Enlargement of the United Nations

Timeline

1940s

1945 (original members)

The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, after ratification of the United Nations Charter by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and a majority of the other signatories. A total of 51 original members (or founding members) joined that year; 50 of them signed the Charter at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, while Poland, which was not represented at the conference, signed it on 15 October 1945.

24 October 1945

• Argentina/Argentina
• Belarus (seat held by the Byelorussian SSR/Byelorussian SSR → renamed Belarus/Belarus/Belarus in 1991)
• Brazil/Brazil/Brazil/Brazil
• Chile
• China (seat held by the on [mainland (1912–1949) and on Taiwan (1949–present)] → seat transferred to the in 1971)
• Republic of Cuba (1902–59)/Cuba Cuba
• Czechoslovakia (seat held by CZE Third Czechoslovak Republic → Czechoslovak Socialist Republic → CZE Czech and Slovak Federative Republic) → *dissolved (current UN members that formerly comprised Czechoslovakia: and *
• Denmark
• Dominican Republic
• Kingdom of Egypt → *(period when merged with * →
• El Salvador
• '*France *(seat held by the → became the → reconstituted as the {{nobr|{{flagicon image|Flag of France (lighter variant).svg
• Haiti/Haiti/Haiti
• Pahlavi dynasty/Pahlavi dynasty →
• Lebanon/Lebanon
• Luxembourg
• New Zealand Dominion of New Zealand → New Zealand
• Nicaragua/Nicaragua
• Paraguay/Paraguay/Paraguay/Paraguay/Paraguay
• Commonwealth of the Philippines → → → →
• Polish People's Republic (Provisional Government of National Unity) → Polish People's Republic → Polish People's Republic → Poland
• Saudi Arabia/Saudi Arabia
• 'USSR/Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) → '''''(successor state)
• Syria First Syrian Republic → Syria Second Syrian Republic → *(period when merged with * → → Ba'athist Syria → Syria (transitional government)
• Turkey
• Ukraine (seat held by the Ukrainian SSR/Ukrainian SSR → renamed to Ukrainian SSR/Ukraine in 1991)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States of America/United States of America/United States of America
• Democratic Federal Yugoslavia → Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia → Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia → dissolved (would-be successor state Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was de facto suspended from the United Nations by SCR 777 and GAR 47/1; current UN members that formerly comprised Yugoslavia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia)

25 October 1945

• Kingdom of Greece → Hellenic Republic/Hellenic Republic

30 October 1945

• British Raj → Dominion of India → Republic of India

31 October 1945

• Peru

1 November 1945

• Australia

2 November 1945

• Costa Rica
• Liberia

5 November 1945

• Colombia

7 November 1945

• Mexico/Mexico
• Union of South Africa → South Africa/South Africa/South Africa

9 November 1945

• Canada/Canada/Canada

13 November 1945

• Ethiopian Empire → Ethiopia Derg → Ethiopia People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia → Ethiopia Transitional Government of Ethiopia → Ethiopia/Ethiopia
• Panama

14 November 1945

• Bolivia Republic of Bolivia → Bolivia

15 November 1945

• Venezuela/Venezuela Republic of Venezuela → Venezuela/Venezuela

21 November 1945

• Guatemala

27 November 1945

• Norway

10 December 1945

• Netherlands

17 December 1945

• Honduras/Honduras/Honduras

18 December 1945

• Uruguay

21 December 1945

• Ecuador/Ecuador
• Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq → Iraq/Iraq Iraqi Republic → Iraq/Iraq Ba'athist Iraq → Iraq/Iraq/Iraq

27 December 1945

• Belgium

1946

19 November 1946 (all by SCR 8 and GAR 34)

• Kingdom of Afghanistan → Republic of Afghanistan → Afghanistan/AfghanistanDemocratic Republic of Afghanistan → Afghanistan Islamic State of Afghanistan → Afghanistan/Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Iceland
• Sweden

16 December 1946

• Thailand (SCR 13, GAR 101) → Thailand

1947

30 September 1947 (all by SCR 29 and GAR 108)

• Pakistan Dominion of Pakistan → Pakistan
• Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen → North Yemen → Yemen (unified state after merging with South Yemen)

