Day for the United Nations

All of you would know about the United Nations (UN). The UN was very much in the news recently due to its annual summit being held in September/early October. You may have seen many world leaders including our own President addressing this very important international event.

This same United Nations is celebrating its 62nd anniversary on October 24 and this day will be observed around

0

the world as the United Nations Day. The world body was established on October 24, 1945 in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The formation of this organisation was to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war - to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights - to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedoms".

The setting up of this organisation was preceded by 50 nations gathering in San Francisco, USA to put the finishing touches on a very important document - the Charter of the United Nations. October 24 was the date when a sufficient number of ratifications had been officially obtained to launch the new global body.

Celebrating the UN Day started only in 1948. In 1947 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring that October 24 "shall be henceforth officially called United Nations Day and shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the UN, and to gaining their support for the work of the United Nations".

The Day is now marked in the 189 UN Member States throughout the world. It is traditionally marked with meetings, discussions and exhibits on the achievements and goals of the UN.

Drawing attention to development issues

Another day that is observed in concurrence (at the same time) with the UN Day is World Development Information Day. This event aims to draw global attention to development issues and the need to strengthen international co-operation in the development field.

The Day was initiated in 1972 by the UN General Assembly which also decided that the Day should coincide in principle with the UN Day on October 24, which was also the date of the adoption, in 1970, of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.

The Assembly felt that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilising of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problem of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere in international cooperation and development.