United Nations Day 2017
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Minister for the United Nations Lord Ahmad celebrate UN Day.
The UN flag flies above the Foreign Office headquarters in London
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s message:
UN Day video message from the Foreign Secretary
Transcript
Hello I’m Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary. Today marks the 72nd anniversary of the birth of the United Nations and of the moment, when in the noble words of the Charter, ‘we the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, have resolved to combine our efforts to achieve these aims’.
The UN Charter embodied all the aspirations of humanity for a peaceful world, and it was formally ratified on this day in 1945. It drew inspiration from Winston Churchill’s vision of what he called a “world organisation dedicated to the prevention of war”. Britain helped to create the UN, and today we are one of the biggest contributors to the UN budget and to UN humanitarian efforts.
From the very beginning, Britain has been a Permanent Member of the Security Council giving us special responsibility for upholding international peace and order. We are glad to shoulder that responsibility, and I have no doubt that the United Nations represents the best hope for a peaceful world.
For the last 72 years Britain has tried to uphold the UN’s ideals, and we will not relent in the decades ahead. Thank you.
Minister for the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said:
Today is a day of celebration, marking the anniversary of the founding document of the United Nations, the UN Charter coming into force.
As Minister responsible for the United Nations, I am pleased to mark UN Day with a renewal of our pledge to remain a strong and committed supporter of the United Nations.
The UK recognises the enormous challenge member states were responding to when they agreed in the preamble of the Charter, ‘to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security’ and ‘to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours’.
The UN’s work to uphold universal values is as significant to the world today as when the UN charter first came into force 72 years ago.
Nowhere is this more visible than the UN coming together to bring Daesh to justice. Through UN Security Council Resolution 2379, the international community has united to ensure that Daesh will be held accountable for the crimes that is has committed, and that reconciliation work will help to heal the sectarian divides that Daesh has exploited and inflamed.
Today I also want to welcome the determination of UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to reform and refresh the UN, whether this be in the areas of peace and security, development and humanitarian or management reform, in order to render it fit and able to meet the complex challenges of the 21st Century.
The UK is proud to have been a strong supporter of the UN since its inception and a permanent member of the Security Council, and as we look ahead, our commitment remains resolute, both to the UN and to the universal values that it works to uphold.