1174-1176 UNITED NATIONS - The flag of the organisation

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization established on 24 October 1945, after the WWII, to prevent another such conflict, actually a replacement for the ineffective League of Nations. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states, but their number grew significantly following widespread decolonization in the 1960s, so now are 193. Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict. The UN's mission to preserve peace was complicated in its early decades by the Cold War. The organization participated in major actions in Korea and the Congo, as well as approving the creation of the state of Israel in 1947.

 

 

The flag of the UN was adopted on October 20, 1947, and consists of the official emblem of the UN in white on a blue background (white and blue are the official colours of the UN). The emblem's design is described as: "A map of the world representing an azimuthal equidistant projection centred on the North Pole, inscribed in a wreath consisting of crossed conventionalized branches of the olive tree, . . . The projection of the map extends to 60 degrees south latitude, and includes five concentric circles." The olive branches are a symbol for peace, and the world map represents all the people of the world.

About the stamps
The UN has its own postal administration (UNPA), which issues postage stamps and postal stationery, denominated in United States dollars for the United Nations offices in New York, in Swiss francs for the offices in Geneva and in euros (formerly schillings) for the offices in Vienna. Actually the UN is the only organization in the world which is neither a country nor a territory that is permitted to issue postage stamps. It is also the only postal authority to issue stamps in three different currencies.

This stamp (New York - 0,37 USD), designed by Rorie Katz, and also issued in 2003, depicts the UN emblem. The text "United Nations" in gold appears in the six official languages of the UN in the background of the stamp.

This series, World Heritage - Taj Mahal, issued on July 16, 2014, was designed by Rorie Katz.and contains six stamps (two issued by each of the three post offices of the UN):
• New York (0.49 USD) - it's on the postcards
• New York (1.15 USD) - it's on the postcards
• Geneva (1.40 CHF) - it's on other postcard
• Geneva (1.90 CHF) - it's on the postcards
• Vienna (0.90 EUR) - it's on the postcards
• Vienna (1.70 EUR) - it's on other postcard

This is a post for Sunday Stamps #189, run by Viridian from Viridian’s Postcard Blog. The theme of this week is: anything you wish. Click on the button to visit Viridian’s blog and all the other participants.

References
United Nations - Wikipedia
Headquarters of the United Nations - Wikipedia
United Nations - Official website

Sender 1-3: Denise 
1: Sent from United Nations (New York / United States), on 19.07.2014
2: Sent from United Nations (New York / United States), on 02.09.2014
3: Sent from United Nations (New York / United States), on 30.08.2014