Synonyms

United nations organization charter; UN charter; UNO charter

Definition

The United Nations Charter is the constituting instrument of the United Nations appointing the rights and obligations of member states and establishing the organization's organs and procedures. It was signed at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by 50 of the 51 original member states (Poland was not represented at the conference and signed it later) and came into force on 24 October 1945, after being ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and a majority of other signatories. By 2007 192 nations had ratified it.