Eighty years ago, the first-ever meeting of the United Nations General Assembly took place in the United Kingdom. On 10 January 1946, delegates gathered at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London, four months after the end of the Second World War. Holding the meeting in a place of worship was symbolic, reflecting both the pain of the war and hope for the future.
In contrast to San Francisco, where the UN Charter had been drafted in an atmosphere of wartime optimism, a heavily bombed London reminded delegates why the United Nations had been created, with tens of thousands killed and much of the city destroyed or damaged.
While nearby Church House was selected as the location for the first-ever UN Security Council on 17 January, a larger venue was needed for the General Assembly. Having survived the war intact, Methodist Central Hall was chosen.
Then British Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin had to persuade Revd Dr William Sangster and his congregation to vacate the hall, telling them, “there could be no better place than a House of God, with the atmosphere of prayer already there.”
Central Hall was redecorated, with seating removed, carpets laid and translation booths installed. Tables 40 feet long were put in place for the delegations of the 51 nations attending.
With limited means, the British government provided delegates with access to a canteen, temporary ration books, clothing coupons, and tours to bombed areas organised by the Women’s Voluntary Service.
During the session, former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, called a meeting of women delegates to present an ‘Open Letter to the Women of the World’.
In her address, Mrs. Roosevelt called “on the Governments of the world to encourage women everywhere to take a more active part in national and international affairs, and on women who are conscious of their opportunities to come forward and share in the work of peace and reconstruction as they did in war and resistance”.
The purposes and principles of the UN Charter were emphasised at the landmark meeting.
In his inaugural speech, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee urged that the UN become the “over-riding factor in foreign policy,” calling for “not just the negation of war, but the creation of a world of security and freedom.”
Around 800 journalists covered the session, slightly outnumbering the delegates. The proceedings marked the first global broadcast of an international conference and one of the earliest uses of television for such coverage.
In his address, King George VI described London as “this ancient capital” and said that “no more important meeting has ever taken place within its boundaries.”