73 United Nations Trivia Questions & Answers

Answer: The United Nations

The United Nations flag was adopted on the 7th December 1946, following the US Secretary of State's - Edward Stettinus, Jr. - suggestion that the symbol used for the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, could become the permanent symbol of the United Nations. The original design of the flag is that of Donal McLaughlin.

Answer: Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Poland, Egypt and the Netherlands

The first security council started in 1946 where Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Poland and the Netherlands were the first members. In the following year only Brazil, Australia and Poland continued their terms.

Answer: Israeli/Palestinian

The United Nations Truce Supervision Operation (UNTSO) was established to ensure the keeping of the truce after the Israeli war of independence. The truce was effectively broken in the Sinai War (1956), the 6-Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War (1973) and the Lebanon Wars (1978 and 1982), and is constantly being threatened by terror attacks from Palestinian side and ensuing retaliation from Israeli side. The effective evacuation of Israeli settlements from the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank in 2005 was a seminal step in the peace progress that has started with the Oslo agreements of 1993 and 1995.

Answer: World War II

Founded in 1945 directly after World War II, around 50 nations met to establish the UN as a successor to the League of Nations.

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a need for a 'trusteeship of the powerful' after the League of Nations had failed to prevent World War II, and in 1945, the United Nations came into being.

Answer: 24th October 1945

One of the main reasons for creating the United Nations was that world leaders felt working together was the only way to prevent the tragedy of World War Two from being repeated.

Answer: October 24, 1945

The UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945, and following its ratification, the UN formally came into existence on October 24, 1945.

Answer: San Francisco

The UN charter was signed on this day in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the UN Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945.

Answer: UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

UNESCO was established on the 16th November 1945 as the successor to League of Nations' International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation. UNESCO now has 193 member states and 7 associate member states, with its headquarters in the French capital, Paris. Possibly the best known UNESCO activity is it World Heritage Sites register, which registers those sites around the world that are of great natural or cultural importance.

Answer: 1966

The countries that served on the council in 1966 were Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, Japan, Jordan, Argentina, Uruguay, Netherlands, New Zealand and Bulgaria. Uruguay, Jordan and the Netherlands served previously in 1965 with Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Malaysia.

Answer: 10

The Security Council consists of fifteen members total, the five permanent members and ten rotating members. The non-permanent for 2007 are Belgium, Italy, Qatar, Congo, Panama, Slovakia, Ghana, Peru, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Answer: 1978

UNIFIL is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. It was established in 1978 to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, and was still operative over 43 years later (2021).

Answer: US, UK, Russia, France, China

The five permanent members are the only countries who can never get thrown off the council, whereas the other members keep trading off.

Answer: 191

The original 51 member nations has grown to 191 in 2003, representing nearly all the countries of the world.

Answer: 51

The UN General Assembly's first session took place at the Methodist Central Hall in London, and opened on 10 January 1946.

Answer: League of Nations

The League of Nations was established by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Answer: UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund)

UNICEF (or the United Nations Children Fund) was established on the 11th December 1946, initially providing health care and food rations to those countries that had been ravaged by the Second World War. Today, UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and developmental aid to mothers and children in developing countries. The acronym UNICEF stems from the original name of the organization - United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

Answer: Africa

Of 15 ongoing missions, 7 were in Africa in 2005. Three others were in the Middle East, three in Europe, one in the Americas (Haiti) and one in Asia (Kashmir). The African countries concerned are Western Sahara, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Liberia, Sudan, Burundi and Cote d'Ivoire.

Answer: 15

The small size makes it easier to make decisions, and creates a less hectic atmosphere.

Answer: To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war

The United Nations Charter, signed by 51 nations in 1945, calls on the United Nations 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war' and gives it the authority to approve military action if deemed necessary.

Answer: The General Assembly

The Security Council deals with keeping peace throughout the world, trying to settle disputes peacefully, or using military measures if necessary. The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day running of the UN. The Economic and Social Council coordinates the work of the specialised agencies, like UNICEF.

Answer: Six

The six principal organs of the UN are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and UN Secretariat. One of these, the Trusteeship Council, was formally suspended in 1994 when its purpose was regarded as fulfilled. It had been established to oversee the administration of certain dependent territories, but when the last of these territories became independent, the Council no longer had a role. It cannot be dissolved without amending the UN Charter, however, so is simply regarded as inactive.

Answer: UPU (Universal Postal Union)

The Universal Postal Union was established as the General Postal Union on the 9th October 1874 following the signing of the Treaty of Berne. The UPU now works to ensure a flat rate to mail a letter anywhere in the world; that all postal authorities should give equal treatment to foreign and domestic mail; and that all monies collected for international mail should be retained by the country of origin.

Answer: Liberia

Liberia served on the Security Council only once, and that was in 1961 when it took the place of a western European nation.