United Nations

The United Nations (UN for short) was a coalition of Earth nations.

20th century
The United Nations agreed a first contact protocol in 1968 (TV: The Sound of Drums) but it was already outdated. (PROSE: The Dying Days)

In the late 20th century, the UN put together the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (later the UNified Intelligence Taskforce) to defend the Earth against threats such as the Great Intelligence. UNIT Central Control was placed in Geneva. (TV: The Invasion et al) This was done after a direct appeal by Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy) UNIT's international status would allow it to go over the head of British military figures, (TV: The Invasion) but this also meant the authorities didn't trust it. (TV: The Ambassadors of Death)

General Carrington advised the UN Security Council to coordinate a global nuclear assault on the Ambassadors' spaceship. The Council could not agree on how to respond, leaving Carrington frustrated. (TV: The Ambassadors of Death)

General Secretary Kurt Waldheim made it a priority to restrict access to alien technology and keep contacts a secret, out of fear that the world order would be destabilised. (PROSE: The Dying Days)

In the 1980s, the UN oversaw a space agency, International Space Command. (TV: The Tenth Planet)

On 1 January 1990, humanity subconsciously realised that there had been temporal discrepancies in the last two decades. Amara Essy, president of the United Nations Security Council, attended a secret briefing with Brigadiers Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and Charles Crichton in Geneva to establish a dating protocol for the 1970s and 1980s. (PROSE: The Enfolded Time)

In 1994, the UN's Security Yard gained its own military branch, UNISYC; it would squabble with other UN factions for alien weaponry in 1996. (PROSE: Interference - Book One)

The UN gave observer status to certain individuals, including Josie Williams, during Operation Endeavour in Bosnia. (HOMEVID: When to Die)

21st century
During the 2000s, due to an unspecified incident, the UN possessed the launch codes for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. (TV: World War Three)

In 2005, it was in charge of Syria after a US-UK military invasion. (AUDIO: The Longest Night)

Due to a sharp increase in alien incidents, the UN increased funding for UNIT under a policy of "homeworld security". (TV: The Sontaran Stratagem) It also went into emergency session when faced with such apocalyptic events as the Moon heading towards Earth. (TV: The Lost Boy)

In 2007, UN troops were stationed in Turkey. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Warhead)

In 2009, in the immediate aftermath of the Earth's relocation to the Medusa Cascade, the United Nations issued an edict asking the citizens of the world not to panic. Following the subsequent Dalek invasion which saw UNIT massacred, the Commander General of the United Nations broadcast a message announcing Earth's surrender to the Dalek Fleet. (TV: The Stolen Earth)

During the Miracle Day phenomenon in 2011, China dropped out of the United Nations. (TV: The Gathering)

In 2017, the United Nations summoned the Doctor (as President of Earth), Bill Potts, and Nardole to Turmezistan to investigate the sudden appearance of a pyramid in a disputed area between American, Chinese and Russian troops. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World)

Between 2086 to 2088, Earth fought the Thousand Day War under the flag of the United Nations. The UN Third Tactical Response Brigade under Yembe Lethbridge-Stewart were one of the UN forces. (PROSE: Transit)

41st century
In the year 4000, Marc Cory, Gordon Lowery, and Jeff Garvey scout Kembel, the most dangerous planet in the universe, seeking to learn of the Daleks' presence and plans. Their ship is from the United Nations Deep Space Force Group 1.

Behind the scenes
After the broadcast of Aliens of London, it was announced that the United Nations were no longer happy to be directly associated with UNIT. The term "UN" could, however, be used as long as it wasn't stated what it stood for. Later, UNIT was shown to stand for Unified Intelligence Taskforce, with the United Nations being mentioned as providing the organisation with unlimited funding.