The member states of the United Nations comprise 193 sovereign states. The United Nations (UN) is the world's largest intergovernmental organization. All members have equal representation in the UN General Assembly.
The Group of Western European and Other States, also known as the Western European and Other States Group or WEOG, is one of the five United Nations regional groups. It is composed of 28 member states. Most of these are in Western Europe, but the group also includes Australia, Canada, Greece, Israel, New Zealand, and Turkey. The United States and Vatican City participate as observers.
Salim Ahmed Salim is a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. He served as prime minister for one year, from 1984 to 1985.
Brazil is a full member of the United Nations. It has participated in peacekeeping operations with the UN in the Middle East, the former Belgian Congo, Cyprus, Mozambique, Angola, and more recently East Timor and Haiti. Brazil has been regularly elected as a non-permanent member to the Security Council since its first session in 1946 and is now among the most elected UN member states to the UNSC. Brazil was elected to become a member of the 15-country UN Security Council for the two-year term of 2022–23.
The Holy See is not a member of the United Nations but was granted permanent observer state status on 6 April 1964. In that capacity, it has the right to attend all sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council to observe their work. Accordingly, the Holy See has established permanent observer missions in New York and in Geneva and has been able to influence the decisions and recommendations of the United Nations.
The European Union (EU) has permanent observer status at the United Nations (UN) since 1974, and gained enhanced participation rights in 2011. The EU itself does not have voting rights but it is represented alongside its 27 members, one of which, France, is a permanent member of the Security Council.
The 2012 United Nations Security Council election was held on 18 October 2012 during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. The elections were for five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for two-year mandates commencing on 1 January 2013 to replace the five countries whose terms expired. The countries elected were Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea, and Rwanda with Luxembourg being elected for the first time.
The United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN) serves as the United States delegation to the United Nations. USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation's participation in the world body. In 1947, the United States Mission was created by an act of Congress to assist the President and the Department of State in conducting United States policy at the United Nations. Since that time, USUN has served a vital role as the Department of State's UN branch. Today, USUN has approximately 150 people on staff who serve to represent the United States’ political, economic social, legal, military, public diplomacy, and management interests at the United Nations.
The relationship of Germany and the United Nations first began during World War II. The United Nations then was synonymous with the Allies of World War II and Germany then being the Greater German Reich, a member of the Axis powers. With the war ending in the defeat of Germany, the country's territory was divided amongst the victors and what was to remain Germany was under Allied administration. In 1949, two new countries were created in these occupied territories: the Federal Republic of Germany in May and the German Democratic Republic in October.
The Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations is the diplomatic mission of the French Republic to the United Nations in New York. As such, it reports to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Indonesia officially became the 60th member of the United Nations on 28 September 1950, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 86 two days before, and the United Nations General Assembly resolution number A/RES/491 (V) on the "admission of the Republic of Indonesia to membership in the United Nations", less than one year after the independence of Indonesia's by the Netherlands at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference in the Hague.
United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19 was a resolution accepting Palestine as a non-member observer state in the United Nations General Assembly. It was adopted by the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly on 29 November 2012, the date of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the 65th anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 181(II) on the Future Government of Palestine. The draft resolution was proposed by Palestine's representative at the United Nations. It, however, maintains the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the representative of the Palestinian people within the United Nations system. Though strongly contested by the United States and the government of Israel, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed support for the measure. The motion was seen as largely symbolic, though it could allow Palestine to start proceedings at the International Criminal Court against Israel. Its timing, following a year in which Palestine obtained membership of UNESCO and the UN Security Council was unable "to make a unanimous recommendation" on their application for full UN membership, and coming several days after the completion of Operation Pillar of Defense, was also noted. The new status equates Palestine with that of the Holy See within the United Nations system and implicitly recognises Palestinian sovereignty.
The role of the ambassador and permanent representative of France to the United Nations is as the leader of the French delegation to the United Nations in New York and as head of the Permanent Mission of France to the UN. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is also the permanent representative of France in the United Nations Security Council.
The Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea were simultaneously admitted to the United Nations (UN) in 1991. On 8 August 1991, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 702, recommending both states to the General Assembly for membership. On 17 September 1991, the General Assembly admitted both countries under Resolution 46/1.
The Republic of Singapore officially became the 117th member of the United Nations (UN) after its independence on August 9, 1965. From 2001 to 2002, Singapore held a rotational seat on the United Nations Security Council and has participated in UN peacekeeping/observer missions in Kuwait, Angola, Kenya, Cambodia and Timor Leste.
The role of the ambassador and permanent representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations is as the leader of the Luxembourger delegation to the United Nations in New York and as head of the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the UN. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and was also the representative of Luxembourg in the United Nations Security Council from 2013-2014.
The role of the ambassador and permanent representative of Morocco to the United Nations is as the leader of the Moroccan delegation to the United Nations in New York and as head of the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the UN. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is also the representative of Morocco in the United Nations Security Council.
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania joined the United Nations on 14 December 1955, and has participated in several UN peacekeeping operations. The current Representative of Albania in the UN is Mr. Ferit Hoxha. Albania is a non-permanent member of the 15-country UN Security Council for the two-year term (2022–2023).
Serbia joined the United Nations on November 1, 2000, as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The previous Yugoslav state was one of the original 51 member states of the United Nations.
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia was a charter member of the United Nations from its establishment in 1945 as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until 1992 during the Yugoslav Wars. During its existence the country played a prominent role in the promotion of multilateralism and narrowing of the Cold War divisions in which various UN bodies were perceived as important vehicles. Yugoslavia was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on multiple occasions in periods between 1950 and 1951, 1956, 1972–1973, and 1988–1989, which was in total 7 years of Yugoslav membership in the organization. The country was also one of 17 original members of the Special Committee on Decolonization.
