United Nations member states

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Map of UN member states and their dependent territories as recognized by the UN. Territories excluded: Vatican City (the Holy See is a UN non-member observer state), the Palestinian territories (Palestine, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, is a UN observer), Western Sahara (status in dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front), and Antarctica (not shown in the map; belongs to no country and regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System). 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 as "the only lawful representatives of China" at the UN (see Seat of China) and does not question its 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 II, 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 all current members are fully sovereign states. However, four of the original members (Belarus, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine) were not fully sovereign at the time of their admission.

The current UN members include every sovereign state with general international recognition apart from Vatican City (the Holy See is granted observer status). 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 criteria are not members due to the fact that the UN does 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

Map of UN member states by the decade of their date of admission.

The member states are listed below with their official names currently used by the UN and dates of admission.[3] 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 the Russian Federation; see Former members: USSR). The other two original members, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, were dissolved and all states established following their dissolution were admitted as new members, and so their seats were not continued (see Former members: Czechoslovakia and Former members: Yugoslavia respectively). For China's seat in the UN, it was originally taken by the government of the Republic of China, but has been taken by the governement of the People's Republic of China since 25 October 1971 (see Seat of China).

Note: The table can be sorted by the dates of admission by clicking on the button in the column header. The original members are listed in bold with background color      .

