United Nations member states - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Nations member states

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from UN member states)
Jump to: navigation, search
A map of UN member states and their dependent territories as recognized by the UN. Regions excluded: Antarctica (regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System), Vatican City (the Holy See is a UN observer), the Palestinian territories (Palestine, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, is a UN observer), and Western Sahara (status in dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front). Territories of states not recognized by the UN are not excluded due to UN's position that they are part of some UN member state, including Taiwan as the UN considers the People's Republic of China (PRC) as "the only lawful representatives of China" at the UN (see Seat of China) and does not question the PRC's claim that Taiwan is part of China.

This article lists the member states of the United Nations (UN). There are currently 192 UN member states, and each of them is a member of the United Nations General Assembly.[1]

According to the United Nations Charter, Chapter 2, Article 4:[2]

  1. Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations.
  2. The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

In principle, only sovereign states can become UN members, and today all UN members are fully sovereign states. However, four of the original members (Belarus, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine) were not independent at the time of their admission. Moreover, because a state can only be admitted by the approval of the Security Council and the General Assembly, some entities which may be considered sovereign states according to the Montevideo Convention are not members due to the fact that the UN do not consider them to be sovereign states, the lack of international recognition or opposition from certain members.

International organizations, non-governmental organizations, and entities whose statehood or sovereignty are not precisely defined, can only become United Nations General Assembly observers by invitation, allowing them to speak, but not vote, in General Assembly meetings.

Contents

[edit] Current members

UN member states displayed by the decade in which they joined the UN.

The member states are listed below with their respective dates of admission. There were 51 original members of the UN which were admitted in 1945, of which 49 are either still UN members or have their seats continued by a successor state (e.g., the USSR's seat has been continued by Russia). The other two original members were Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, as both had dissolved and their seats were not continued by any state (see Former members: Czechoslovakia and Former members: Yugoslavia respectively). For China's seat in the UN, the Republic of China was replaced by the People's Republic of China on 25 October 1971, even though the governments of both have existed well before and after this date (see Seat of China).

The table below uses the official names of the member states used by the UN, and can also be sorted by their dates of admissions by clicking on the button in the column header.

