With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being. 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by
Member States as a public holiday.
UN IN Action: 11 Facts
1. Provides food and assistance to 80 million people in 80 countries
2. Supplies vaccines to 45% of the world’s children, helps save 3 million lives a year
3. Assists and protects 67.7 million people fleeing war, famine and persecution
4. Works with 195 nations to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C/3.6°F
5. Keeps peace with 104,000 peacekeepers in 14 operations around the world
6. Fights extreme poverty, helping improve the lives of more than 1 billion people
7. Tackles the global water crisis affecting over 2 billion people worldwide
8. Protects and promotes human rights globally and through 80 treaties/declarations
9. Coordinates US$24.7 billion appeal for the humanitarian needs of 145 million people
10. Uses diplomacy to prevent conflict: assists some 50 countries a year with their elections
11. Supports maternal health, helping over 1 million women a month overcome pregnancy risks
Today October 24th is also World Development Information Day. The UN General Assembly in 1972 established the Day to draw the attention of
the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them (resolution 3038 (XXVII)).
The Assembly decided that the date for the day should coincide with United Nations Day, 24 October, which was also the date of the
adoption, in 1970, of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.
The Assembly deemed that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion would promote efforts in the
sphere of international cooperation for development.
