Videos · September 22, 2026 · 35 seconds

The UN General Assembly at 80: From a Bombed London Church to a Cash-Strapped Hall

Name: The UN General Assembly at 80: From a Bombed London Church to a Cash-Strapped Hall
Uploaded: 2026-09-22T21:00:00.000Z
Duration: 35 s
Description: The General Assembly opened in January 1946 in a Methodist hall still scarred by the Blitz, with 51 delegations and the UN emblem hung back to front. Eighty years and 142 members later, it is meeting this week in a building the organization can barely afford to run.

The General Assembly opened in January 1946 in a Methodist hall still scarred by the Blitz, with 51 delegations and the UN emblem hung back to front. Eighty years and 142 members later, it is meeting this week in a building the organization can barely afford to run.

Read the full articleby Adam Canissario

Transcript

THE UN STARTED IN A CHURCH

[THE CHURCH] London, January 1946.

The UN General Assembly first met in a London Methodist hall damaged during a WW2 bombing.
Delegates were issued ration books, and the emblem went up back to front.
By 1952 it had a Manhattan hall. The UN had 60 members.

[THE HALL TODAY] The room filled up. The account did not.

All 193 member states now take a turn at that podium.
The Assembly's votes are recommendations. Only the Security Council can act.
In 2026 the UN cut 2,900 posts, and is owed $2.8 billion in dues.

Read the full article at noozify.com. Images: White House, US Army (public domain) Maxim Klimashin / Unsplash. Music: an original score for Noozify.