October 24, is United Nations Day.
On this day we celebrate the 78-year anniversary of the UN Charter of 1945.
What makes it so important? The work they do…..
History and Milestones
1945 After World War II, the United Nations was established in order to prevent future devastating wars.
50 international governments gathered in San Francisco and began drafting the UN Charter. From these nations a total of 3,500 people attended and over 2,500 media and observers were present. It was the largest international gathering ever to take place
1948 the World Health Organization was established
1948 October 24 is officially named United Nations Day.
1954 UN High Commissioner for Refugees wins Noble Peace prize
1961 UN Secretary-General wins Nobel Peace Prize.
1965 UNICEF wins Noble Peace Prize
1969 International Labour Organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1972 First UN Environment Conference was held in Sweden.
1974 First World Food Conference was held in Rome.
1975 First World Conference on Women was held in Mexico City.
1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is adopted.
1980 WHO declares Small Pox is eradicated
1981 UN High Commissioner for Refugees wins Noble Peace price again!
1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief is adopted.
1987 Signing of Montreal Protocol on the protection of the Ozone Layer.
1988 UN Peacekeeping forces win Nobel Peace Prize
1988 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched and helped to eliminate many strains of the virus. The global incidence of Polio cases has decreased by 99%
1990 UNICEF World Summit for Children is held in New York
1993 World Conference on Huma Rights was held in Vienna
1995, The UN brought together 189 countries to set an agenda for promoting and advancing women’s rights and equality. the World Women's Conference
2005 The International Atomic Energy Agency was given the Nobel Peace Prize
2005 A study by the RAND Corporation found that it works, the UN was successful in two out of three peacekeeping efforts.
2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
2008 UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the EU team up to fight hunger in 50 different countries
2011 The UN passed the first resolution recognizing the rights of LGBT+ people.
2013 Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons wins Nobel Peace Prize
2013 First UN Youth Assembly to stand up for universal Education.
2019 Climate Action Summit is held in New York.
2020 UN World Food Programme is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
2021 UN Food Systems Summit was held virtually from New York
This is just a short list of many of the benchmark moments for the UN in action.
The United Nations is neither a supra-state nor a government of governments. It does not have an army and it does not impose taxes. It depends on the political will of its Member States to have its decisions put into action and relies on the contributions of its Members to carry out its activities.
The four pillars of the UN are:
Peace and Security
Human Rights
The Rule of Law
Development.
What does the United Nations really do?
The UN pledge is for world peace, It:
Develops friendly relations among nations.
Promotes social progress, Human rights, and better living standards.
Fosters social and economic development.
Address environmental challenges.
International cooperation and diplomacy.
Improve the well-being of people worldwide.
UN brings together countries from all over the world to collaborate on finding solutions to global problems.
United Nations Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the work and goals of the UN. You can take action and check out the agencies that are part of the UN, and see if there is one that interests you to support or which you would like to volunteer. Then just DO IT!
