United Nations milestones.10 January 1946 First General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, opens in Central Hall, Westminster, London. 17 January 1946 Security Council meets for the first time in London, adopting its rules of procedure. 24 January 1946 General Assembly adopts its first resolution. Its main focus: peaceful uses of atomic energy and the elimination of atomic and other weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or . 1 February 1946 Trygve Lie of Norway becomes the first Secretary-General. June 1948 First UN observer mission is established in Palestine--the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). 10 December 1948 General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was adopted without dissent but with eight abstentions. . 7 January 1949 UN envoy Ralph Bunche secures ceasefire between the new State of Israel and Arab States. 24 October 1949 Cornerstone is laid for the UN Headquarters in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 27 June 1950 Security Council, acting in the absence of the Soviet Union, calls on Member States to help the southern part of Korea repel invasion from the north. The Korean Armistice Agreement is signed on 27 July 1953 by the UN Command and the Chinese-North Korean Command. 11 December 1950 Ralph Bunche becomes the first United Nations Nobel Peace Laureate. 1 November 1956 First Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly meets on the Suez Canal crisis, and on 5 November decides to establish the first UN peacekeeping force--the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF). September 1960 17 newly independent States New·ly Independent States Abbr. NIS The countries that until 1991 were constituent republics of the USSR, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. , 16 from Africa, join the UN--the biggest increase in membership in any one year. 18 September 1961 Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold dies in an aircraft crash while on mission to the Republic of the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 7 August 1963 Security Council votes voluntary arms embargo against South Africa. 4 March 1964 Security Council approves dispatch of peacekeeping force to Cyprus. 27 October 1966 General Assembly strips South Africa of its mandate to govern South-west Africa (now Namibia). 16 December 1966 Mandatory sanctions are imposed against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) by the Security Council. 22 November 1967 Following the six-day war in June 1967, the Security Council, after lengthy negotiations, adopts resolution 242 (1967) as the basis for achieving peace in the Middle East. 12 June 1968 General Assembly approves the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and calls for its ratification. 4 January 1969 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a United Nations convention adopted and opened for signature and ratification by United Nations General Assembly resolution 2106 (XX) December 21, 1965, and which entered into force comes into force. 25 October 1971 General Assembly votes to seat representatives of the People's Republic of China. June 1972 First UN Environment Conference is held in Stockholm, Sweden, leading to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. 13 November 1974 General Assembly recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), coordinating council for Palestinian organizations, founded (1964) by Egypt and the Arab League and initially controlled by Egypt. as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] June-July 1975 International Women's Year International Women's Year (IWY) was the name given to 1975 by the United Nations. Since that year March 8 has been celebrated as International Women's Day[1], and the United Nations Decade for Women, from 1976-1985, was also established. is marked by the first United Nations conference on women, held in Mexico City. 4 November 1977 Security Council adopts mandatory arms embargo against South Africa. 18 December 1979 General Assembly adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, covering political, economic, social, cultural and human rights. 8 May 1980 Three years after the last case was reported, World Health Organization (WHO) officially declares smallpox eradicated. 25 November 1981 General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. 10 December 1982 New UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is signed by 117 States and two entities--the largest number of signatures ever affixed to a treaty on its first day. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 10 December 1984 General Assembly adopts the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. July 1985 Thousands gather in Nairobi to attend the third United Nations conference on women, marking the end of the UN Decade for Women. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] September 1987 UNEP efforts lead to signing of Treaty on the Protection of the Ozone Layer--known as the Montreal Protocol--a follow-up to the 1985 Vienna Convention on the Ozone Layer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] April 1989 UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) is deployed throughout Namibia to monitor South Africa's withdrawal and provide electoral assistance for the November elections. Namibia becomes independent on 21 March 1990. 2 September 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as CRC or UNCRC, is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. comes into force. The World Summit for Children convened on 29 September is attended by 71 Heads of State and Government. 31 May 1991 A ceasefire in the 16-year civil war in Angola is negotiated, then administered by the UN Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM UNAVEM United Nations Angola Verification Mission II). 31 December 1991 Agreement signed at UN Headquarters, through the Secretary-General's good offices, between the Government of El Salvador and FMLN (National Liberation Front National Liberation Front Title used by nationalist, usually socialist, movements in various countries since World War II. In Greece, the National Liberation Front-National Popular Liberation Army was a communist-sponsored resistance group that operated in occupied Greece ) leads to a ceasefire and peace accord after a 12-year civil war. 31 January 1992 Security Council holds its first summit ever at the level of Heads of State and Government. June 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development--the "Earth Summit"--is held in Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, city, Brazil Rio de Janeiro (rē`ō də zhänā`rō, Port. rē`  thĭ zhənĕē`r , Brazil, attended by 104 Heads of State and Government, the largest intergovernmental gathering in history thus far, resulting in Agenda 21, a plan of action for sustainable development. May 1993 UN-supervised elections in Cambodia Elections in Cambodia gives information on election and election results in Cambodia. An election is a process in which a vote is held to elect candidates to an office. It is the mechanism by which a democracy fills elective offices in the legislature, and sometimes the executive lead to drafting of a new constitution and the establishment of a new government, ending nearly 15 years of strife in the war-torn country. June 1993 World Conference on Human Rights is held in Vienna, which commemorated the International Year for the World's Indigenous People (1993). 