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Member states of the United Nations

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The following article helps to explain the structure of the United Nations General Assembly, the universal decision-making body of the United Nations. By definition, only states can be members, so any other intergovernmental or legal entity must be an observer - allowing them to speak, but not vote in Assembly meetings. For information on observers, see United Nations General Assebmly Observers.

Current Members

There are currently 191 member states.

Observer States and Non-members

In addition to the member states discussed above, there is also a non-member observer state: the Holy See (Vatican City State), which maintains a permanent observer mission at the UN headquarters. For several years, Switzerland was also an observer, but it became a full member in 2002.

Western Sahara maintains diplomatic ties with 70-some states and is a full member of the African Union as the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic. Because it has no effective sovereignty, administering a minority of the land in the territory of Western Sahara, with a government-in-exile headquartered in the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria, however, it is not represented at the UN.

Some international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or entities whose statehood/sovereignty has not been precisely defined, such as the Palestinian Authority, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Sovereign Military Order of Malta, have a similar observer status but not as "non-member states." See United Nations General Assembly observers for more information.

Seat of China

Main article: China and the United Nations

The Republic of China was one of the five original founders of the UN in 1945. However, at the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the Kuomintang-controlled ROC government fled to Taiwan, with the Communist government of the newly declared People's Republic of China taking control of most of the country. Representatives of the Nationalist government continued to represent China at the UN, though it was often alleged that this was somewhat unfair, given the size of the ROC's jurisdiction of Taiwan (and other outlying islands) compared to the PRC's juridiction of mainland China. In October 1971, Resolution 2758 was passed by the General Assembly, effectively expelling the ROC from all UN organs and replacing the China seat on the Security Council with the PRC. Multiple attempts by the Republic of China to re-join the UN, no longer to represent "China" as a whole but the "twenty-three million people of Taiwan," have not made it past committee.

Former Members, Names, and Notes

  • Belarus was originally admitted as the "Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic" on October 24, 1945. It informed the United Nations of the change on September 19, 1991.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It was admitted by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/46/237 on May 22, 1992.
  • Brunei takes its seat under the name "Brunei Darussalam."
  • The Republic of the Congo takes its seat under the name "Congo."
  • Croatia became a member after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It was admitted by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/46/238 on May 22, 1992.
  • Cyprus as an entire island is represented by the Repbulic of Cyprus, including the area administered by the so-called "Turkish Repbulic of Northern Cyprus".
  • The Czech Republic was admitted after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Its admission is dissimilar to that of the former Yugoslav republics, where Serbia and Montenegro took the seat of Yugoslavia, or the USSR, where the Russian Federation took its seat. There is no single successor state to Czechoslovakia, and both the Czech Republic and Slovakia had to admit for membership.
  • Czechoslovakia was a member from October 24, 1945 until December 31, 1992. Its seat has been taken by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo was originally admitted as "Zaire" on September 20, 1960. It changed its name on May 17, 1997.
  • East Timor takes its seat under the name "Timor-Leste."
  • East Germany was originally admitted as the "German Democratic Repbulic" on September 18, 1973. After the reunification of Germany, its seat was taken on October 3, 1990.
  • Egypt was originally admitted on October 24, 1945 and its seat was taken by the United Arab Republic from February 21, 1958 through October 12, 1961. The UAR was a successor state to the seat of Egypt until it changed its long-form name to the "Arab Repbublic of Egypt" on September 2, 1971.
  • The Gambia takes its seat without the definite article.
  • Germany replaced the seats held by East Germany and West Germany (starting from September 18, 1973) on October 3, 1990.
  • Indonesia was admitted September 28, 1950 and temporarily withdrew from January 20, 1965 through September 27, 1966 (inclusive), due to the upheaval of Sukarno by Suharto's coup, and the annexation of West Papua. It announced its intention to rejoin on September 19, 1966.
  • Iran takes its seat under the name the "Islamic Republic of Iran."
  • Ireland takes its seat under the name the "Republic of Ireland."
  • Laos takes its seat under the name the "Lao People's Democratic Republic."
  • Libya takes its seat under the name "Libyan Arab Jamahiriya."
  • Macedonia takes its seat under the name the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," due to pressure from Greece. It became a member after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It was admitted by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/47/225 April 8, 1993, with this provision "pending settlement over the difference that had arisen over its name."
  • Malaysia was originally admitted as the "Federation of Malaya" on September 17, 1957.
  • Micronesia takes its seat under the name "Federated States of Micronesia."
  • Moldova takes its seat under the name the "Republic of Moldova."
  • Myanmar was originally admitted as "Burma" on April 19, 1948.
  • The Netherlands takes its seat as the "Kingdom of the Netherlands."
  • 'North Yemen (the Yemen Arab Republic) was admitted September 30, 1947, under the name "North Yemen." Starting May 22, 1992, it also represented South Yemen (the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen).
  • North Korea takes its seat under the name "Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
  • Russia takes its seat as the "Russian Federation." It became the successor state to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on December 24, 1991.
  • Serbia and Montenegro became the successor state to Yugoslavia on November 1, 2000 by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/12 under the name "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." It took its seat under the name "Serbia and Montenegro" on February 4, 2003.
  • Slovakia was admitted after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Its admission is dissimilar to that of the former Yugoslav republics, where Serbia and Montenegro took the seat of Yugoslavia, or the USSR, where the Russian Federation took its seat. There is no single successor state to Czechoslovakia, and both the Czech Republic and Slovakia had to admit for membership.
  • Slovenia became a member after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It was admitted by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/46/238 on May 22, 1992.
  • South Korea takes its seat under the name the "Republic of Korea."
  • South Yemen (the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen) was admitted 14 December 1967. Starting May 22, 1992, its seat was taken by Yemen.
  • Switzerland was for several years an observer state, in spite of one of the United Nations headquarters being in Geneva. After a referendum, it took its seat on September 10, 2002.
  • Syria takes its seat as the "Syrian Arab Republic." It was originally admitted on October 24, 1945 and its seat was taken by the United Arab Republic from February 21, 1958 through October 12, 1961. It resumed its seat on October 13, 1958.
  • Tanganikya was a member from December 14, 1961 until April 26, 1964, when its seat was taken by Tanzania.
  • Tanzania takes its seat under the name the "United Republic of Tanzania." It replaced the seats held by Tanganyika (starting from December 14, 1961) and Zanzibar (starting from December 16, 1963) on April 26, 1964.
  • Ukraine was originally admitted as the "Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic" on October 24 1945.
  • The United Arab Republic was a member from February 21, 1958 through September 2, 1971, when Egypt changed its long-form name to the "Arab Repbublic of Egypt."
  • The United Kingdom takes its seat under the name the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."
  • The United Soviet Socialist Repbulic was a member from October 24, 1945 through December 23, 1991. Its seat was taken by Russia on December 24, 1991.
  • The United States takes its seat under the name the "United States of America."
  • Vietnam takes its seat under the name "Viet Nam."
  • West Germany was originally admitted as the "Federal Republic of Germany" on September 18, 1973. After the reunification of Germany, its seat was taken on October 3, 1990.
  • 'Yemen was admitted September 30, 1947 to represent North Yemen (the Yemen Arab Republic). Starting May 22, 1992, it also represented South Yemen (the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen). remerged in 1990 with People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - 14 December 1967)
  • Yugoslavia (the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) was a member from October 19, 1945 through November 10, 2000. Its seat was taken by Serbia and Montenegro.
  • Zanzibar was a member from December 16, 1963 until April 26, 1964, when its seat was taken by Tanzania.
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