Flag of the United Nations

The flag of the United Nations was adopted on October 20, 1947. The flag has the official emblem of the United Nations in white on a blue background. The emblem is composed of an azimuthal equidistant projection of a world map (less Antarctica) centred on the North Pole, enclosed in olive branches. The olive branches are a symbol for peace, and the world map represents all the people of the world.

A similar looking flag was first presented in a slightly different form from the present one at the Organisation Conference in San Francisco in April 1945, with the only difference the drawing of the Earth. The flag was distributed among delegates and the press. In 1946, a UNO committee got the task of making a definite design, which was presented December 2, 1946 and adopted by the plenary session of the UNO on December 7, 1946. The earlier version had the globe 90 degrees turned eastward compared with the present flag. According to press statements, the change was made to move North America away from the center of the emblem.[1]

White and blue are the official colors of the United Nations.

According to the "Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel", the emblem and the flag of the United Nations can be used by the personnel and material of UN Peacekeeping missions as a protective sign to prevent attacks during an armed conflict.

Derived flags

• Perhaps the most popular proposed flag of Antarctica uses the UN colours, consisting of a plain white representation of the continent on a blue background.
• A number of proposed flags of Bosnia and Herzegovina used UN colours.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (a body independent of but reporting to the United Nations) has a flag with the same colours and olive leaves as the United Nations. The central symbol is a Rutherford model atom.
• The flag of the International Civil Aviation Organization is that of the UN with pilot's wings superimposed.
• The flag of the International Telecommunication Union is UN blue and white with a globe, lightning bolt, and the letters "ITU".
• The flag of Somalia, with central symbol a five-pointed star, uses the UN colours in honour of the UN's help in gaining Somalia's independence.
• The flag of UNESCO has the same colours as the United Nations; its symbol is a Greek temple (possibly the Parthenon), representing science, learning and culture.
• The flag of UNICEF has the leaves and globe of the UN flag but with a mother and child inlay instead of the world map.
• The flag of the World Health Organization is identical to the UN flag, with a Rod of Asclepius, a traditional symbol of medicine, added.
• The flag of the World Meteorological Organization is that of the UN with a compass rose and the letters "OMM/WMO" atop the globe.

Antarctica (proposed)	Bosnia and Herzegovina (proposed)	Bosnia and Herzegovina (proposed)	Bosnia and Herzegovina (proposed)
IAEA	ICAO	ITU	Somalia
UNESCO	UNICEF	WHO	WMO

References in popular culture

In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the flag of the United Federation of Planets is similar to the UN flag. Both flags are in white on a blue background, and have olive branches. However, the emblem on the flag of the United Federation of Planets is a star chart instead of a world map.

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