Member state Date of admission Notes
 Afghanistan 01946-11-19 19 November 1946
 Albania 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Algeria 01962-10-08 8 October 1962
 Andorra 01993-07-28 28 July 1993
 Angola 01976-12-01 1 December 1976
 Antigua and Barbuda 01981-11-11 11 November 1981
 Argentina 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Armenia 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Australia 01945-11-01 1 November 1945
 Austria 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Azerbaijan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Bahamas 01973-09-18 18 September 1973
 Bahrain 01971-09-21 21 September 1971
 Bangladesh 01974-09-17 17 September 1974
 Barbados 01966-12-09 9 December 1966
 Belarus 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously part of the USSR & known as Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic until 19 September 1991.
 Belgium 01945-12-27 27 December 1945
 Belize 01981-09-25 25 September 1981
 Benin 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Originally Dahomey until 1 December 1975.
 Bhutan 01971-09-21 21 September 1971
 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 01945-11-14 14 November 1945 Referred to by its complete name of the Plurinational State of Bolivia since 2009.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 01992-05-22 22 May 1992 Previously part of Yugoslavia
 Botswana 01966-10-17 17 October 1966
 Brazil 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Brunei Darussalam 01984-09-21 21 September 1984
 Bulgaria 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Burkina Faso 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Originally Upper Volta until 6 August 1984.
 Burundi 01962-09-18 18 September 1962
 Cambodia 01955-12-14 14 December 1955 Previously Khmer Republic and Democratic Kampuchea; see [note 1]
 Cameroon 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Originally Cameroun and also previously United Republic of Cameroon; see [note 2]
 Canada 01945-11-09 9 November 1945
 Cape Verde 01975-09-16 16 September 1975
 Central African Republic 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Previously known as the Central African Empire; see [note 3]
 Chad 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 Chile 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 China 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 see Seat of China
 Colombia 01945-11-05 5 November 1945
 Comoros 01975-11-12 12 November 1975
 Congo 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Previously Congo (Brazzaville) and People's Republic of the Congo; see [note 4]
 Costa Rica 01945-11-02 2 November 1945
 Côte d'Ivoire 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Previously known as Ivory Coast [note 5]
 Croatia 01992-05-22 22 May 1992 Previously part of Yogoslavia
 Cuba 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Cyprus 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 Czech Republic 01993-01-19 19 January 1993 Previously part of Czechoslovakia
 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 01991-09-17 17 September 1991
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Previously known as Congo (Leopoldville) & Zaire; see [note 6]
 Denmark 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Djibouti 01977-09-20 20 September 1977
 Dominica 01978-12-18 18 December 1978
 Dominican Republic 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Ecuador 01945-12-21 21 December 1945
 Egypt 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously part of the United Arab Republic
 El Salvador 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Equatorial Guinea 01968-11-12 12 November 1968
 Eritrea 01993-05-28 28 May 1993
 Estonia 01991-09-17 17 September 1991 Previously part of the USSR
 Ethiopia 01945-11-13 13 November 1945
 Fiji 01970-10-13 13 October 1970
 Finland 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 France 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Gabon 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 Gambia 01965-09-21 21 September 1965 Previously referred to as The Gambia
 Georgia 01992-07-31 31 July 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Germany 01973-09-18 18 September 1973 Previously East Germany & West Germany until reunification.
 Ghana 01957-03-08 8 March 1957
 Greece 01945-10-25 25 October 1945
 Grenada 01974-09-17 17 September 1974
 Guatemala 01945-11-21 21 November 1945
 Guinea 01958-12-12 12 December 1958
 Guinea-Bissau 01974-09-17 17 September 1974
 Guyana 01966-09-20 20 September 1966
 Haiti 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Honduras 01945-12-17 17 December 1945
 Hungary 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Iceland 01946-11-19 19 November 1946
 India 01945-10-30 30 October 1945
 Indonesia 01950-09-28 28 September 1950 see Withdrawal of Indonesia (1965–1966)
 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously simply Iran; see [note 7]
 Iraq 01945-12-21 21 December 1945
 Ireland 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Israel 01949-05-11 11 May 1949
 Italy 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Jamaica 01962-09-18 18 September 1962
 Japan 01956-12-18 18 December 1956
 Jordan 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Kazakhstan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR and referred to as Kazakstan by the UN until 20 June 1997.
 Kenya 01963-12-16 16 December 1963
 Kiribati 01999-09-14 14 September 1999
 Kuwait 01963-05-14 14 May 1963
 Kyrgyzstan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Lao People's Democratic Republic 01955-12-14 14 December 1955 Originally admitted as Laos until 2 December 1975.
 Latvia 01991-09-17 17 September 1991 Previously part of the USSR
 Lebanon 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Lesotho 01966-10-17 17 October 1966
 Liberia 01945-11-02 2 November 1945
 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 01955-12-14 14 December 1955 Originally admitted as Libya & also previously referred to as Libyan Arab Republic; see [note 8]
 Liechtenstein 01990-09-18 18 September 1990
 Lithuania 01991-09-17 17 September 1991 Previously part of the USSR
 Luxembourg 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Republic of Macedonia 01993-04-08 8 April 1993 Previously part of Yugoslavia; see [note 9]
 Madagascar 01960-09-20 20 September 1960 Previously referred to as the Malagasy Republic
 Malawi 01964-12-01 1 December 1964
 Malaysia 01957-09-17 17 September 1957 Originally admitted as the Federation of Malaya; see [note 10]
 Maldives 01965-09-21 21 September 1965 Previously referred to as the Maldive Islands
 Mali 01960-09-28 28 September 1960
 Malta 01964-12-01 1 December 1964
 Marshall Islands 01991-09-17 17 September 1991
 Mauritania 01961-10-27 27 October 1961
 Mauritius 01968-04-24 24 April 1968
 Mexico 01945-11-07 7 November 1945
 Micronesia (Federated States of) 01991-09-17 17 September 1991
 Monaco 01993-05-28 28 May 1993
 Mongolia 01961-10-27 27 October 1961
 Montenegro 02006-06-28 28 June 2006 Previously part of Yugoslavia
 Morocco 01956-11-12 12 November 1956
 Mozambique 01975-09-16 16 September 1975
 Myanmar 01948-04-19 19 April 1948 Originally admitted as Burma until 18 June 1989.
