Today is United Nations Day. It marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945.

I wonder if many people will notice the significance of the day.

To paraphrase the former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan: ‘Sixty-five years ago, after the devastation of the Second World War, the leaders of the world came together to unite the nations as never before. They created a forum – the United Nations – where all nations could join forces to affirm the dignity and worth of every person, and to secure peace and development for all peoples. Here States could united to strengthen the rule of law, recognise and address the needs of the poor, and provide for the safety of future generations.’

Some years ago at a conference on the United Nations I made the following remarks. I think they are as relevant today, as they were back then.

‘We should remember that the United Nations is not just an organisation of sovereign States, it is an ideal. It is a belief in peace and security and in the sanctity and the dignity of the individual. But it is not without its faults. Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld said that the United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven but to prevent it from going to hell.’

Liberty is forgiving of many failings, but it forgives neither apathy nor neglect. It has taken sixty-five years for the United Nations to get us where we are today, a fact that should make us hopeful.

‘So when the founders of the United Nations said ‘We the Peoples’, they acknowledged the fact that the world is made up of individuals not just States. The United Nations is still a work in progress, not a finished product. That is why it is up to all of us, to be united, to be engaged, to be inspired and to participate in our global community, sharing humanity’s vision of a common destiny.’

Photo: United Nations Secretariat. Courtesy of the United Nations.