75 Years of the United Nations

The United Nations emblem — the world map centred on the North Pole, encircled by olive branches as a symbol of peace and of all humanity, designed by American Donal McLaughlin. Above: the year "2020", the issuing state "PORTUGAL" and the commemorative inscription "UN ONU 75 YEARS ANOS". To the left of the UN emblem: the mint "CASA DA MOEDA"; to the right: the designer's name "ANDRÉ LETRIA".

The emblem of the United Nations — an azimuthal projection of the Earth centred on the North Pole, framed by two olive branches — was designed in 1945 by American exhibition designer Donal McLaughlin for the founding conference in San Francisco. The olive branches draw on the ancient symbol of peace, while the map projection was meant to embrace all of humanity. Since its founding on 24 October 1945, the United Nations has grown from an initial 51 member states to nearly 200 today. Its work spans peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, development cooperation and the negotiation of international norms — from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Portugal has belonged to the United Nations since 14 December 1955, after a package deal in the Security Council allowed a group of Western and Eastern states to be admitted together. The country subsequently played an active role in UN missions, including in the Balkans and East Timor, where Portuguese personnel and diplomats played a key part in rebuilding state structures. The year 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the world organisation's founding, which Portugal honoured with this shared eurozone issue.