13 September 1994 International Conference on Population and Development The United Nations coordinated an International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt from 5-13 September 1994. Its resulting Programme of Action is the steering document for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). , held in Cairo, Egypt, adopts a landmark Programme of Action. March 1995 World Summit for Social Development, one of the largest gathering of world leaders in history, meets in Copenhagen, Denmark, to renew the commitment to combating poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. September 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women The United Nations convened the Fourth World Conference on Women on September 4-15, 1995 in Beijing, China. Delegates had prepared a Platform for Action that aimed at achieving greater equality and opportunity for women. meets in Beijing, China to continue international efforts to advance the status of women worldwide. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 10 September 1996 General Assembly adopts the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. Status The Treaty was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including five of the eight (CTBT), a turning point in efforts towards nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. 11 December 1997 After almost three years of intense negotiations, the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is adopted in Kyoto, Japan. Countries commit themselves to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading. January 1998 Louise Frechette of Canada becomes the first Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. 17 July 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (or Rome Statute) is the treaty which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It sets out the Court's jurisdiction, structure and functions and it provides for its entry into force 60 days after 60 States have (ICC ICC See: International Chamber of Commerce ) is established. It is the first-ever permanent, treaty-based international criminal court set up to promote the rule of law and ensure that the gravest crimes do not go unpunished. The Statute enters into force on 1 July 2002. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1 March 1999 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Mine Ban Convention), which was opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada in December 1997, enters into force. 30 August 1999 People of East Timor, now Timor-Leste, vote to begin a process towards independence from Indonesia. The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) is established on 25 October 1999 to administer the territory and exercise legislative and executive authority. 8 September 2000 During the UN Millennium Summit, from 6 to 8 September, Heads of State and Government adopt the United Nations "Millennium Declaration", including eight Millennium Development Goals “MDG” redirects here. For other uses, see MDG (disambiguation). The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 192 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. (MDGs), which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome , to providing universal primary education by 2015. 28 July 2000 UN Economic and Social Council establishes by consensus the "Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues" as its subsidiary organ. The Forum raises awareness and promotes the integration and coordination of activities relating to indigenous issues within the United Nations system. 31 August to 7 September 2001 World Conference against Racism The World Conference against Racism (WCAR) are international events organized by the UNESCO in order to struggle against racism ideologies and behaviours. Three conferences have been held so far, in 1978, 1983 and 2001. , Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia Xenophobia Boxer Rebellion Chinese rising aimed at ousting foreign interlopers (1900). [Chinese Hist. and Related Intolerance is held in Durban, South Africa, a unique opportunity to create a new world vision on the fight against all forms of racism. 12 October 2001 Norwegian Nobel Committee The Norwegian Nobel Committee (Den norske Nobelkomité) awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year. Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian parliament. The Director of the Nobel Institute, Professor Geir Lundestad, serves as secretary to the committee. decides to award the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. for 2001, in two equal portions, to the United Nations and its Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for their work for a better, organized and more peaceful world. It is the eighth Peace Prize awarded to the UN system. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 19 December 2001 General Assembly establishes the Ad Hoc Committee ad hoc committee A committee formed with the purpose of addressing a specific issue or issues, which theoretically is disbanded once its raison d'etre is finished on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. 26 August to 4 September 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio + 10) is held in Johannesburg. South Africa, focusing on direct actions towards meeting difficult challenges in achieving sustainable development. 27 September 2002 Timor-Leste, which became an independent country on 20 May 2002, and Switzerland join the United Nations, bringing the Organization's total membership to 191 countries. 19 August 2003 Terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad results in 22 deaths, including the head of mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Many others are seriously wounded. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 14 to 16 September 2005 More than 150 Heads of State and Government meet at UN Headquarters in New York for the 2005 World Summit, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders in history, to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights, UN reform and the MDGs. 7 October 2005 Nobel Peace Prizes awarded for the ninth time to the UN system. The International Atomic Energy Agency International Atomic Energy Agency: see Atomic Energy Agency, International. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International organization officially founded in 1957 to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. (IAEA IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency. ) and its Director-General, Mohamed EIBaradei, are cited for their efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion