As a matter of fact

Not many people know San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations. We’re on a path to change this. The U.N. was formed during the 1945 United Nations Conference, which was held right here in San Francisco.

Our mission & Goals

To revive the spirit of San Francisco and mobilize “we the peoples” by building Partnerships for the Goals (Sustainable Development Goal #17), with a legendary tour, the U.N. Charter Trail, to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations.

The concrete ambition is to make the U.N. Charter Trail an official trail recognized by the City of San Francisco by 6/26/26, on Charter Day, complete with plaques at each stop to signify their connection with the U.N.

We hope that you will join us. This mission is not something one can do alone, that is why partnerships are so important. We know we are on track to something. Now, we just need to keep taking it step, by step.

Our mantra

“When the UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, it carried with it the hopes of a complex and divided world that was intent on building a future of trust, solidarity and international cooperation. We must recover this San Francisco spirit.”

— President of the 79th General Assembly Philémon Yang, source media.un.org

The U.N. Charter Trail has a self-guided tour on the website, anyone can do at any time. Additionally, three special guided tours are scheduled in 2025 to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations. These guided tours are open to the public and the community of our partners: all it takes is a sign-up. (First-come, first-served. Limited availability.) Organized with expert tour guides from SF City Guides, and volunteers from the United Nations Association (UNA) of Marin.

Utilize this moment to revitalize the spirit of San Francisco, and mobilize people for the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations. We hope this trail puts people on a path to connect with each other, their communities, and the United Nations.
Support the Pact for the Future, which aims to strengthen global cooperation and rebuild trust in multilateralism (international collaboration) and the U.N.
Make the U.N. Charter Trail an official trail, recognized by the City of San Francisco and by the United Nations. Bring people together, and give them another reason to explore the city.
Direct people and our partners towards tangible next steps they can take to support the United Nations and SDGs. See the links below to find out how you can get involved.
Have a good time, doing good.

What we would like to achieve

We want to support the United Nations, its mission, its partners, and activate our community. The U.N. is the only place on Earth that provides a platform for all the world’s nations to come together and discuss problems, to discover shared solutions.
San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations—not many people know this. By bringing this tour to life, we’re spreading the story of San Francisco’s relationship with the United Nations.
Legendary guides paint a clear picture of the 1945 United Nations Conference, how the spirit of international collaboration lives on today, and into the future. Whether you’re a visitor, San Francisco native, or a student, there’s something to discover on the U.N. Charter Trail for everyone.
We’re powered by SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals. To further the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is crucial to raise awareness and encourage involvement in achieving these goals—we do this with help of the U.N. Charter Trail and our partnerships.