 Namibia 01990-04-23 23 April 1990
 Nauru 01999-09-14 14 September 1999
 Nepal 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Netherlands 01945-12-10 10 December 1945
 New Zealand 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Nicaragua 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Niger 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 Nigeria 01960-10-07 7 October 1960
 Norway 01945-11-27 27 November 1945
 Oman 01971-10-07 7 October 1971
 Pakistan 01947-09-30 30 September 1947
 Palau 01994-12-15 15 December 1994
 Panama 01945-11-13 13 November 1945
 Papua New Guinea 01975-10-10 10 October 1975
 Paraguay 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Peru 01945-10-31 31 October 1945
 Philippines 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Originally referred to as the Philippine Commonwealth, and also previously Philippine Republic; see [note 11]
 Poland 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Portugal 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Qatar 01971-09-21 21 September 1971
 Republic of Korea 01991-09-17 17 September 1991
 Republic of Moldova 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR and previously referred to as Moldova
 Romania 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Russian Federation 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously part of the USSR
 Rwanda 01962-09-18 18 September 1962
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 01983-09-23 23 September 1983 Previously referred to as Saint Christopher and Nevis; see [note 12]
 Saint Lucia 01979-09-18 18 September 1979
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 01980-09-16 16 September 1980
 Samoa 01976-12-15 15 December 1976
 San Marino 01992-03-02 2 March 1992
 Sao Tome and Principe 01975-09-16 16 September 1975
 Saudi Arabia 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Senegal 01960-09-28 28 September 1960
 Serbia 02000-11-01 1 November 2000 Previously part of Yugoslavia
 Seychelles 01976-09-21 21 September 1976
 Sierra Leone 01961-09-27 27 September 1961
 Singapore 01965-09-21 21 September 1965
 Slovakia 01993-01-19 19 January 1993 Previously part of Czechoslovakia
 Slovenia 01992-05-22 22 May 1992 Previously part of Yugoslavia
 Solomon Islands 01978-09-19 19 September 1978
 Somalia 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 South Africa 01945-11-07 7 November 1945 Originally admitted as the Union of South Africa until becoming a republic in 1961.
 Spain 01955-12-14 14 December 1955
 Sri Lanka 01955-12-14 14 December 1955 Originally admitted as Ceylon until 22 May 1972.
 Sudan 01956-11-12 12 November 1956
 Suriname 01975-12-04 4 December 1975 Originally admitted as Surinam until 23 January 1978.
 Swaziland 01968-09-24 24 September 1968
 Sweden 01946-11-19 19 November 1946
 Switzerland 02002-09-10 10 September 2002
 Syrian Arab Republic 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously part of the United Arab Republic and originally Syria until 14 September 1971.
 Tajikistan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of USSR
 Thailand 01946-12-16 16 December 1946 Previously referred to as Siam.
 Timor-Leste 02002-09-27 27 September 2002
 Togo 01960-09-20 20 September 1960
 Tonga 01999-09-14 14 September 1999
 Trinidad and Tobago 01962-09-18 18 September 1962
 Tunisia 01956-11-12 12 November 1956
 Turkey 01945-10-24 24 October 1945
 Turkmenistan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Tuvalu 02000-09-05 5 September 2000
 Uganda 01962-10-25 25 October 1962
 Ukraine 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Previously part of the USSR and originally Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic until 24 August 1991.
 United Arab Emirates 01971-12-09 9 December 1971
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Also referred to as the United Kingdom
 United Republic of Tanzania 01961-12-14 14 December 1961 Previously Tanganyika and Zanzibar
 United States of America 01945-10-24 24 October 1945 Also referred to as the United States.
 Uruguay 01945-12-18 18 December 1945
 Uzbekistan 01992-03-02 2 March 1992 Previously part of the USSR
 Vanuatu 01981-09-15 15 September 1981
 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 01945-11-15 15 November 1945 Referred to by its complete name of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela since 2004.
 Viet Nam 01977-09-20 20 September 1977
 Yemen 01947-09-30 30 September 1947 Previously North Yemen and South Yemen
 Zambia 01964-12-01 1 December 1964
 Zimbabwe 01980-08-25 25 August 1980
Notes[4]
  1. ^ Cambodia changed its name to the Khmer Republic on 7 October 1970, and reverted to Cambodia on 30 April 1975. It the changed again to Democratic Kampuchea on 6 April 1976, and reverted again on 3 February 1990.
  2. ^ Cameroon was originally admitted as Cameroun; Changed its name to Cameroon after merging with Southern Cameroons in 1961. By a letter of 4 January 1974, the Secretary-General was informed that it had changed its name to the United Republic of Cameroon. It reverted to Cameroon on 4 February 1984.
  3. ^ By a letter of 20 December 1976, the Central African Republic advised that it had changed its name to the Central African Empire. It reverted to the Central African Republic on 20 September 1979.
  4. ^ Congo was previously referred to as Congo (Brazzaville) or the People's Republic of the Congo, to differentiate it from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It changed its name to Congo on 15 November 1971, after the Democratic Republic of the Congo changed its name to Zaire.
  5. ^ Côte d'Ivoire was previously referred to as Ivory Coast. On 6 November 1985, Côte d’lvoire requested that its name no longer be translated into different languages; this became fully effective on 1 January 1986.
  6. ^ Democratic Republic of the Congo was previously referred to as Congo (Leopoldville), to differentiate it from the Republic of the Congo. Changed its name to Zaire on 27 October 1971, and reverted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 17 May 1997.
  7. ^ On 5 March 1981 Iran informed the Secretary-General it should be referred to by its complete name of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
  8. ^ Originally admitted as Libya, and also previously referred to as the Libyan Arab Republic. By notes verbales of 1 and 21 April 1977, it advised that it had changed its name to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
  9. ^ Provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name.
  10. ^ Originally admitted as the Federation of Malaya. On 16 September 1963, its name changed to Malaysia after the admission of Singapore, Sabah (formerly North Borneo), and Sarawak to the federation. Singapore became an independent state on 9 August 1965.
  11. ^ Originally referred to as the Philippine Commonwealth, and also previously Philippine Republic. Changed its name to the Philippines (also previously referred to as the Philippine Republic) after gaining full independence in 1946.
  12. ^ Previously referred to as Saint Christopher and Nevis. Changed its name to Saint Kitts and Nevis on 26 November 1986; the United Nations, however, continued to use the former name throughout the year.

