Overview
- On January 10, 1946, 51 states opened the first General Assembly at Central Hall in London, with provisional chair Eduardo Zuleta Angel delivering the opening address.
- Delegates elected Belgium’s Paul‑Henri Spaak to preside over the session, Trygve Lie became the first secretary‑general on February 1, and the International Court of Justice began work on April 18.
- The Security Council held its inaugural meeting in London on January 17 with 11 members, establishing a great‑power veto system distinct from the League of Nations.
- Early work centered on procedures, staffing and budgets, confirmed Nuremberg principles, unanimously adopted a definition of genocide, and created a commission to study atomic energy.
- Members chose New York as the organization’s seat over Geneva, and contemporary analyses highlight present Security Council divisions even as UN agencies and international law continue to operate.