Clement Attlee and the Birth of the United Nations: An 80-Year Reflection

The Attlee Foundation was honoured to be represented by Jo Roundell Greene at the 80th anniversary commemoration of the inaugural meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, held on Saturday 17 January at Methodist Central Hall Westminster. This historic building is where the first General Assembly met in 1946, and where Clement Attlee’s presence and leadership helped set the tone for the organisation’s earliest days. As Prime Minister of the host nation, Attlee did more than attend: he gave political weight to the UN’s opening in London and championed the idea that international cooperation must be embedded in how nations govern and relate to one another in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The morning service was both dignified and moving, with wonderful singing and a short film showing Attlee at the inaugural conference. Seeing this footage in the very hall where it was filmed offered a powerful reminder that his involvement was pivotal, not ceremonial. For Attlee, multilateralism was not merely aspirational; it was a practical necessity - the best safeguard against future conflict, and a framework through which nations could pursue security, freedom, and social justice at home and abroad.

Readings during the service were led by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who spoke from the same platform used eighty years earlier. His reflections on the UN’s founding ideals and their continued relevance strongly echoed the principles that guided Attlee and his contemporaries in 1946. Jo followed, reading a passage from her grandfather's inaugural speech, some of which can be seen in this original footage.

Another speaker was Attorney General Lord Hermer KC, who highlighted the enduring importance of the UN Charter and the values it enshrines, values whose early momentum owed much to leaders willing to match principle with responsibility. Attlee’s moral seriousness and readiness to invest the UN with genuine political authority helped anchor those values at the outset.

A conference followed the service, featuring thoughtful and challenging contributions on the future of the United Nations.

The Foundation was proud to take part in this important commemoration. Standing once again in Methodist Central Hall underscored the lasting significance of Clement Attlee’s commitment to international cooperation and the belief that peace is best secured through collective action.