The United Nations officially came into being on October 24, 1945. By that date a majority of the 50 countries that had signed the UN Charter in San Francisco on June 26, 1945, had ratified it in their national parliaments. The UN replaced the League of Nations, which had been created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Currently, there are 193 member states. 

The United Nations Peacekeeping began in 1948. Its first mission was in the Middle East to observe and maintain the ceasefire during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Since then, United Nations peacekeepers have taken part in a total of 63 missions around the globe, 17 of which continue today. The peacekeeping force as a whole received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.

Canada is one of the founding members of the United Nations.

Lester Bowles “Mike” Pearson was a Canadian scholar, statesman, soldier and diplomat, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. He was the 14th Prime Minister of Canada from April 22, 1963 to April 20, 1968.

Seven Canadian diplomatic missions are accredited to the UN.

1. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York
   Responsible for overall relations with the United Nations and delegations of member countries, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, UNDP, UNICEF, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
2. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva
   Responsible for relations with all UN offices in Geneva and delegations of member countries, including entities such as the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, the High Commissioner for Refugees, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or forums such as the Human Rights Council and the Conference on Disarmament.
3. The Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO in Paris
   Responsible for Canada’s relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
4. The Permanent Mission of Canada to International Organisations in Vienna
   Responsible for relations with the UN offices in Vienna, including the International Atomic Energy Agency.
5. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Nairobi
   Responsible for relations to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) and to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
6. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the FAO in Rome
   Responsible for relations with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
7. The Permanent Mission of Canada to the ICAO in Montreal
   Responsible for relations with the International Civil Aviation Organization

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