Which document serves as the constitution of the United Nations?

1. Analyze the question The question asks which document works as the "constitution" of the United Nations, meaning the founding legal document that sets up the organization, its organs, its powers, its purposes, and the rules for membership.

2. Explain the concept Every organization or country has a foundational document that defines how it is set up and run. Nigeria has the 1999 Constitution, and the African Union has its Constitutive Act. The United Nations has the Charter of the United Nations.

The Charter:

• Was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945.
• Established the six principal organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and Secretariat.
• States the purposes and principles of the UN, such as maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, and encouraging cooperation among nations.
• Is a binding treaty for all member states.

3. Go through the options

• A. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): This sets out the human rights every person is entitled to. It is a declaration of rights, not the UN's founding document.
• B. Geneva Conventions: These are treaties on humanitarian treatment in war, covering prisoners, the wounded, and civilians. They are not the UN's constitution.
• C. Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): This is an arms-control treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, so it is unrelated to the UN's structure.
• D. Charter of the United Nations: This is the founding document that creates the UN and sets out its structure and functions. ✅

4. Answer The correct option is D. Charter of the United Nations.

5. Exam tip Match each organization to its founding document:

• UN → Charter
• AU → Constitutive Act
• ECOWAS → Treaty of Lagos (1975)
• League of Nations → Covenant

If a question asks for the "constitution" of an international body, look for words like "Charter", "Covenant", or "Constitutive Act".