United Nations The United Nations ( UN for short ) functioned as a coalition of Earth nations , which also created international campaigns and programs . The UN co - ordinated many of these efforts from its office in Geneva , Switzerland , the largest UN office outside of its New York City headquarters . History . 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 The United Nations agreed a first contact protocol in 1968 ( TV : " The Sound of Drums " ) but it was already outdated .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 " ) 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 " ) 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 : " " ) 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 " ) 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 .