1948

19 April 1948

• Burma Union of Burma (SCR 45, GAR 188) → Burma Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma → Burma Union of Myanmar → Myanmar

1949

11 May 1949

• Israel (SCR 69, GAR 273)

1950s

1950

28 September 1950

• Indonesia (SCR 86, GAR 491)

1955

14 December 1955 (all by SCR 109 and GAR 995)

• People's Socialist Republic of Albania → Albania/Republic of Albania
• Austria
• People's Republic of Bulgaria/People's Republic of Bulgaria/People's Republic of Bulgaria → Republic of Bulgaria
• Cambodia Cambodia → Khmer Republic → Cambodia → Democratic Kampuchea → Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea → Cambodia
• Ceylon/Ceylon → Sri Lanka
• Finland
• Hungarian People's Republic/Hungarian People's Republic (application addressed in 1947 by SCR 24) → Hungary
• Ireland
• Flag of Italy (1946–2003).svg/Italy/Italy (application addressed in 1947 by SCR 25)
• Jordan
• Kingdom of Laos → Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Kingdom of Libya → Libya/Libya Libyan Arab Republic → Libyan Arab Jamahiriya → Libya
• Kingdom of Nepal → Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
• Estado Novo (Portugal) → Portugal
• Romanian People's Republic → Socialist Republic of Romania → Romania
• Francoist Spain → Spain/Spain/Spain

1956

12 November 1956

• Sudan Sudan (SCR 112, GAR 1110) → Sudan
• Morocco (SCR 115, GAR 1111)
• Tunisia (SCR 116, GAR 1112)

18 December 1956

• Japan/Japan (SCR 121, GAR 1113)

1957

8 March 1957

• Ghana Dominion of Ghana → Ghana/Ghana/Ghana (SCR 124, GAR 1118)

17 September 1957

• Malaya (SCR 125, GAR 1134) → Malaysia

1958

22 February 1958

• Egypt and Syria merge to become the United Arab Republic

12 December 1958

• Guinea (SCR 131, GAR 1325)

1960s

1960

20 September 1960

• Cameroon (SCR 133, GAR 1476) → Cameroon → United Republic of Cameroon → Cameroon
• Togo (SCR 136, GAR 1477)
• Madagascar (SCR 140, GAR 1478) → Madagascar
• Somalia (SCR 141, GAR 1479)
• Democratic Republic of Congo/Democratic Republic of Congo/Democratic Republic of Congo (SCR 142, GAR 1480) → Zaire → Democratic Republic of the Congo/Democratic Republic of the Congo/Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Dahomey (SCR 147, GAR 1481) → Benin People's Republic of Benin → Benin
• Niger (SCR 148, GAR 1482)
• Upper Volta (SCR 149, GAR 1483) → Burkina Faso
• Ivory Coast (SCR 150, GAR 1484) → Côte d'Ivoire
• Chad (SCR 151, GAR 1485)
• Congo (Brazzaville) (SCR 152, GAR 1486) → People's Republic of the Congo → Republic of the Congo
• Gabon (SCR 153, GAR 1487)
• Central African Republic (SCR 154, GAR 1488) → Central African Empire → Central African Republic
• Cyprus/Cyprus (SCR 155, GAR 1489)

28 September 1960

• Senegal (SCR 139 and SCR 158, GAR 1490)
• Mali (SCR 139 and SCR 159, GAR 1491)

7 October 1960

• Nigeria (SCR 160, GAR 1492)

1961

27 September 1961

• Sierra Leone (SCR 165, GAR 1623)

27 October 1961

• Mongolian People's Republic (SCR 166, GAR 1630) → Mongolia/Mongolia
• Mauritania/Mauritania (SCR 167, GAR 1631)

14 December 1961

• Tanganyika (1961–1964) (SCR 170, GAR 1667) → United Republic of Tanzania (after merging with Zanzibar)

1962

18 September 1962

• Rwanda/Rwanda (SCR 172, GAR 1748)
• Burundi/Burundi/Burundi/Burundi (SCR 173, GAR 1749)
• Jamaica (SCR 174, GAR 1750)
• Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago → Trinidad and Tobago (SCR 175, GAR 1751)

8 October 1962

• Algeria (SCR 176, GAR 1754)

