What was the main purpose of the San Francisco conference in 1945?

The main purpose was to design a framework to prevent future wars and to draft the United Nations Charter for lasting global peace.

How many countries were initially represented at the conference?

Initially, 46 countries were represented at the conference.

Who opened the San Francisco conference and what was its significance?

President Truman opened the conference, marking a significant step in forming an international organization focused on maintaining peace.

What was one of the challenges faced in creating the UN Charter?

Compromise was required among nations, with debates stretching over how to practically realize high ideals into effective measures.

What were the main bodies created under the UN Charter?

The main bodies included the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council.

What ideals were emphasized in the UN Charter?

Ideals such as promoting freedom from fear and want, tolerance, peace, and human dignity without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion were emphasized.

What events made the San Francisco meeting possible?

Events like Dunkirk, Stalingrad, Normandy, and Midway paved the way for cooperation and planning at international meetings, which culminated in San Francisco.

How was the UN designed to enforce peace?

The Security Council was equipped with the authority to use member nations' forces and act swiftly with military staff to suppress threats to peace.

Why was the creation of the United Nations significant for the future?

The UN was set up to prevent further global conflicts, ensuring that the horrors and devastation of past wars wouldn't repeat.

What are the challenges mentioned for the UN after its creation?

The challenge is the active cooperation of people worldwide, translating the charter into a functional instrument of peace and security.

Founding of the United Nations - San Francisco 1945 | Archives | United Nations

00:16:32

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG_4eCxIUeM

Summary

TLDRIn spring 1945, San Francisco became a beacon of hope for humanity as it hosted the conference that led to the creation of the United Nations. Delegates from 46 nations gathered to design a system intended to prevent future global conflicts, marking a pivotal moment in history as WWII came to an end. Their task was to draft a Charter based on cooperation and peace, responding to a world weary of war. Over nine weeks, proposals set at Dumbarton Oaks were refined to eventually create bodies like the General Assembly, Security Council, and International Court of Justice, among others. President Truman's leadership underscored the importance of a united effort to bring lasting peace, emphasizing ideals like tolerance and human dignity. The conference saw the convergence of different cultures and languages, all united by a common aim. The resulting UN Charter was a blend of high ideals and pragmatic strategies, needing active global cooperation to succeed.

Takeaways

🚢 San Francisco evolved into a key hub during WWII and post-war recovery.
🌍 In 1945, it played host to a historic conference aimed at creating lasting peace.
🗓 Delegates from 46 nations joined forces to draft the United Nations Charter.
✍️ The process required compromise, uniting various worldviews for a common goal.
🌐 Principal UN bodies like the Security Council were defined during these talks.
📜 The Charter emphasized ideals of peace, dignity, and unity across nations.
🎙 President Truman highlighted the need for global cooperation in his opening speech.
🛡 The Security Council was tasked with overseeing peace and enforcing resolutions.
🗳 Every member nation has representation in the General Assembly with equal voting rights.
🤝 The Charter's success relies on the active involvement of all peoples worldwide.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:05:00
The video begins by introducing the historical significance of San Francisco during the spring of 1945, when it became a hub for international diplomacy and hopes for peace. Delegates from 46 nations convened in San Francisco to work on ending the war and preventing future conflicts. Despite the absence of Franklin Roosevelt, whose vision had brought them together, President Truman emphasized the importance of establishing an organization for peace.
00:05:00 - 00:10:00
Delegates from 50 nations participated in drafting the United Nations Charter, inspired by significant battles and the devastation of war across the globe. They organized committees to structure the UN's main bodies, such as the General Assembly and the Security Council. The work was challenging, requiring compromise and collaboration, but resulted in a pragmatic yet idealistic constitution aimed at fostering international solidarity and cooperation for peace.
00:10:00 - 00:16:32
Amidst the somber backdrop of Germany's surrender, the conference highlighted the need for a robust international system to prevent future wars. The resulting Charter represented a collective commitment to peace, tolerance, and security through dialogue and cooperation. The successful adoption of the Charter was hailed as a monumental achievement towards forging a unified path against war, embraced by representatives from diverse cultural and political backgrounds.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What was the main purpose of the San Francisco conference in 1945?
The main purpose was to design a framework to prevent future wars and to draft the United Nations Charter for lasting global peace.
How many countries were initially represented at the conference?
Initially, 46 countries were represented at the conference.
Who opened the San Francisco conference and what was its significance?
President Truman opened the conference, marking a significant step in forming an international organization focused on maintaining peace.
What was one of the challenges faced in creating the UN Charter?
Compromise was required among nations, with debates stretching over how to practically realize high ideals into effective measures.
What were the main bodies created under the UN Charter?
The main bodies included the General Assembly, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council.
What ideals were emphasized in the UN Charter?
Ideals such as promoting freedom from fear and want, tolerance, peace, and human dignity without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion were emphasized.
What events made the San Francisco meeting possible?
Events like Dunkirk, Stalingrad, Normandy, and Midway paved the way for cooperation and planning at international meetings, which culminated in San Francisco.
How was the UN designed to enforce peace?
The Security Council was equipped with the authority to use member nations' forces and act swiftly with military staff to suppress threats to peace.
Why was the creation of the United Nations significant for the future?
The UN was set up to prevent further global conflicts, ensuring that the horrors and devastation of past wars wouldn't repeat.
What are the challenges mentioned for the UN after its creation?
The challenge is the active cooperation of people worldwide, translating the charter into a functional instrument of peace and security.

