UNIS/SGSM/1359
19 October 2023
The United Nations is a reflection of the world as it is – and an aspiration of the world we know it can be.
It is our responsibility to help build that world of peace, sustainable development and human rights for all.
I know we can do it. The Charter of the United Nations – which entered into force 78 years ago today – points the way.
Above all, it is rooted in a spirit of determination to heal divisions, repair relations, and build peace.
To expand opportunities, and leave no one behind.
To ensure justice, equality and empowerment for women and girls.
To provide life-saving relief to those in need.
And to be flexible enough to address challenges that did not even exist when the UN was born – from the existential climate crisis to the perils and promise of artificial intelligence.
The United Nations is guided by timeless values and principles, but it must never be frozen in time. That is why we must always keep strengthening ways of working and applying a 21st century lens to all we do.
On this United Nations Day, let us commit with hope and determination to build the better world of our aspirations.
Let us commit to a future that lives up to the name of our indispensable organization.
We are a divided world. We can and must be united nations.
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"This year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities reminds us that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires living up to the promise to leave no one behind, especially the 1.3 billion persons with disabilities worldwide." — António Guterres
"World AIDS Day arrives at a defining moment.AIDS-related deaths have fallen by almost 70 per cent since their peak in 2004, and new HIV infections are at the lowest point since the 1980s." — António Guterres
"The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to those killed or injured by these horrific weapons." — António Guterres
Addressing crimes that affect the environment is key to mitigating and adapting to climate change, highlighted the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the start of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 28).