25 October 1962

• Uganda/Uganda (SCR 177, GAR 1758)

1963

14 May 1963

• Kuwait (GAR 1872)

16 December 1963

• Zanzibar Sultanate of Zanzibar (SCR 184, GAR 1975) → Zanzibar/Zanzibar People's Republic of Zanzibar → merged with Tanganyika (1961–1964) (now United Republic of Tanzania)
• Kenya (SCR 185, GAR 1976)

1964

1 December 1964

• Malawi/Malawi/Malawi (SCR 195, General Assembly decision)
• Malta State of Malta → Malta (SCR 196, General Assembly decision)
• Zambia/Zambia (SCR 197, General Assembly decision)

1965

20 January 1965

• Indonesia withdraws from the United Nations

21 September 1965

• The Gambia (SCR 200, GAR 2008)
• Maldives (SCR 212, GAR 2009)
• Singapore (SCR 213, GAR 2010)

1966

20 September 1966

• Guyana (SCR 223, GAR 2133)

28 September 1966

• Indonesia rejoins the United Nations

17 October 1966

• Botswana (SCR 224, GAR 2136)
• Lesotho/Lesotho/Lesotho (SCR 225, GAR 2137)

9 December 1966

• Barbados (SCR 230, GAR 2175)

1967

14 December 1967

• South Yemen (SCR 243, GAR 2310) → merged with North Yemen (now unified state of Yemen)

1968

24 April 1968

• Mauritius (SCR 249, GAR 2371)

24 September 1968

• Swaziland (SCR 257, GAR 2376) → Eswatini

12 November 1968

• Equatorial Guinea (SCR 260, GAR 2384)

1970s

1970

13 October 1970

• Fiji Dominion of Fiji → Fiji (SCR 287, GAR 2622)

1971

21 September 1971

• Bhutan (SCR 292, GAR 2751)
• Bahrain/Bahrain/Bahrain (SCR 296, GAR 2752)
• Qatar (SCR 297, GAR 2753)

7 October 1971

• Oman/Oman (SCR 299, GAR 2754)

25 October 1971

• China's seat at the United Nations transferred from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China. (GAR 2758)

9 December 1971

• United Arab Emirates (SCR 304, GAR 2794)

1973

18 September 1973

• West Germany (SCR 335, GAR 3050) → Germany (unified state after accession of German Democratic Republic)
• East Germany (SCR 335, GAR 3050) → acceded to Federal Republic of Germany (now unified state of Germany)
• The Bahamas (SCR 336, GAR 3051)

1974

17 September 1974

• Bangladesh (SCR 351, GAR 3203)
• Grenada (SCR 352, GAR 3204)
• Guinea-Bissau (SCR 356, GAR 3205)

1975

16 September 1975

• Cape Verde/Cape Verde (SCR 372, GAR 3363)
• São Tomé and Príncipe (SCR 373, GAR 3364)
• Mozambique/Mozambique/Mozambique People's Republic of Mozambique (SCR 374, GAR 3365) → Mozambique

10 October 1975

• Papua New Guinea (SCR 375, GAR 3368)

12 November 1975

• Comoros (SCR 376, GAR 3385) → Comoros/Comoros/Comoros → Comoros

4 December 1975

• Suriname (SCR 382, GAR 3413)

1976

21 September 1976

• Seychelles/Seychelles/Seychelles (SCR 394, GAR 31/1)

1 December 1976

• Angola People's Republic of Angola (SCR 397, GAR 31/44) → Angola

15 December 1976

• Western Samoa (SCR 399, GAR 31/104) → Samoa

1977

20 September 1977

• Djibouti (SCR 412, GAR 32/1)
• Vietnam (SCR 413, GAR 32/2)

1978

19 September 1978

• Solomon Islands (SCR 433, GAR 33/1)

18 December 1978

• Dominica/Dominica/Dominica/Dominica (SCR 442, GAR 33/107)

1979

18 September 1979

• Saint Lucia/Saint Lucia (SCR 453, GAR 34/1)

1980s

1980

25 August 1980

• Zimbabwe (SCR 477, GAR S-11/1)

16 September 1980

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SCR 464, GAR 35/1)

1981

15 September 1981

• Vanuatu (SCR 489, GAR 36/1)

