United Nations Day

The United Nations General Assembly establised United Nations Day on 24 October by the resolutions (A/RES/168 (II); A/RES/2782 (XXVI)). The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. The name "United Nations" was coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during Second World War.


FORUM: United Nations Day 2020 - "The future we want, the United Nations we need."

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us in the most powerful way that we are closely interconnected and only by working together and in solidarity we can build resilience against future pandemics and other global challenges. In January 2020, the Secretary General launched a global conversation asking people through surveys and dialogues about their hopes and fears for the future, along with their priorities for international cooperation. The findings of this Global Dialogue have been taken into account by world leaders and resulted in the adoption of a forward-looking political declaration during the high-level event of the 75th anniversary celebrations. The declaration was negotiated through an intergovernmental process under the theme “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”.


Statement by the UN Secretary-General on United Nations Day 2020, October 24th.

Dear friends,

The 75th anniversary of the United Nations falls in the middle of a global pandemic. Our founding mission is more critical than ever.

To promote human dignity.

Protect human rights.

Respect international law.

And save humanity from war.

When the pandemic hit, I called for a global ceasefire.

In our world today, we have one common enemy: COVID-19.

Now is the time for a stepped-up push for peace to achieve a global ceasefire. The clock is ticking.

We must also make peace with our planet.

The climate emergency threatens life itself.

We must mobilize the whole world to reach carbon neutrality -- net zero emissions of greenhouse gasses by 2050.

A growing number of countries and companies have already pledged to meet this goal.

Around the world, we must do more to end human suffering from poverty, inequality, hunger and hatred -- and fight discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or any other distinction. The months of pandemic have seen a horrific rise in violence against women and girls.

We must build on progress. A remarkable global collaboration is under way for a safe, affordable and accessible COVID-19 vaccine for all.

The Sustainable Development Goals give us an inspiring blueprint for recovering better.

We face colossal challenges. With global solidarity and cooperation, we can overcome them.

That’s what the United Nations is all about.

On this anniversary, I ask people everywhere to join together.

The United Nations not only stands with you…

The United Nations belongs to you and is you: “we the peoples”.

Together, let us uphold the enduring values of the United Nations Charter.

Let us build on our advances across the decades.

Let us realize our shared vision of a better world for all.


António Guterres, UN Secretary-General.


EXHIBITS: To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library is presenting an exploration of 75 key documents that have shaped the United Nations and our world.

Discover our photo gallery celebrating 75 years of the UN !

Visit the UN headquarters; Celebrate UN Day by taking a special virtual tour of the UN headquarters in New York with one of our tour guides, LIVE from the comfort of your home. Learn more about the history of the Organization and its work in addressing global challenges in one of the six official languages of the organization. Book it today!

EVENTS: To commemorate the 75 years of the United Nations, Member States hold a high-level event on 21 September 2020, where they reaffirmed and recognized that our challenges are interconnected and can only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism.

UN annual concert; To celebrate UN Day, an annual concert is usually held in the General Assembly Hall. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was prerecorded and screened in the GA Hall on Thursday, 22 October 2020. The concert, sponsored by the Mission of Italy under the theme "Reimagine, Rebalance, Restart: recovering together for our shared humanity", included a performance featuring Roberto Bolle, accompanied by other world class etoiles as well as the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, all recorded at La Scala Theater in Milan. A number of classical, modern and reimagined dances, curated specifically for the UN Day Concert, were performed. By connecting us and creating common understanding, art and culture create the fertile ground from which genuine solidarity can emerge.

  • 24 October 2020: the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council (UNCMS) performed “75 Years of Love,” a virtual concert in celebration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary, that also resulted in a debut album launched to support the humanitarian work of the UNHCR. If you missed it, you can watch it on the UN Web TV portal.

  • 26 october 2020: As part of the commemorative events marking the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the General Assembly hold a meeting to observe UN Day on Monday October 26. The observance ceremony highlighted UN voices from the field - showcasing work of the UN and its agencies around the globe - and insiders’ perspectives of UN’s work and the future of the organization. You can watch the full event on the UN Web TV portal.

AUDIO/VIDEO BROASCASTINGS

The UN Day Concert performance streamed in LIVE.

In this spirit, music and dance can help bring us together to reimagine a world “rebalanced”, to be designed and built together for present and future generations. Highlighting the significance of the 75th anniversary of the UN and reflecting on the experience of the pandemic, the 2020 UN Day performance leveraged the power of music and dance to capture our collective commitment to cooperation, multilateralism and global solidarity.


António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) on United Nations Day 2020.

The 75th anniversary of the United Nations falls in the middle of a global pandemic. Our founding mission is more critical than ever.

  1. To promote human dignity.

  2. Protect human rights.

  3. Respect international law.


Today we face a global pandemic. Hoje enfrentamos uma pandemia global. Worldwide, people rightly raise their voices against racism. Confronting problems is a start. But we also have to solve them. We have a timeless guide to tackle our shared challenges and fix the world’s fragilities. That guide is the United Nations Charter. The Charter was signed 75 years ago – and its principles ring just as true today. Faith in fundamental human rights. The equal rights of men and women. The dignity and worth of every person. International law and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Better standards of life in larger freedom. These enduring values will carry us to a new future. A future where we stop harming the natural environment – and start tackling climate change. Where we reject bigotry – and celebrate the richness of human diversity. Where young people lead – in the streets, in their schools, in society. The United Nations was founded before threats like cybercrime and online hate speech emerged. But our Charter shows how to rise to these challenges, too. Let us realize this vision of peace, human rights and justice for everyone. By joining together: With humanity. With unity. With each other. Thank you

How it all started.

In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by a majority of signatories. Watch history in the making with this footage from the UN archives !


Hymn to the United Nations.

Get inspired by this revived W.H. Auden’s Hymn to the United Nations. "Let music for peace Be the paradigm, For peace means to change At the right time, As the World-Clock, Goes Tick and Tock. So may the story Of our human city Presently move Like music, when Begotten notes New notes beget, Making the flowing Of time a growing".

Audio broadcasting: This special programme, created by the United Nations on its #75thanniversary, is an exploration of the times we live in and the changes we could make which could transform our world over the next decade. Featuring contributions from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, ‘Nations United’ tells the story of the world as it is, as it was and as it could be. #UrgentSolutions4UrgentTimes


How much do you know?

Learn more about all the United Nations milestones, from 1951 until today!

Test your knowledge of the history of the United Nations with this UNITED NATIONS DAY quiz!