Which of the following countries was not a member of the United Nations at the time this general knowledge question was framed (before Switzerland joined in 2002)?

Introduction / Context:
Membership of the United Nations has expanded over time as new states gained independence or chose to join the organisation. Some countries joined early, while others remained outside for political or historical reasons. This question reflects an older general knowledge context, where Switzerland had not yet joined the UN and was therefore often used in exam questions as an example of a non member state.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks which country was not a member of the UN when the question was originally framed.
• Options: Nepal, Iran, Kampuchea (Cambodia) and Switzerland.
• We assume a time period before Switzerland joined the UN in 2002.

Concept / Approach:
Nepal, Iran and Cambodia (historically referred to as Kampuchea) have been members of the United Nations for decades. Switzerland, however, remained outside the UN for a long time because of its traditional policy of neutrality and only joined after a national referendum in 2002. Therefore, older GK questions correctly identified Switzerland as a country that was not then a UN member, while the others were already members.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Nepal, Iran and Cambodia became members of the UN in the mid twentieth century as decolonisation and new state formation progressed. Step 2: Remember that Switzerland deliberately stayed out of the UN for many years despite being an important host state for many UN agencies in Geneva. Step 3: Note that Switzerland finally joined the UN only in 2002, after a national vote in favour of membership. Step 4: From the given options, identify Switzerland as the country that, at the time of older exam questions, had not yet become a UN member. Step 5: Select Switzerland as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you check the UN membership list and the year each country joined, you will find early membership dates for Nepal, Iran and Cambodia, but a much later date for Switzerland (2002). This timing confirms why older exam questions singled out Switzerland as a non member while treating the other options as member states.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Nepal: Nepal has been a UN member since the mid twentieth century, so it cannot be treated as a non member in the time frame of this question.
Iran: Iran was among the earlier members of the UN and has long participated in its proceedings.
Kampuchea (Cambodia): Despite political turmoil and changes of government, Cambodia is recognised as a UN member and is not used in standard GK questions as a long term non member.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes get confused because Switzerland hosts many international organisations in Geneva and assume that therefore it must have been an early UN member. In reality, its neutrality and domestic politics kept it outside the UN until 2002. When answering older style GK questions, remember that Switzerland is the classic example of a developed non member state from that period, while Nepal, Iran and Cambodia were already in the organisation.

Final Answer:
The country that was not a member of the United Nations at that time was Switzerland.