25 September 1981

• Flag of Belize (1981–2019).svg/Belize (SCR 491, GAR 36/3)

11 November 1981

• Antigua and Barbuda (SCR 492, GAR 36/26)

1983

23 September 1983

• Saint Kitts and Nevis (SCR 537, GAR 38/1)

1984

21 September 1984

• Brunei Darussalam (SCR 548, GAR 39/1)

1990s

1990

23 April 1990

• Namibia (SCR 652, GAR S-18/1)

18 September 1990

• Liechtenstein (SCR 663, GAR 45/1)

1991

17 September 1991

• North Korea/North Korea Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SCR 702, GAR 46/1)
• Republic of Korea/Republic of Korea/South Korea Republic of Korea (SCR 702, GAR 46/1)
• Federated States of Micronesia (SCR 703, GAR 46/2)
• Marshall Islands (SCR 704, GAR 46/3)
• Estonia (SCR 709, GAR 46/4)
• Latvia (SCR 710, GAR 46/5)
• Lithuania/Lithuania (SCR 711, GAR 46/6)

1992

2 March 1992

• Kazakhstan/Kazakhstan/Kazakhstan (SCR 732, GAR 46/224)
• Armenia (SCR 735, GAR 46/227)
• Kyrgyzstan/Kyrgyzstan/Kyrgyzstan (SCR 736, GAR 46/225)
• Uzbekistan (SCR 737, GAR 46/226)
• Tajikistan/Tajikistan (SCR 738, GAR 46/228)
• Moldova (SCR 739, GAR 46/223)
• Turkmenistan/Turkmenistan/Turkmenistan/Turkmenistan (SCR 741, GAR 46/229)
• Azerbaijan/Azerbaijan (SCR 742, GAR 46/230)
• San Marino/San Marino (SCR 744, GAR 46/231)

22 May 1992

• Croatia (SCR 753, GAR 46/238)
• Slovenia (SCR 754, GAR 46/236)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SCR 755, GAR 46/237) → Bosnia and Herzegovina/Bosnia and Herzegovina

31 July 1992

• Georgia (country)/Georgia (country) (SCR 763, GAR 46/241)

1993

19 January 1993

• Slovakia (SCR 800, GAR 47/222)
• Czech Republic (SCR 801, GAR 47/221)

8 April 1993

• Republic of Macedonia/Republic of Macedonia (SCR 817, GAR 47/225) → North Macedonia

28 May 1993

• Eritrea/Eritrea (SCR 828, GAR 47/230)
• Monaco (SCR 829, GAR 47/231)

28 July 1993

• Andorra (SCR 848, GAR 47/232)

1994

15 December 1994

• Palau (SCR 963, GAR 49/63)

1999

14 September 1999

• Kiribati (SCR 1248, GAR 54/1)
• Nauru (SCR 1249, GAR 54/2)
• Tonga (SCR 1253, GAR 54/3)

2000s

2000

5 September 2000

• Tuvalu (SCR 1290, GAR 55/1)

1 November 2000

• Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SCR 1326, GAR 55/12) → Serbia and Montenegro → Serbia/Serbia (successor state)

2002

10 September 2002

• Switzerland (SCR 1426, GAR 57/1)

27 September 2002

• East Timor (SCR 1414, GAR 57/3)

2006

28 June 2006

• Montenegro (SCR 1691, GAR 60/264)

2010s

2011

14 July 2011

• South Sudan (SCR 1999, GAR 65/308)

Summary

Below is a summary of the growth in UN membership.

Notes

References

References

1. "Current Member States". United Nations.
2. "History of the United Nations". United Nations.
3. "Founding Member States". United Nations.
4. "Growth in United Nations membership, 1945–present". United Nations.
5. (2009). "Eastwards / Westwards: Which Direction for Gender Studies in the 21st Century?". Cambridge Scholars.
6. (2014). "The China Handbook". Routledge.
7. (2002). "Politics in Taiwan: Voting for Reform". Routledge.
8. (2019). "The United Nations and Space Security: Conflicting Mandates between UNCOPUOS and the CD". Springer.
9. Nichols, Michelle. (15 December 2022). "Afghan Taliban Administration, Myanmar Junta Not Allowed Into United Nations for Now". Reuters.