The San Francisco Conference, 1945
The San Francisco Conference
In the spring of 1945, delegates from fifty nations converged on San Francisco to shape the postwar world. With the Second World War entering its final months, the task before them was immense: to draft a new international framework that would prevent future global conflict, promote cooperation, and stabilize a shattered world order. The conference would ultimately give birth to the United Nations, but its outcome was far from guaranteed. Delegates faced sharp debates over the balance of power between large and small nations, the scope of human rights protections, and the authority of the Security Council – especially the controversial veto power of the permanent members. This committee will begin at the opening of the conference, where delegates must navigate competing visions for global governance. Should the new body serve as a tool of great-power management, or a democratic forum for all states? How will issues of sovereignty, decolonization, and economic reconstruction be reconciled with the pursuit of collective security? Delegates must work across national interests to design institutions capable of lasting beyond the immediate postwar settlement. The San Francisco Conference represents not just a historical moment of diplomacy, but a turning point where the future of international cooperation—and the legacy of the war itself—will be decided.