Note: Member states with background color       and bold font are original members.
Member state Date of admission Notes
 Afghanistan 19461119 19 November 1946
 Albania 19551214 14 December 1955
 Algeria 19621008 8 October 1962
 Andorra 19930728 28 July 1993
 Angola 19761201 1 December 1976
 Antigua and Barbuda 19811111 11 November 1981
 Argentina 19451024 24 October 1945
 Armenia 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Australia 19451101 1 November 1945
 Austria 19551214 14 December 1955
 Azerbaijan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Bahamas 19730918 18 September 1973
 Bahrain 19710921 21 September 1971
 Bangladesh 19740917 17 September 1974
 Barbados 19661209 9 December 1966
 Belarus 19451024 24 October 1945 [note 1]; also see Former members: USSR
 Belgium 19451227 27 December 1945
 Belize 19810925 25 September 1981
 Benin 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 2]
 Bhutan 19710921 21 September 1971
 Bolivia 19451114 14 November 1945
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 19920522 22 May 1992 see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Botswana 19661017 17 October 1966
 Brazil 19451024 24 October 1945
 Brunei Darussalam 19840921 21 September 1984
 Bulgaria 19551214 14 December 1955
 Burkina Faso 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 3]
 Burundi 19620918 18 September 1962
 Cambodia 19551214 14 December 1955
 Cameroon 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 4]
 Canada 19451109 9 November 1945
 Cape Verde 19750916 16 September 1975
 Central African Republic 19600920 20 September 1960
 Chad 19600920 20 September 1960
 Chile 19451024 24 October 1945
 China 19451024 24 October 1945 see Seat of China
 Colombia 19451105 5 November 1945
 Comoros 19751112 12 November 1975
 Congo, Republic of the 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 5]
 Costa Rica 19451102 2 November 1945
 Côte d'Ivoire 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 6]
 Croatia 19920522 22 May 1992 see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Cuba 19451024 24 October 1945
 Cyprus 19600920 20 September 1960
 Czech Republic 19930119 19 January 1993 see Former members: Czechoslovakia
 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 19910917 17 September 1991
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 19600920 20 September 1960 [note 7]
 Denmark 19451024 24 October 1945
 Djibouti 19770920 20 September 1977
 Dominica 19781218 18 December 1978
 Dominican Republic 19451024 24 October 1945
 Ecuador 19451221 21 December 1945
 Egypt 19451024 24 October 1945 see Former members: United Arab Republic
 El Salvador 19451024 24 October 1945
 Equatorial Guinea 19681112 12 November 1968
 Eritrea 19930528 28 May 1993
 Estonia 19910917 17 September 1991 see Former members: USSR
 Ethiopia 19451113 13 November 1945
 Fiji 19701013 13 October 1970
 Finland 19551214 14 December 1955
 France 19451024 24 October 1945
 Gabon 19600920 20 September 1960
 Gambia 19650921 21 September 1965
 Georgia 19920731 31 July 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Germany 19730918 18 September 1973 see Former members: East Germany and West Germany
 Ghana 19570308 8 March 1957
 Greece 19451025 25 October 1945
 Grenada 19740917 17 September 1974
 Guatemala 19451121 21 November 1945
 Guinea 19581212 12 December 1958
 Guinea-Bissau 19740917 17 September 1974
 Guyana 19660920 20 September 1966
 Haiti 19451024 24 October 1945
 Honduras 19451217 17 December 1945
 Hungary 19551214 14 December 1955
 Iceland 19461119 19 November 1946
 India 19451030 30 October 1945
 Indonesia 19500928 28 September 1950 [note 8]
 Iran, Islamic Republic of 19451024 24 October 1945 [note 9]
 Iraq 19451221 21 December 1945
 Ireland 19551214 14 December 1955
 Israel 19490511 11 May 1949
 Italy 19551214 14 December 1955
 Jamaica 19620918 18 September 1962
 Japan 19561218 18 December 1956
 Jordan 19551214 14 December 1955
 Kazakhstan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Kenya 19631216 16 December 1963
 Kiribati 19990914 14 September 1999
 Kuwait 19630514 14 May 1963
 Kyrgyzstan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Lao People's Democratic Republic 19551214 14 December 1955 [note 10]
 Latvia 19910917 17 September 1991 see Former members: USSR
 Lebanon 19451024 24 October 1945
 Lesotho 19661017 17 October 1966
 Liberia 19451102 2 November 1945
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 19551214 14 December 1955 [note 11]
 Liechtenstein 19900918 18 September 1990
 Lithuania 19910917 17 September 1991 see Former members: USSR
 Luxembourg 19451024 24 October 1945
 Madagascar 19600920 20 September 1960
 Malawi 19641201 1 December 1964
 Malaysia 19570917 17 September 1957 [note 12]
 Maldives 19650921 21 September 1965
 Mali 19600928 28 September 1960
 Malta 19641201 1 December 1964
 Marshall Islands 19910917 17 September 1991
 Mauritania 19611027 27 October 1961
 Mauritius 19680424 24 April 1968
 Mexico 19451107 7 November 1945
 Micronesia, Federated States of 19910917 17 September 1991
 Monaco 19930528 28 May 1993
 Mongolia 19611027 27 October 1961
