In October 1945, more than 50 countries came together to form a diplomatic peacekeeping organization: the United Nations. The UN was organized shortly after WW 2 to prevent such a brutal war from ever happening again and to maintain the peace. The main countries to start this union were the U.S. and the U.K.

The UN was the world’s second try at a peacekeeping group. The first attempt was The League of Nations, which was created after WW1 but ultimately failed.

The UN’s main objectives are to maintain international peace, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve and cooperate in international problems, and be a center of discussion for a verdict in conflicts.

The UN is composed of six bodies: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

The General Assembly is the part where all member countries vote, discuss, and reach agreements when there is a crisis.

The Security Council is the part that actually goes into combat against powers, much like an army branch.

The Economic and Social Council focuses on policies and aiding countries that are struggling socially or environmentally.

The Trusteeship Council is in charge of territories and colonies, but most of these have become independent nations.

The International Court of Justice is in charge of settling disputes among countries.

Lastly, the Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General and is made up of an international staff working in several locations. It consists of departments and offices with a total staff of 16,000 drawn from most member States. They carry out the day-to-day work of the organization, such as administering peacekeeping operations, mediating international disputes, surveying social and economic trends, laying the groundwork for international agreements, and organizing international conferences.