ABSTRACT
The United Nations (UN) was established at the end of World War II, but its roots can be traced to sixteenth-century European ideas about international law and organization, a series of developments in the nineteenth century, and the League of Nations, established after World War I. Under the Concert system, the leaders of the major European powers came together in multilateral meetings to settle problems and coordinate actions. The League of Nations reflected the environment in which it was conceived. Al-most half of the League Covenant's twenty-six provisions focused on preventing war. For the first time, multilateral diplomacy employed such techniques as the election of chairs, the organization of committees, and roll call votes, all of which became permanent features of twentieth-century organizations, including the UN. Several principles undergird the structure and operation of the UN and represent fundamental legal obligations of all members.
