ABSTRACT
Those who founded the United Nations understood that the new international organization would play an important role in the politics and diplomacy of the postwar world. The experience of the war, foreign and domestic pressures, and universal hopes for the future persuaded them of the truth of their aspirations. The Charter of the United Nations largely reflected the powerful Western nations' ideas and priorities regarding peace and security. Provisions dealing with human rights had not been a part of the original plans of the Great Powers for the postwar organization but had been added due to the pressure of other governments and private nongovernmental organizations wanting to eliminate racial discrimination. It is not surprising, therefore, that those who wanted to eliminate racial discrimination would turn to the United Nations for assistance and appeal to the principles enunciated in the Charter which all member states had signed.
