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United Nations: Introduction to the UN

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Guide info

This guide was originally created by Caitlin Hunter in 2018 and is regularly updated by the library staff. 

Structure of the United Nations

The United Nations was established by a 1945 treaty called the Charter of the United Nations:

The Charter establishes six main organs (also called principal organs) of the United Nations:

Most main organs have dozens of subsidiary organs and other subsidiary and related bodies. Major UN subsidiary and related bodies you may encounter in legal research include:

Chart Showing Structure of the United Nations