United Nations

The United Nations is an international organisation founded in 1945 and comprising 193 Member States. It provides a forum for the world's nations to gather, discuss shared problems and agree on solutions. For lawyers and legal practitioners, its work in international law and multilateral diplomacy is central: legal questions run through the treaties, conventions and frameworks that states negotiate under the UN Charter, and through the interpretation and application of international law more broadly.

The organisation's remit extends across international peace and security, human rights, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and climate action. These areas generate legal and policy work of their own - the drafting and negotiation of instruments, the codification and development of international law, and the handling of issues that span national jurisdictions. Work is carried out through the UN's main bodies, the Secretariat and coordination with the wider UN system, and is guided by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Staff serve at duty stations around the world, and the organisation describes its focus as addressing global challenges that no country can solve alone. Vacancies and careers information are published through the organisation's official channels at un.org.