The United Nations was established by the Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice.
The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of 50 countries; Poland signed on 15 October 1945. There were 51 Founding Members in 1945.
In accordance with Article 110, the Charter entered into force on 24 October 1945, after ratification by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of the other countries. Twenty-two countries subsequently deposited their instruments of ratification. The table below reflects the pattern of ratification: first the five permanent members, then the other countries that ratified by 24 October, and then the remaining countries.
Since 1945, some of the Founding Members have changed their names, others have been dissolved and new states have succeeded them. Detailed information is available from the UN Treaty Collection's Historical Information.
| Original Member State | Date of Signing | Deposit of Ratification | Current Name/Successor States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of China | 26 June 1945 | 28 Sept. 1945 | People's Republic of China |
| France | 26 June 1945 | 31 Aug. 1945 | |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Russian Federation |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 26 June 1945 | 20 Oct. 1945 | |
| United States of America | 26 June 1945 | 8 Aug. 1945 | |
| Argentina | 26 June 1945 | 24 Sept. 1945 | |
| Brazil | 26 June 1945 | 21 Sept. 1945 | |
| Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Belarus |
| Chile | 26 June 1945 | 11 Oct. 1945 | |
| Cuba | 26 June 1945 | 15 Oct. 1945 | |
| Czechoslovakia | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | Czech Republic and Slovakia |
| Denmark | 26 June 1945 | 9 Oct. 1945 | |
| Dominican Republic | 26 June 1945 | 4 Sept. 1945 | |
| Egypt | 26 June 1945 | 22 Oct. 1945 | |
| El Salvador | 26 June 1945 | 26 Sept. 1945 | |
| Haiti | 26 June 1945 | 27 Sept. 1945 | |
| Iran | 26 June 1945 | 16 Oct. 1945 | |
| Lebanon | 26 June 1945 | 15 Oct. 1945 | |
| Luxembourg | 26 June 1945 | 17 Oct. 1945 | |
| New Zealand | 26 June 1945 | 19 Sept. 1945 | |
| Nicaragua | 26 June 1945 | 6 Sept. 1945 | |
| Paraguay | 26 June 1945 | 12 Oct. 1945 | |
| Philippine Commonwealth | 26 June 1945 | 11 Oct. 1945 | Philippines |
| Poland | 15 Oct. 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 26 June 1945 | 18 Oct. 1945 | |
| Syria | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | |
| Turkey | 26 June 1945 | 28 Sept. 1945 | |
| Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | 26 June 1945 | 24 Oct. 1945 | Ukraine |
| Yugoslavia | 26 June 1945 | 19 Oct. 1945 | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
| Australia | 26 June 1945 | 1 Nov. 1945 | |
| Belgium | 26 June 1945 | 27 Dec. 1945 | |
| Bolivia | 26 June 1945 | 14 Nov. 1945 | |
| Canada | 26 June 1945 | 9 Nov. 1945 | |
| Colombia | 26 June 1945 | 5 Nov. 1945 | |
| Costa Rica | 26 June 1945 | 2 Nov. 1945 | |
| Ecuador | 26 June 1945 | 21 Dec. 1945 | |
| Ethiopia | 26 June 1945 | 13 Nov. 1945 | |
| Greece | 26 June 1945 | 25 Oct. 1945 | |
| Guatemala | 26 June 1945 | 21 Nov. 1945 | |
| Honduras | 26 June 1945 | 17 Nov. 1945 | |
| India | 26 June 1945 | 30 Oct. 1945 | |
| Iraq | 26 June 1945 | 21 Dec. 1945 | |
| Liberia | 26 June 1945 | 2 Nov. 1945 | |
| Mexico | 26 June 1945 | 7 Nov. 1945 | |
| Netherlands | 26 June 1945 | 10 Dec. 1945 | |
| Norway | 26 June 1945 | 27 Nov. 1945 | |
| Panama | 26 June 1945 | 13 Nov. 1945 | |
| Peru | 26 June 1945 | 31 Oct. 1945 | |
| Union of South Africa | 26 June 1945 | 7 Nov. 1945 | South Africa |
| Uruguay | 26 June 1945 | 18 Dec. 1945 | |
| Venezuela | 26 June 1945 | 15 Nov. 1945 |
Useful Links
Current status of the UN Charter on the UN Treaty Collection website
Detailed history of the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the Charter in Part I, Chapter 1 (pdf) of the 1946-47Yearbook of the United Nations
History of the UN Charter on the About the UN website.