Member states of the United Nations

The United Nations is the world's largest group of countries, with 193 sovereign states working together. It is an intergovernmental organization where every member has the same say in the United Nations General Assembly.

Countries become members by agreeing to follow the rules set in the Charter of the United Nations. To join, a country must be recommended by the United Nations Security Council. The UN also allows some non-member states to watch meetings as observer states. If a member does not follow the UN's rules, it can be expelled from the United Nations.

Membership

The United Nations has rules for new countries to join. To become a member, a country must agree to follow the rules of the UN Charter and show it can do this. The Security Council must suggest the country join, which needs at least nine of its fifteen members to agree, and no permanent members can block it. Then, the General Assembly must approve with a two-thirds majority vote.

Only independent countries can join the UN. Right now, all members are independent, but five joined before they were fully independent and later became so. Some countries that are seen as independent are not UN members because the UN does not recognize them as fully independent. The UN also allows some groups that are not countries to watch and speak at meetings but not vote, called observer states.

Original members

Further information: History of the United Nations

The United Nations officially began on 24 October 1945, after the United Nations Charter was approved by important countries, including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: the Republic of China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That year, 51 countries joined as the first members of the UN. Most of these countries signed the Charter in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, except for Poland, which signed later in October.

These original members included many nations from around the world. Some were not fully independent when they joined but later became independent countries. For example, Belarus and Ukraine were parts of the Soviet Union until 1991. India was under British rule until 1947. The Philippines became fully independent from the United States in 1946. Even though New Zealand was mostly independent, it became fully able to make its own agreements with other countries in 1947.

Current members

Package deal

The beginning of the Cold War brought some challenges for new members. The United States did not want to admit countries from Eastern Europe, while the Soviet Union did not want to admit countries from Western Europe. Early in 1946, the United States blocked Albania without using a formal stop, and the Soviet Union stopped the applications of Ireland, Portugal, and Finland. The Soviet Union also stopped Jordan and Ceylon, saying they were too closely tied to the United Kingdom.

Later, in September 1949, the Soviet Union began stopping some neutral countries like Nepal, saying they would not agree until their preferred choices were also allowed. Both the United States and the Soviet Union said they would accept each other's choices, but they disagreed on the order of voting. This stalemate lasted until a change in leadership after the death of Stalin. Eventually, the two sides agreed to a vote on many countries at once. After a small delay caused by the Republic of China stopping Mongolia, 16 countries were admitted together on December 14, 1955. These countries were Albania, Jordan, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Finland, Ceylon, Nepal, Libya, Cambodia, Laos, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Spain.

Former members

Republic of China (1945–1971)

The Republic of China joined the United Nations in 1945 as one of its original members. It was one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. In 1949, after losing control of mainland China during the Chinese Civil War, the government moved to the island of Taiwan. For many years, the Republic of China continued to represent China at the UN, even though it only controlled Taiwan and some smaller islands. In 1971, the United Nations decided that the People’s Republic of China was the rightful representative of China and took over China’s seat in the UN.

Bids for readmission as the representative of Taiwan

Starting in 1993, the Republic of China tried to rejoin the United Nations separately from the People’s Republic of China. They explored different ways to do this, such as asking to join as a member or observer, but each attempt failed. In 2007, they applied to join under the name “Taiwan,” but the application was turned down. The United Nations still considers Taiwan to be part of China.

States that no longer exist

British Raj (1945-1947)

The British Raj was one of the original members when the United Nations started in 1945.

Czechoslovakia (1945–1992)

Czechoslovakia was also a founding member of the United Nations. In 1992, it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and both became new members of the United Nations.

German Democratic Republic (1973–1990)

Both West Germany and East Germany joined the United Nations in 1973. In 1990, East Germany joined West Germany, and from then on they were one country again, called Germany.

Tanganyika (1961–1964) and Zanzibar (1963–1964)

Tanganyika and Zanzibar were both members of the United Nations. In 1964, they joined together to form Tanzania.

Soviet Union (1945–1991)

The Soviet Union was one of the original members of the United Nations and had a permanent seat on the Security Council. After the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Russia took over its seat. The other countries that became independent from the Soviet Union also joined the United Nations.

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

Egypt and Syria were both original members of the United Nations. In 1958, they joined together to form the United Arab Republic, but Syria left in 1961 and became a member again. Egypt kept the name United Arab Republic until 1971.

Democratic Yemen (1967–1990)

Democratic Yemen, also known as South Yemen, joined the United Nations in 1967. In 1990, it joined with Yemen to become one country again, called Yemen.

Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (1945–2006)

Yugoslavia was one of the original members of the United Nations. Over time, it broke apart into several countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and finally Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia and Montenegro joined the United Nations in 2000. In 2006, Montenegro became independent, and Serbia continued as the member of the United Nations.

Suspension, expulsion and withdrawal of members

See also: Withdrawal from the United Nations

A country that is part of the United Nations can be suspended or kicked out, based on the United Nations Charter. The rules for this are in two articles.

Article 5 says that if the Security Council takes action against a member, the General Assembly can suspend that country's rights until the Security Council says they can return.

Article 6 says that if a country keeps breaking the Charter's rules, the General Assembly can kick it out, again if the Security Council agrees.

So far, no country has ever been suspended or kicked out using these articles. But there have been some cases where countries were not allowed to take part in United Nations activities in other ways:

• In 1971, the United Nations decided that People's Republic of China was the right representative for China, and Republic of China (which only controlled Taiwan) was no longer allowed to represent China. This was not a kick-out under Article 6 because it needed Security Council approval, and some members would have blocked it.
• In 1974, there was a plan to kick South Africa out because of its unfair policies, but it didn't happen because some important countries blocked it. Instead, the General Assembly stopped South Africa from taking part until 1994, after the country had democratic elections earlier that year.
• In 1992, after Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia broke apart, the new country Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (made from Serbia and Montenegro) was told it could not stay in the United Nations without applying again. It finally joined in 2000.

De facto withdrawal of Indonesia (1965–1966)

Main article: CONEFO

Only one country has ever tried to leave the United Nations on its own. In 1965, during a disagreement with Malaysia, Indonesia told the United Nations it was leaving. But in 1966, after a change in leadership, Indonesia said it wanted to come back. The United Nations let Indonesia return without any special steps, treating it as a break in working with the UN rather than a real leave.

Observers and non-members

Main article: United Nations General Assembly observers

See also: Holy See and the United Nations, Palestine and the United Nations, and European Union and the United Nations

Observers

Besides the member states, there are two special states that watch over the United Nations: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

• The Holy See rules the tiny Vatican City and talks to 180 other countries. It joined the United Nations in 1964 and got almost all the same rights as members except voting, starting in 2004.
• The State of Palestine was recognized as a special watcher by the United Nations in 2012. Before that, it was known as the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 2011, Palestine asked to join the United Nations, but this has not been decided yet.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is also a watcher at the United Nations even though it is not a country.

Non-member states

Two places, the Cook Islands and Niue, are closely linked to New Zealand. They are not United Nations members but work with United Nations groups like health and education. They want to join the United Nations but need changes to do so.

The land called Western Sahara is argued over by two groups. One group calls it the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and the other is Morocco, which controls most of the land.

The place called Kosovo is also argued over. Many countries talk to Kosovo, but Serbia says it is part of their country. Kosovo is not a United Nations member but works with some United Nations groups.