# Did the U.S. sign & ratify any treaties to form and/or join the U.N.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314 "2003-03-18T17:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314/1 "2003-03-18T17:14:30Z")
I think the title says it all. Did the U.S. ratify and sign any treaties to join and/or form the United Nations? If so, do you know an online source for the text of such treaties? ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314/2 "2003-03-18T17:26:01Z")
The [United Nations Charter](http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/) is itself a treaty: > [@](#): > > **Article 110** > > The present Charter shall be ratified by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. > > The ratifications shall be deposited with the Government of the United States of America, which shall notify all the signatory states of each deposit as well as the Secretary-General of the Organization when he has been appointed. > > The present Charter shall come into force upon the deposit of ratifications by the Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, and by a majority of the other signatory states. A protocol of the ratifications deposited shall thereupon be drawn up by the Government of the United States of America which shall communicate copies thereof to all the signatory states. > > The states signatory to the present Charter which ratify it after it has come into force will become original Members of the United Nations on the date of the deposit of their respective ratifications. The United States Senate ratified the Charter in July 1945. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314/3 "2003-03-18T17:28:27Z")
The United States, along with 25 other nations fighting the Axis Powers in World War II, signed the [Declaration of United Nations](http://library.thinkquest.org/15511/data/encyclopedia/unitednations.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0318) in 1942. Can’t find the text online though, sorry. This was later ratified as the Charter in **brianmelendez’s** link. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314/4 "2003-03-18T17:31:45Z")
Looking at my handy reference book from the Department of State, "A List of Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States in Force on January 1, 2002,"on page 477 I find: Charter of the United Nations with the Statute of the International Court of Justice annexed thereto. Signed at San Francisco June 26, 1945; entered into force October 24, 1945. 59 Stat. 1031; TS 993; 3 Bevans 1153. [http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/](http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/) Implementing legislation was also passed by the House and Senate in 1945, the United Nations Participation Act. [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/decade/decad031.htm](http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/decade/decad031.htm) ---
**Author:** ![King\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-u-s-sign-ratify-any-treaties-to-form-and-or-join-the-u-n/162314/5 "2003-03-18T17:37:52Z")
Here is a wonderful resource of U.N, documents, inlcuding the agreement between the U.S. and the U. N. regarding the headquarters of the U.N. [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/un/unmenu.htm](http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/un/unmenu.htm)