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Subtitles

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00:00:11
thank you
00:00:33
foreign
00:00:36
[Music]
00:00:47
took the Clipper ship Flying Cloud 89
00:00:50
days to reach San Francisco's Golden
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Gate Harbor from New York
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in the spring of 1945 no point on Earth
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was more than 40 flying hours away from
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San Francisco
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in those hundred years San Francisco
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grew larger as the world grew smaller
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it developed into a vigorous and
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Cosmopolitan Center of person culture
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and of industry and shipping for the war
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in the Pacific
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[Music]
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and for nine weeks in the spring of 1945
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San Francisco is the center of men's
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hopes for lasting peace
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delegates representing 46 nations came
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to San Francisco on April 25th 1945.
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[Music]
00:02:00
representing almost 2 000 million people
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more than 80 percent of humanity
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all at War when the conference was begun
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they came with Hope born of common
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struggle
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[Music]
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they came to design together Machinery
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to end War a curse which in 30 years had
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killed 40 million human beings
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foreign
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[Music]
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Ed countless Millions more both armed
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and unarmed
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[Music]
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foreign
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[Music]
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convened Franklin Roosevelt was missing
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the man who helped weld the United
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Nations together as a fighting team
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and who worked to keep them United in
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the peace to come had died before he
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could see his dream come true
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[Music]
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but his words were in every mind and
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heart
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[Music]
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to go American Fighting Man looked
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at this big world
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furnace the worth of peace
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for which they fought and suffered
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we failed them
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we failed them then we cannot fail them
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again
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and expect the world to survive again
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[Applause]
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President Truman Roosevelt's friend and
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successor opened the conference by radio
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from Washington
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delegates to the United Nations
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conference on International Organization
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it is not the purpose of this currents
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to draft a treaty of peace
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in the old sense of that term
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this conference will devote its energies
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and its labors
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exclusively to the single problem of
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setting up the essential organization to
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keep the peace
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you are the right to fundamental Charter
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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as the delegates broke up that first
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night the task before them was clear
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to chart the course toward realistic
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International cooperation to preserve
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peace
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this was the responsibility vested in
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them by a war weary world
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it was for this they had gathered at the
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invitation of the governments of China
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Great Britain the USSR and the United
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States
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this was the step made possible by
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Dunkirk and Stalingrad and Normandy in
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the Burma Road and Midway planned for at
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Casablanca Cairo Moscow Tehran Dumbarton
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Oaks and Yalta
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delegates from 46 and later 50 nations
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were there but there in spirit too were
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the victims of Warsaw Coventry Shanghai
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ledetse
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[Music]
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the hopes of the living and the dead
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were concentrated in the hands of the
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representatives meeting at San Francisco
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together they organized the huge problem
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ahead of them
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[Music]
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passion and Amendment of the proposals
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prepared at Dumbarton Oaks
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each nation was represented on all four
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large commissions set up to work out the
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general provisions of the United Nations
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Charter and the actual structure of the
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general assembly Security Council and
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judicial organization
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these committees were divided into
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smaller working groups 12 in all
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Chinese English Russian French and
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Spanish were the standard means of
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exchange among many languages spoken
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[Music]
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and in nine weeks the charter was ready
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to go before the participating
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governments for ratification
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in the general assembly of the United
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Nations organization each member will
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have one vote
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any matters within the scope of the
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charter will be discussed here
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recommendations will be made to the
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security Council
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the security Council will have five
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permanent members and six others elected
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by the general assembly for two years
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it is to be the enforcement arm of the
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organization
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an international court of justice in
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permanent session will decide legal
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aspects of international disputes
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the economic and social Council will
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have 18 members elected by the general
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assembly
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special agencies like the food and
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agriculture organization will be
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affiliated with it
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the trusteeship council for the
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advancement of territories held in trust
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will be part of the general assembly
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it will be equally divided between those
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Nations which administer trust
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territories and those which do not
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[Music]
