

to draw up (a list, a contract, a plan) – составить, выработать, набросать (список, контракт, план)

Synonyms: to draft, to work out, to elaborate

a puppet government – марионеточное правительство

to recognize (smb's talent, a new state) – признать (чей-л. талант, новое государство)

3

to come into existence – появиться, возникнуть

to ratify (a document) – ратифицировать (документ)

a signatory – сторона, подписавшая документ

to go a long way – пройти большой/длинный путь

to admit smb to (hospital, the courtroom, the OSCE) – допустить/принять кого-л. в (больницу, зал судебных заседаний,ОБСЕ)