[edit] Former members

[edit] Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945, and changed its name to the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic on 20 April 1990. Upon the imminent dissolution of Czechoslovakia, in a letter dated 10 December 1992, its Permanent Representative informed the Secretary-General that the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic would cease to exist on 31 December 1992 and that the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as successor states, would apply for membership in the UN. Both states were admitted to the UN on 19 January 1993.[4]

[edit] East Germany and West Germany

Both the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) were admitted to the UN on 18 September 1973. Through the accession of the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany, effective from 3 October 1990, the two states united to form one sovereign state, which continued as a single member under the name Germany.[4]

[edit] North Yemen and South Yemen

Yemen (North Yemen) was admitted to the UN on 30 September 1947, and Democratic Yemen (South Yemen) was admitted to the UN on 14 December 1967, originally as Southern Yemen, and changed its name to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on 30 November 1970. On 22 May 1990, the two states merged to form the Republic of Yemen, which continued as a single member under the name Yemen.[4]

[edit] Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Tanganyika was admitted to the UN on 14 December 1961, and Zanzibar was admitted to the UN on 16 December 1963. Following the ratification on 26 April 1964 of the Articles of Union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar, the two states merged to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which continued as a single member; it changed its name to the United Republic of Tanzania on 1 November 1964.[4]

[edit] United Arab Republic

Both Egypt and Syria joined the UN as original members on 24 October 1945. Following a plebiscite on 21 February 1958, the United Arab Republic was established by a union of Egypt and Syria and continued as a single member. On 13 October 1961, Syria, having resumed its status as an independent state, resumed its separate membership in the UN. Egypt continued as a UN member under the name of the United Arab Republic, and reverted to the name of Egypt on 2 September 1971.[4]

