United Nations Flag

The flag of the United Nations has the practical effect of identifying the United Nations on the world stage while also acting as an aspirational symbol, speaking to the dreams of peace and unity all over the world.

The United Nations flag was adopted by the UN General Assembly through resolution 167 (II) on October 20, 1947.

The UN Secretary-General submitted the memorandum “A Flag for the United Nations” to the General Assembly on August 21, 1947. The General Assembly referred the question to the 6th Committee on September 23, and the 6th Committee discussed the question at their 43rd meeting on October 7. After the committee submitted their report to the plenary on October 17, resolution 167 (II) was adopted three days later.

According to the Convention on the Safety of the United Nations and Associated Personnel, the UN emblem and flag may be used by the personnel and material of UN peacekeeping missions to prevent attacks during an armed conflict.

Several entities have flags derived from the United Nations Flag. These include the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The UN Flag Design

The UN flag has the official emblem of the United Nations in white centered on a light blue background. White and blue are the official colors of the United Nations.

The organizers of the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization wanted a symbol that could be made into a pin to identify delegates. Edward Stettinius Jr., U.S. Secretary of State and chairperson of the U.S. delegation, formed a committee headed by Oliver Lundquist, architect and designer of the Q-Tip box, that designed a symbol consisting of a world map surrounded by leaves.

The blue that appears behind the emblem was chosen to be “the opposite of red, the war colour.” The specific shade of blue was never established by the UN. The original 1945 color was a gray-blue, different from the current color today.

In 1946, a UNO committee was tasked with making a definite design, which was presented on December 2, 1946.

The United Nations emblem was approved by the General Assembly on December 7, 1946. The emblem’s design is “a map of the world representing an azimuthal equidistant projection centered on the North Pole, inscribed in a wreath consisting of crossed conventionalized branches of the olive tree, in gold on a field of smoke-blue with all water areas in white. The projection of the map extends to 60 degrees south latitude, and includes five centric circles.” (A/107)

The olive branch on the emblem symbolizes peace, while the world map depicts peace and security, the UN’s main purpose.