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there will be a Secretariat to do the
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administrative work of the organization
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these Provisions were not easily arrived
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at they were hammered out of debate
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stretched and contracted by compromise
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the result is a Constitution which is at
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the same time an expression of high
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ideals and of practical measures
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to be effective the charter needs the
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active cooperation of people everywhere
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the same efforts and understanding that
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went into the writing of the charter
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will be needed to make it a working
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instrument
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[Music]
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to fulfill the mutual responsibilities
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of Nations as set forth in the charter
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to bring about free world trade and the
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Full Employment of man's productive
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resources
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men and women of Goodwill everywhere
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must come to know and understand one
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another
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in this Charter Humanity has declared
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its United purpose to work towards those
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economic goals
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social and Economic Council of the
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United Nations organization gives the
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peoples of the world an instrument with
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which to promote a higher standard of
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living everywhere
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through their delegates at San Francisco
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the member nations pledged to use that
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instrument
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they pledged two to stimulate the
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exchange of culture among peoples
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and in the words of the charter
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to practice tolerance and live together
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in peace with one another as good
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neighbors
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at San Francisco 50 United Nations
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reaffirmed their faith in the dignity
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and worth of the human person
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without distinction as to race sex
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language or religion
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the representatives of 2 000 million
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people pledged to promote Freedom From
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Fear and freedom of expression Freedom
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from Want and freedom of worship
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[Music]
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the second week of the conference
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brought the news of Germany's surrender
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proof of the power of unity against a
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common enemy
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[Music]
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but in their wake the Germans left
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horror and Devastation A specter of
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fascism and the price of Total War which
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would haunt civilization for decades to
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come
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foreign
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[Music]
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must guarantee that succeeding
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Generations shall be spared such
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destruction
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therefore at San Francisco the delegates
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of the United Nations took concrete
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steps to settle their disputes by
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peaceful means to prevent threats to the
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peace to suppress aggression and pledge
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to place their Armed Forces at the
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disposal of the international
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organization
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thank you
00:11:51
[Music]
00:11:58
for Speedy combined action Air Forces
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will be held immediately available
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final responsibility is vested in the
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powerful Security Council authorized to
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work swiftly and effectively with the
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aid of its military staff committee
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foreign
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this Machinery was not designed without
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disagreement and dispute
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but the final blueprint had the
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unanimous approval of the participating
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delegates
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and it is now my duty my honor and my
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privilege in the chair
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to call Paul a vote on the approval of
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the charter of the United Nations
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including the statute of the
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international Court
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and also of the agreement on
00:13:02
interviewing Arrangements
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if I have your pleasure may I invite
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the leaders of Delegation
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who are in favor of the approval of the
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charter and the statute and the
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agreement on interim arrangements to
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rise in their places and be good enough
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to remain standing while they're counted
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[Music]
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foreign
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[Applause]
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[Music]
00:13:42
[Applause]
00:13:49
[Music]
00:13:56
[Applause]
00:14:00
this was a people's conference
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responsible to the conscience of the
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world
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foreign
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the
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world's people collaborated in the
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drafting of a workable International
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Constitution
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it was a conference to write a people's
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Charter opening with the words
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we the people of the United Nations
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determined to save succeeding
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Generations from the scourge of War
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which twice in our lifetime has brought
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Untold sorrow to mankind
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foreign
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it was a people's conference and a
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soldiers conference
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meeting under the eyes of veterans of
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two Wars and the generation which must
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suffer if the Constitution fails
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common people in their governments alike
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were aware of the stakes
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[Music]
00:15:30
there were many who doubted their
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agreement could ever be reached by these
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50 countries differing so much
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in race and religion in language and
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culture
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but these differences were all forgotten
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in one unshakable Unity of determination
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to find a way to end War
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[Applause]
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this Charter points the way
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but whether the world is to move in that
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direction will depend finally upon the
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vigilance and Sovereign will of the
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peoples of the world