Today marks the 72nd anniversary of the United Nations. On this day, there’s
much to be hopeful about and still some to criticise, reports Mudassir Raja
The 72nd anniversary of the United Nations (UN) falls today on October 24 and while there is much debate on the effectiveness of the world body, one thing remains perfectly clear: it is the only organisation with enough world membership to be able to make a difference.
Ambassador of Portugal Antonio Tanger Correa, in his message to Community, said, “The United Nations is the global international body for discussing and maintaining peace and co-operation in our world.
“Although often criticised for not being more proactive, the UN remains our best hope for keeping confidence in a better world. As long as we all are committed to dialogue, Earth remains a safe home.”
It was on October 24 in 1945 that representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco, USA at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter in the backdrop of the World War II.
Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, then the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944.
The UN charter was signed on June 26, 1945 by representatives of the 50 countries. Today, the UN is made up of 193 member states.
The UN missions and works are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding charter. Due to the powers vested in its charter and its unique international character, the UN can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more.
October 24 has been celebrated as the UN Day since 1948. In 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by member states as a public holiday.
Dr Anna Paolini, director of Unesco Qatar, told Community, “UN Day offers an opportunity to recognise both the challenges the world is facing today, as well as the important work being done on a daily basis, and to reflect on how we can all contribute to realising the vision of ‘We the Peoples’.”
The director also highlighted the work carried out by Unesco, which is a specialised agency of the United Nations. She said, “The Unesco contributes to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, and sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. Unesco has been based in Doha since the 1970s. Working in support of Qatar and the Gulf region, the Doha office’s vision is to empower women and men – in particular the youth – with the capacities to contribute to knowledge-based economies through education, science, culture, communication and information, in close partnership with member states, private sector and civil society. Unesco’s mandate is increasingly relevant.”
She added, “In Qatar, Al Zubarah heritage site was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. With the support of Unesco and Qatar Museums, the site’s designation serves as a reminder of the importance of conserving and protecting the world heritage and culture.”
“The Al Zubarah site is, in fact, part of Qatar’s Al Reem Biosphere Reserve, which is enrolled under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme. Home to gazelles and the elusive Arabian oryx, the Al Reem reserve has been managed in partnership by Unesco and the Qatar Ministry of Environment and Municipality for the last ten years, with a long-term vision for sustainable management,” the director said.
However, there are many who believe the world body needs to do much more to be true to its goals. Dr Ahmed H Ibrahim, head of department of international affairs at Qatar University, told Community that the world body needs to do more to implement its charter across the world.
He said, “The message is good but the messenger is not. The charter of the UN enshrines very basic and necessary points such as maintaining world peace and protecting basic human rights.”
He added, “The UN has so far not been able to implement its charter with full spirit and justly. The body maintains different positions on different issues in the world. The UN is controlled by five permanent members of the Security Council. These countries often watch their national interests instead of promoting the UN charter.”
Dr Ibrahim said that there needs to be a balanced representation of member states in the Security Council. He said that there should be representation of Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South Asia in the council. The balance is necessary to implement the charter in letter and spirit, he noted.


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