Founding Member States

Founding Member States

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 StateDate of SigningDeposit of RatificationCurrent Name/Successor States
Republic of China26 June 194528 Sept. 1945People’s Republic of China
France26 June 194531 Aug. 1945 
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics26 June 194524 Oct. 1945Russian Federation
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland26 June 194520 Oct. 1945 
United States of America26 June 19458 Aug. 1945 
Argentina26 June 194524 Sept. 1945 
Brazil26 June 194521 Sept. 1945 
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic26 June 194524 Oct. 1945Belarus
Chile26 June 194511 Oct. 1945 
Cuba26 June 194515 Oct. 1945 
Czechoslovakia26 June 194519 Oct. 1945Czechia and Slovakia
Denmark26 June 19459 Oct. 1945 
Dominican Republic26 June 19454 Sept. 1945 
Egypt26 June 194522 Oct. 1945 
El Salvador26 June 194526 Sept. 1945 
Haiti26 June 194527 Sept. 1945 
Iran26 June 194516 Oct. 1945 
Lebanon26 June 194515 Oct. 1945 
Luxembourg26 June 194517 Oct. 1945 
New Zealand26 June 194519 Sept. 1945 
Nicaragua26 June 19456 Sept. 1945 
Paraguay26 June 194512 Oct. 1945 
Philippine Commonwealth26 June 194511 Oct. 1945Philippines
Poland15 Oct. 194524 Oct. 1945 
Saudi Arabia26 June 194518 Oct. 1945 
Syrian Arab Republic26 June 194519 Oct. 1945 
Turkey26 June 194528 Sept. 1945Türkiye
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic26 June 194524 Oct. 1945Ukraine
Yugoslavia26 June 194519 Oct. 1945Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia
Australia26 June 19451 Nov. 1945 
Belgium26 June 194527 Dec. 1945 
Bolivia26 June 194514 Nov. 1945Plurinational State of Bolivia
Canada26 June 19459 Nov. 1945 
Colombia26 June 19455 Nov. 1945 
Costa Rica26 June 19452 Nov. 1945 
Ecuador26 June 194521 Dec. 1945 
Ethiopia26 June 194513 Nov. 1945 
Greece26 June 194525 Oct. 1945 
Guatemala26 June 194521 Nov. 1945 
Honduras26 June 194517 Nov. 1945 
India26 June 194530 Oct. 1945 
Iraq26 June 194521 Dec. 1945 
Liberia26 June 19452 Nov. 1945 
Mexico26 June 19457 Nov. 1945 
Netherlands26 June 194510 Dec. 1945Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Norway26 June 194527 Nov. 1945 
Panama26 June 194513 Nov. 1945 
Peru26 June 194531 Oct. 1945 
Union of South Africa26 June 19457 Nov. 1945South Africa
Uruguay26 June 194518 Dec. 1945 
Venezuela26 June 194515 Nov. 1945Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela