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. The founding members of the United Nations are the countries that were invited to participate in the 1945 San Francisco Conference at which the UN Charter and Statute of the ICJ was adopted. Participation was determined by virtue of having signed or adhered to the Declaration by United Nations (1942) or as approved at the Conference.
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.
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 Czechia 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 Syrian Arab Republic 26 June 1945 19 Oct. 1945 Turkey 26 June 1945 28 Sept. 1945 Türkiye Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 26 June 1945 24 Oct. 1945 Ukraine Yugoslavia 26 June 1945 19 Oct. 1945 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia Australia 26 June 1945 1 Nov. 1945 Belgium 26 June 1945 27 Dec. 1945 Bolivia 26 June 1945 14 Nov. 1945 Plurinational State of Bolivia 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 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 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 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
