United Nations (U.N.) Day
24th October 1945 – the official creation day of the United Nations, the largest international organization. Being considered a public holiday (since the year 1971), the day itself comes as a sigh of relief. However, the world’s most familiar global organization was established to overcome the challenging pains influencing the world!
The United Nations (UN) is an “intergovernmental organization aiming to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations.”
The body was constituted after World War II (1939-1945) in order to save the world from any such devastating wars in the future.
25th April 1945 – Initial draft of the Charter
↪ 25th June 1945 – Adoption of the UN Charter
↪ 24th October 1945 – The UN starts its operations
The UN Charter is a written agreement defining the UN, its functions, purposes, and the entire structure.
The Charter mandates the UN and its 193 member states “to maintain international peace and security, uphold international law, achieve higher standards of living for their citizens, address economic, social, health, and related problems, and promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”
The righteousness with which the institute was established and is aiming to work is undoubtedly directed towards the progress and prosperity of the world as a whole (leaving no one as an exception).
Even after World War II, the initial few years were not easy for the UN. Its vision and mission to maintain international peace were consistently challenged by the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States and other allies. Taking a sigh of relief, after this war, the UN expanded its operations and undertook various measures towards fulfilling its goal (which rather should be a goal of each one of us).
Where do we stand now?
Apparently, the world wars and cold wars are over. But is peace maintained?
To this day, nations fight, people fight, men and women die – and very ‘brutally’ life still goes on! For all, everything ends at ‘XXXXX number of casualties reported.” Some sensitive souls might shed a tear or light a candle; others might read the news just like a weather report and move on. But for the families – a part of them is dead now – an emptiness dwelled inside for life – a heart that has lost all hope – a face that would dread the next smile coming its way – a soul that is unable to accept the reality and eyes that don’t know how to express the pain!
Well, I would have still made sense of all this – if, with the loss of one sect, some other section had gained a lot. But my heart always ponders on who gained from all this – and what did they achieve!?!?!
We all were born humans – why is it so hard to live as one?
Let’s for once wake up as humans and not as rich, poor, or middle-class – live as humans and not as Hindus, Muslims, or Christians – work as humans and not as low caste or high caste – enjoy as human and not as Blacks or Whites – share as human and not as male or female.
I will not point the finger at any government or institute today – as at the end of it, we all are individuals. If there is a bomb blast, if there is a murder, if there is mob lynching, or if there is an assault, who is doing it? A group of people against another person or a group of persons? Even worse, if they are just doing it under the influence of others with no motive of their own. It takes away the very ‘human’ aspect of us ‘humans!’
In an attempt to juggle with your hearts, the blog, while trying to appreciate the existence and functioning of international bodies like the UN, is pushing us all to do our bit and shoo away any such forces that try to ‘negatively’ influence us, at the very least. Since, beginning to become our little ‘UNs’ from this very day, we should know the very basics.
Here are the six principal organs of the UN
- United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
- Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- International Court of Justice
- Trusteeship Council
- UN Secretariat
Also, some of its specialized agencies
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- World Bank Group (WBG)
Coinciding with this day, the UNGA declared 24th October as the World Development Information Day in the year 1972.
World Information Development Day
In another noble effort by the UNGA, it instituted the World Information Development Day to focus on the world’s development problems and the need to muster global cooperation to solve these problems. It was intentionally planned on the UN day to emphasize the role of development to assist in the UN’s operations.
Celebrated annually since 1973, the day stresses the right to development as a human right. Additionally, it focuses on how to address the development problems (from basic development issues to progress with the progressing technologies) through international cooperation.
Progress each day, but stay grounded to the basics!
Avani Raj Arora
