The purposes of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in so that all of these can be achieved. The Organization officially came into existence on October 24, 1945. Today 189 countries belong to the United Nations - almost everyone! The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. However, it does provide ways to resolve international conflict and give guidance as to how all countries - big and small, rich and poor - can live together in harmony.

The General Assembly is like a parliament of nations, with each country having one vote. In recent years, they try to reach decisions through consensus, instead of having to take a vote when there are winners and losers.

The Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, makes sure all the work of the United Nations happens. He is an ambassador for peace and helps build trust between countries in conflict “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1948, sets out basic rights and freedoms to which all women and men are entitled - among them the right to life, liberty and nationality, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, to work, to be educated, to take part in government.