United Nations celebrates 80 years today: Everything you need to know about the member countries

The United Nations (UN) is a global intergovernmental organization founded in October 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries. It now has 193 member states.

Its core mission and main purposes, as articulated in the UN Charter, are, to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations. To achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems, and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

There are 193 sovereign countries that are members of the UN General Assembly with South Sudan was the most recent country to join, in 2011.

In addition to the 193 Member States, there are also two non-member observer states: Holy See (Vatican City), State of Palestine.

All 193 Member States have a seat and an equal vote in the UN General Assembly. However, the UN Security Council has a smaller membership, consisting of: five permanent members (P5): China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all of whom have veto power.

The UN has ten non-permanent members who are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

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