The Role of the UK Within Key International Organisations

The UK has played a major role in establishing many of the key international organisations that exist today. 

Most of these were created in the period immediately after WWII, during the Cold War when international relationships were very vulnerable.

Recently there was a poll about the power and influence of countries - and the UK was first as the country with more soft power influence than any other country. 

As for hard power, our defence budget is fifth largest in the world. The largest is the USA's.

Established: 1945
In: San Francisco

Representatives of 51 countries met and signed the United Nations Charter - which has four purposes:
1. to maintain international peace and security
2. to develop friendly relations among nations
3. to cooperate in solving international problems and promoting respect for human rights
4. to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations

It's headquarters are in New York where all member countries meet to decide the policy and actions to be taken by the UN. 

The General Assembly is the forum to which all member countries belong. The Security Council is made of 15 members, 5 of whom are permanent and have the ability to veto proposals. The UK, as a founding member of the UN, is a permanent member.