The United Nations was established to present a united front of allied strength against the axis powers in World War II. By October 1943 it had been proposed that the UN become an instrument for promoting international peace. In late 1944 representatives from China, the UK, the USSR, and the USA met at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington DC to draw up a series of proposals for the new organisation. These proposals were circulated for comment among all states at war with the axis powers. Forty-six states sent delegates to the conference which convened at San Francisco on 25 April 1945 to draw up the charter of the United Nations. The charter was signed on 26 June 1945.
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbarton Oaks Plan for the establishment of the UN | 1944–45 | A4489 |
| Correspondence files maintained by Paul Hasluck [contains material about the San Francisco Conference 1945] | 1941–48 | M1942 |
| Correspondence files maintained by Paul Hasluck about the Australian Mission to the United Nations Organisation | 1945–47 | M1943 |
According to the United Nation's charter, the primary objective of the organisation is the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN has five principal organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and the International Court of Justice, all supported by a Secretariat. The General Assembly is the only body on which all members are represented. The Security Council consists of some permanent members and other members elected for a fixed term.
Australia, as a founding member state, and as the country which provided the third President of the General Assembly (Dr HV Evatt – see below), has had an extensive and continuing relationship with the UN. This is reflected in the series created by the following agencies.
| Agency title | Date | Agency no. |
|---|---|---|
| Australian National Advisory Committee for UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) | 1947–ongoing | CA 1411 |
| Australian Mission to the United Nations (New York) | 1946–ongoing | CA 2758 |
| Australian Delegation, UN Special Committee on the Balkans | 1947–52 | CA 4431 |
| Australian Consulate – General and Permanent Mission to the Office of the UN, Geneva | 1949–ongoing | CA 8164 |
| UN Commission on Indonesia, Djakarta/Jakarta | 1947–51 | CA 8237 |
External Affairs/ Foreign Affairs records
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (formerly the Department of External Affairs) has had extensive relations with the UN, documented in the following series. Most items in these series are listed on RecordSearch which includes item level data. The database is available in all research centres.
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Correspondence files [Files with the prefix UN46 relate to the UN] | 1946 | A1067 |
| Correspondence files [Files with the prefix UN47 relate to the UN] | 1947 | A1068 |
| Correspondence files [Files with the primary numbers 851 to 951 relate to the UN] | 1948–89 | A1838 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Counsellor, British Embassy, USA] | 1939–48 | A3300 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1949–51 | A3094 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1949–51 | A5460 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1952–53 | A5459 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1952–53 | A5461 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1954–57 | A3093 |
| Correspondence files [Australian Embassy, USA] | 1954–57 | A5462 |
| Inwards and outwards cables between the Minister and the Secretary of the Department of External Affairs | 1947–49 | A9420 |
Dr Herbert Vere Evatt
Possibly Australia's most notable delegate to the UN was Herbert Vere Evatt (CP 7) who played a major role in the development of the UN Charter, was President of the UN's General Assembly in 1948–49, was the first chairman of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission and was the chairman of the United Nations Palestine Commission in 1947. Many records relating to Dr Evatt's work at the UN are listed on the RecordSearch database and can be identified using the keyword 'Evatt'.
| Delegate | Person no. | Dealings with the United Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Bailey | CP 71 | Attended San Francisco Conference, General Assembly, 1946–69 |
| Esma Banner | CP 585 | Served on UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and International Refugee Organisation, 1944–51 |
| Garfield Barwick | CP 651 | Leader Australian delegation during 1960s, member Court of Justice, 1973–74 |
| William Clifford | CP 416 | Member of many UN committees and councils, 1964–75 |
| Herbert Coombs | CP 119 | Delegate to UN conference on Trade and Employment, 1947–48 |
| Ruth Dobson | CP 561 | Attended meetings of the UN General Assembly, 1950–53 |
| James Halligan | CP 159 | Representative at Trusteeship Council 1948, 1949, 1952 |
| Leonard Harris | CP 675 | UN International Telecommunications Union, 1946–60 |
| Sir Paul Hasluck | CP 115 | Head of Mission to UN, 1945–46, 1964–69 |
| William Hodgson | CP 80 | Attended San Francisco Conference, Head of Mission to the UN in New York , served on many UN committees, 1945–49 |
| Geoffery Kesteven | CP 638 | Fisheries advisor to UN, 1945–70 |
| Dudley McCarthy | CP 44 | Member Trusteeship Council and Minister to UN, 1963–66 |
| Charles Morton | CP 280 | Delegate to UN Conference on Trade and Employment, 1947–48 |
| James Plimsoll | CP 452 | Australian permanent representative to the UN, 1959–63 |
| Arthur Tange | CP 229 | First Secretary Australian Mission to the UN in New York, 1946 |