 Montenegro 20060628 28 June 2006 see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Morocco 19561112 12 November 1956
 Mozambique 19750916 16 September 1975
 Myanmar 19480419 19 April 1948 [note 13]
 Namibia 19900423 23 April 1990
 Nauru 19990914 14 September 1999
 Nepal 19551214 14 December 1955
 Netherlands 19451210 10 December 1945
 New Zealand 19451024 24 October 1945
 Nicaragua 19451024 24 October 1945
 Niger 19600920 20 September 1960
 Nigeria 19601007 7 October 1960
 Norway 19451127 27 November 1945
 Oman 19711007 7 October 1971
 Pakistan 19470930 30 September 1947
 Palau 19941215 15 December 1994
 Panama 19451113 13 November 1945
 Papua New Guinea 19751010 10 October 1975
 Paraguay 19451024 24 October 1945
 Peru 19451031 31 October 1945
 Philippines 19451024 24 October 1945 [note 14]
 Poland 19451024 24 October 1945
 Portugal 19551214 14 December 1955
 Qatar 19710921 21 September 1971
 Republic of Korea 19910917 17 September 1991
 Republic of Moldova 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Romania 19551214 14 December 1955
 Russian Federation 19451024 24 October 1945 see Former members: USSR
 Rwanda 19620918 18 September 1962
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 19830923 23 September 1983
 Saint Lucia 19790918 18 September 1979
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19800916 16 September 1980
 Samoa 19761215 15 December 1976 [note 15]
 San Marino 19920302 2 March 1992
 Sao Tome and Principe 19750916 16 September 1975
 Saudi Arabia 19451024 24 October 1945
 Senegal 19600928 28 September 1960
 Serbia 20001101 1 November 2000 see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Seychelles 19760921 21 September 1976
 Sierra Leone 19610927 27 September 1961
 Singapore 19650921 21 September 1965
 Slovakia 19930119 19 January 1993 see Former members: Czechoslovakia
 Slovenia 19920522 22 May 1992 see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Solomon Islands 19780919 19 September 1978
 Somalia 19600920 20 September 1960
 South Africa 19451107 7 November 1945 [note 16]
 Spain 19551214 14 December 1955
 Sri Lanka 19551214 14 December 1955 [note 17]
 Sudan 19561112 12 November 1956
 Suriname 19751204 4 December 1975
 Swaziland 19680924 24 September 1968
 Sweden 19461119 19 November 1946
 Switzerland 20020910 10 September 2002
 Syrian Arab Republic 19451024 24 October 1945 [note 18]; also see Former members: United Arab Republic
 Tajikistan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Thailand 19461216 16 December 1946 [note 19]
 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 19930408 8 April 1993 [note 20]; also see Former members: Yugoslavia
 Timor-Leste 20020927 27 September 2002
 Togo 19600920 20 September 1960
 Tonga 19990914 14 September 1999
 Trinidad and Tobago 19620918 18 September 1962
 Tunisia 19561112 12 November 1956
 Turkey 19451024 24 October 1945
 Turkmenistan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Tuvalu 20000905 5 September 2000
 Uganda 19621025 25 October 1962
 Ukraine 19451024 24 October 1945 [note 21]; also see Former members: USSR
 United Arab Emirates 19711209 9 December 1971
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 19451024 24 October 1945
 United Republic of Tanzania 19611214 14 December 1961 see Former members: Tanganyika and Zanzibar
 United States of America 19451024 24 October 1945
 Uruguay 19451218 18 December 1945
 Uzbekistan 19920302 2 March 1992 see Former members: USSR
 Vanuatu 19810915 15 September 1981
 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 19451115 15 November 1945 [note 22]
 Viet Nam 19770920 20 September 1977
 Yemen 19470930 30 September 1947 see Former members: North Yemen and South Yemen
 Zambia 19641201 1 December 1964
 Zimbabwe 19800825 25 August 1980

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Belarus was originally admitted as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, before declaring independence in 1991. It informed the UN that it had changed its name from Byelorussia to its current name on 19 September 1991.
  2. ^ Benin was originally admitted as Dahomey, before changing its name in 1975.
  3. ^ Burkina Faso was originally admitted as Upper Volta, before changing its name in 1984.
  4. ^ Cameroon was originally admitted as Cameroun, before merging with Southern Cameroons in 1961.
  5. ^ The Republic of the Congo was originally admitted as Congo (Brazzaville).
  6. ^ Côte d'Ivoire was originally admitted as Ivory Coast, before changing its name in 1985.
  7. ^ The Democratic Republic of the Congo was originally admitted as Congo (Leopoldville). It later changed its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1964, and then to Zaire in 1971, and back to its current name on 17 May 1997.
  8. ^ Indonesia temporarily withdrew from the UN on 20 January 1965 in response to the fact that Malaysia was elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. It announced its intention "to resume full cooperation with the United Nations and to resume participation in its activities" on 19 September 1966, and was invited to re-join the UN on 28 September 1966.
  9. ^ Originally admitted as Iran.