[edit] USSR

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945. Upon the imminent dissolution of the USSR, in a letter dated 24 December 1991, Boris Yeltsin, the President of the Russian Federation, informed the Secretary-General that the the membership of the USSR in the Security Council and all other UN organs was being continued by the Russian Federation with the support of the 11 member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.[4]

The remaining former Soviet Republics are currently all UN members:

[edit] Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945. By 1992, the breakup of Yugoslavia had resulted in the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and a new state, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was formed on 28 April 1992 by the former Yugoslav Republics of Serbia and Montenegro.[5] By United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/47/1 on 22 September 1992, the UN "considers that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) cannot continue automatically the membership of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the United Nations, and therefore decides that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) should apply for membership in the United Nations and that it shall not participate in the work of the General Assembly".[6][7]

The former Yugoslav Republics are currently all UN members:

(Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is not expected to be admitted to the UN in the near future due to the resistance of Russia and China to recognizing Kosovo, as admission to the UN requires approval from the Security Council, and the two countries, as permanent members of the Security Council, have veto power.[14] Kosovo is currently recognised by 60 UN member states.)

[edit] Seat of China

Main article: China and the United Nations

China is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and joined the UN as an original member on 24 October 1945, represented by the government of the Republic of China (ROC). However, as a result of the Chinese Civil War, the Kuomintang-led ROC government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, with the Communist Party-led government of the People's Republic of China (PRC), declared on 1 October 1949, taking control of mainland China. The UN was notified on 18 November 1949 of the formation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China; however, the Government of the Republic of China continued to represent China at the UN, despite the small size of the ROC's jurisdiction of Taiwan and a number of smaller islands compared to the PRC's jurisdiction of mainland China. Proposals to effect a change in the representation of China in the UN subsequent to that time were not approved until United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 was adopted on 25 October 1971, by which it recognized that "the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations and that the People's Republic of China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council," and decided "to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it."[15] This effectively transferred the seat of China in the UN, including its permanent seat on the Security Council, from the ROC to the PRC. This was the 21st time the United Nations General Assembly debated on the PRC's admission into the UN.[16]

[edit] Bids for membership by the Republic of China (Taiwan)

See also: Political status of Taiwan

Since 1993, the ROC has repeatedly petitioned to rejoin the UN as the representative of the people of Taiwan only, instead of all of China, using the designation "Republic of China on Taiwan", "Republic of China (Taiwan)", or just "Taiwan".[17] However, all attempts have been denied, either because the petition failed to get sufficient votes to get on the formal agenda, or because the application was rejected by the UN, due primarily to the opposition of the PRC.

In July 2007, the Democratic Progressive Party-led ROC government of Chen Shui-bian submitted the ROC's 15th application to join the UN, and its first under the name "Taiwan", but its application was rejected by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, citing General Assembly Resolution 2758.[18] Responding to the application, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stated that:

With the understanding of the Governor and the Chairman, I will briefly mention that membership into the UN ultimately needs to be decided by the Member States of the United Nations. Membership is given to a sovereign country. The position of the United Nations is that the People's Republic of China is representing the whole of China as the sole and legitimate representative Government of China. The decision until now about the wish of the people in Taiwan to join the United Nations has been decided on that basis. The resolution (General Assembly Resolution 2758) that you just mentioned is clearly mentioning that the Government of China is the sole and legitimate Government and the position of the United Nations is that Taiwan is part of China.[19]

