The United Nations (UN) was established after World War II on 24th October by 51 countries that were committed toachieving peace through international cooperation. Today, the UN is comprised of 192 Member States, meaning that nearly every sovereign nation in the world belongs to the UN. More than 30 affiliated organizations, known together as the ‘UN system’, cooperate in the effort for peace and collective security. Structurally, the UN is composed of six main bodies. Five of them are based at UN Headquarters in New York: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat. The sixth, the International Court of Justice, is located at The Hague in the Netherlands . The UN's "chief administrative officer" and its most visible public figure is the Secretary General, currently Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who attained the post in 2007. The UN’s unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, allows the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, including those related to gender. Women continue to face a daily struggle against violence, illiteracy and inequality for no reason other than the fact of their gender. Many UN agencies play a central role in promoting women’s rights.

Source: United Nations