In 1945 representatives of fifty nations met in San Francisco to draft a charter for a new intergovernmental organization called the United Nations. Like that of its predecessor, the League of Nations (see Chapter 28), the immediate goal of the United Nations was to mediate international conflicts in order to preserve peace. But in 1945 the founders of the United Nations foresaw a more ambitious role for the new body than the League of Nations had played: beyond conflict resolution, the UN would support the decolonization of territories under foreign rule; promote economic development; and expand access to health care, protection for workers, environmental conservation, and gender equity.

The United Nations was divided into two bodies: a General Assembly that met annually and included all nations that signed the UN Charter; and a Security Council made up of the five main regional powers (the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, China, and France), each of which held veto power over the council’s decisions, making it a body that in effect only functioned through unanimous consent.

The UN gave critical support to decolonization efforts. Its charter defended the right of self-determination, and it served as a forum for liberation movements to advocate for their claims, negotiate the terms of independence, or define new national boundaries. In addition, UN member nations volunteered military forces to serve around the world as peacekeepers.