Responding to the UN's rejection of its application, the ROC government has stated that Taiwan is not now nor has it ever been under the jurisdiction of the PRC, and that since General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not clarify the issue of Taiwan's representation in the UN, it does not prevent Taiwan's participation in the UN as an independent sovereign nation. The ROC government, as well as several international newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal,[20] also criticized Ban for returning the application without passing it to the Security Council or the General Assembly, contrary to UN's standard procedure (Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council, Chapter X, Rule 59),[21] and for asserting that Taiwan is part of China.[22] On the other hand, the PRC government, which has stated that Taiwan is part of China, praised that UN's decision "was made in accordance with the UN Charter and Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly, and showed the UN and its member states' universal adherence to the one-China principle".[23] While the PRC government firmly opposes the application of any Taiwan authorities to join the UN either as a member or an observer, the ROC government continues to call on the international community to "recognize the right of the 23 million people of Taiwan to representation in the United Nations system".[24]

In May 2009, the Department of Health of the Republic of China was invited by the World Health Organization to attend the 62nd World Health Assembly as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei". This was the ROC's first participation in an event organized by a UN-affiliated agency since 1971, as a result of the improved cross-strait relations since Ma Ying-jeou became the President of the Republic of China a year before.[25]

The ROC is currently recognized by 23 UN member or observer states, including the Holy See.

[edit] Suspension, expulsion, and withdrawal of members

See also: Withdrawal from the United Nations

A member state may be suspended or expelled from the UN, according to the United Nations Charter. From Chapter II, Article 5:[2]

A Member of the United Nations against which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The exercise of these rights and privileges may be restored by the Security Council.

From Article 6:[2]

A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

No member state has been expelled from the UN since its inception. In the viewpoint of the UN, General Assembly Resolution 2758, which expelled the Republic of China from the UN in 1971, did not constitute as the expulsion of a member state under Article 6 (as this would have required Security Council approval and been subjected to vetos by the United States and the Republic of China itself), but the recognization of the People's Republic of China instead of the Republic of China as the legitimate representatives of China in the UN.[26]

In October 1974, the Security Council considered a draft resolution which would have recommended to the General Assembly the immediate expulsion of South Africa from the United Nations in compliance with Article 6 of the Charter due to its apartheid policies.[4] However, the resolutions were not adopted because of the vetoes of three permanent members, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In response, the General Assembly decided to suspend South Africa from participation in the work of the Assembly's 29th session on 12 November 1974 (however, South Africa was not formally suspended under Article 5). The suspension lasted until the General Assembly welcomed South Africa back to full participation in the UN on 23 June 1994, following its successful democratic elections earlier that year.[27]

[edit] Withdrawal of Indonesia (1965–1966)

Since its inception, only one member state (excluding those which split up or merged with other member states) has unilaterally withdrawn from the UN. During the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, and in response to the election of Malaysia as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, in a letter dated 20 January 1965, Indonesia informed the Secretary-General that it had decided "at this stage and under the present circumstances" to withdraw from the United Nations. However, following the overthrow of the Indonesian regime led by President Sukarno, in a telegram dated 19 September 1966, Indonesia notified the Secretary-General of its decision "to resume full cooperation with the United Nations and to resume participation in its activities starting with the twentyfirst session of the General Assembly". On 28 September 1966, the General Assembly took note of the decision of the Government of Indonesia and the President invited the representatives of that country to take their seats in the Assembly.[4]

Unlike suspension and expulsion, no express provision is made in the United Nations Charter of whether or how a member can legally withdraw from the UN (largely to prevent the threat of withdrawal from being used as a form of political blackmail, or to evade obligations under the Charter, similar to withdrawals that weakened the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations),[26] or on whether a request for re-entry by a withdrawn member should be treated the same as an application for membership, i.e., requiring Security Council as well as General Assembly approval. Indonesia's return to the UN would suggest that this is not required; however, scholars have argued that the course of action taken by the General Assembly was not in accordance to the Charter from a legal point of view.[28]

[edit] Observers and non-members

In addition to the member states listed above, there is currently one non-member observer state: the Holy See (which holds sovereignty over the state of Vatican City). It has been an observer state since 6 April 1964,[29] and gained all the rights of full membership except voting on 1 July 2004.[30] Several current or former UN member states were also granted observer status before being admitted, such as:

