Today, Oct. 24, is United Nations Day.
In most schools around the country, this is celebrated through national costumes of other countries that students are encouraged to wear in school, where they also deliver a short report on the chosen country’s location and culture. This celebration, which has been ongoing for many years, has become an established activity that has made available the sale of costumes of other countries in many department stores. In fact, when people see children in national costumes after school, the remark is always: “Oh, it’s UN Day!”
That school activity has been successful in exposing the young to the culture of other countries. Even if a student only remembers the culture of the country whose costume he had worn and had made a report on, it has put into consciousness that we live in a world with other countries whose cultures may be different from ours. And peace is the significant factor that unites us in this world.
Today, the UN marks the 79th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter.
“As World War II was about to end in 1945, nations were in ruins, and the world wanted peace. Representatives of 50 countries gathered at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, California from 25 April to 26 June 1945. For the next two months, they proceeded to draft and then sign the UN Charter, which created a new international organization, the United Nations, which, it was hoped, would prevent another world war like the one they had just lived through,” its history said.
Seventy-nine years later, the United Nations is still working to maintain its four purposes:
· To keep peace throughout the world;
· To develop friendly relations among nations;
· To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other's rights and freedoms;
· To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.
On top of that, the UN is also doing new work, setting sustainable development goals for 2030, in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for us all. UN Member States have also agreed to climate action to limit global warming.
The UN today is facing many problems that involve armed conflict. Among them are the Ukraine-Russia war that started in 2014 and escalated in 2022; and the Israel and Palestine war that started in October 2023.
The UN Secretary General António Guterres’ speech to mark the 79th anniversary of the organization, though short, says much of what the world needs today:
“The United Nations was built by the world, for the world. Since 1945, it has been the place for countries to unite behind global solutions to global problems. Solutions that ease tensions, build bridges and forge peace. Solutions to eradicate poverty, spur sustainable development, and stand up for the most vulnerable. Solutions that deliver lifesaving relief to people living through conflicts, violence, economic hardship, and climate disasters. Solutions that level the scales of justice and equality for women and girls. Solutions that tackle issues that were unimaginable in 1945 — climate change, digital technology, artificial intelligence, and outer space.
“In September, the General Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations. Together, these milestone agreements will help ensure that the United Nations system adapts, reforms and rejuvenates, so it is fit for the changes and challenges around us and delivers solutions for all. But our work will always be rooted in the timeless values and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and in the dignity and human rights of every person.
“In today’s troubled world, hope is not enough. Hope requires determined action and multilateral solutions for peace, shared prosperity and a thriving planet. Hope requires all countries working as one. Hope requires the United Nations.
On United Nations Day, I call on all countries to keep this beacon for the world, and its ideals, shining.”
The UN emphasizes that: “Today, the urgency for all countries to come together, to fulfill the promise of the nations united, has rarely been greater.”
“No other global organization gives hope to so many people for a better world and can deliver the future we want.”
“UN Day, celebrated every year, offers the opportunity to amplify our common agenda and reaffirm the purposes and principles of the UN Charter that have guided us for the past 79 years,” the UN statement said.
The UN is currently made up of 193 Member States.