The Palestine Liberation Organization was granted observer status on 22 November 1974.[33] After the proclamation of the State of Palestine by the Palestine National Council on 15 November 1988, its designation in the UN was changed to Palestine on 15 December 1988.[34] The current status of Palestine in the UN is a "non-member entity".[35] The Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel with parts of them governed by the Palestinian National Authority, are referred to by the UN as "Occupied Palestinian Territory".[36]

The sovereignty status of Western Sahara is in dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front. Most of the territory is controlled by Morocco, the remainder (the Free Zone) by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proclaimed by the Polisario Front. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is neither a member nor an observer of the UN, and Western Sahara is listed by the UN as a "non-self-governing territory".[37]

The Cook Islands and Niue, which are both associated states of New Zealand, are neither members nor observers of the UN, but are members of UN agencies such as WHO[38] and UNESCO,[39] and signatories of international treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.[40] While self-governing in their domestic affairs, most of their foreign affairs are represented by New Zealand on their behalf. They are recognized by the UN as "non-member states".[36]

[edit] References

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  8. ^ "3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted Into U.N.". New York Times. 1992-05-23. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/23/world/3-ex-yugoslav-republics-are-accepted-into-un.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-01. 
  9. ^ Lewis, Paul (1993-04-08). "U.N. Compromise Lets Macedonia Be a Member". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/08/world/un-compromise-lets-macedonia-be-a-member.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-01. 
  10. ^ "A Different Yugoslavia, 8 Years Later, Takes Its Seat at the U.N.". New York Times. 2000-11-02. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/02/world/a-different-yugoslavia-8-years-later-takes-its-seat-at-the-un.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-01. "Yugoslavia's new democratic government joined the United Nations today, opening a new chapter in Belgrade's relations with the international community after eight years of United Nations ostracism under the country's former leader, Slobodan Milosevic. [...] Under Mr. Milosevic, Yugoslavia had refused to comply with the General Assembly's 1992 demand that it apply for United Nations admission as a new country after the breakup of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic in the early 1990's." 
  11. ^ "Yugoslavia consigned to history". BBC News. 2003-02-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2724047.stm. Retrieved on 2009-04-01. "From now on it will be called just Serbia and Montenegro - the two remaining republics joined in a loose union." 
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  16. ^ "1971 Year in Review: Red China Admitted to UN". UPI.com. 1971. http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1971/Red-China-Admitted-to-UN/12295509436546-3/. 
  17. ^ "Taiwan's UN Bid". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China. http://www.mofa.gov.tw/webapp/ct.asp?xItem=26680&ctNode=1028&mp=6. 
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  24. ^ "Question of the representation of the twenty-three million people of Taiwan in the United Nations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China. 10 August 2004. http://www.mofa.gov.tw/public/Attachment/49116494958.pdf. 
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  26. ^ a b John R. Bolton (July 1, 2000). "New Directions for the Chen Administration on Taiwanese Representation in the United Nations". American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.16557,filter.all/pub_detail.asp. 
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  28. ^ Blum, Yehuda Zvi (1993). Eroding the United Nations Charter. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 0792320697. http://books.google.com/books?id=39qvWCYWo5QC. 
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  32. ^ "Security Council Recommends Admission of Switzerland as Member of United Nations". United Nations. 24 July 2002. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/sc7464.doc.htm. 
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  34. ^ "United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/43/177". United Nations. http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/531/56/IMG/NR053156.pdf?OpenElement. 
  35. ^ "Status of Palestine at the United Nations". Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations. http://www.un.int/palestine/status.shtml. 
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  37. ^ "Non-Self-Governing Territories listed by General Assembly in 2002". United Nations. http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/trust3.htm. 
  38. ^ "Countries". World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/countries/en/. 
  39. ^ "Member States". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. http://erc.unesco.org/portal/UNESCOMemberStates.asp?language=en. 
  40. ^ "Chronological lists of ratifications of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea". United Nations. http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/chronological_lists_of_ratifications.htm. 

[edit] See also

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