UN's 70th Anniversary Celebrations Under Way
The UN headquarters in New York City is being lit up for two nights Oct. 23-24, the latter day being UN Day, which marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter.
Countries around the world began celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations on Oct. 23, with more than 300 sites "from Australia to Azerbaijan, Indonesia to Iraq, Saudi Arabia to South Sudan," as the UN news release put it, lit in "UN blue" for the occasion of UN Day. The UN headquarters in New York City is being lit up for two nights Oct. 23-24, the latter day being UN Day, celebrated since 1948.
UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter.
"The timeless values of the UN Charter must remain our guide. Our shared duty is to 'unite our strength' to serve 'we the peoples,'" Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the day. "To mark this anniversary, monuments and buildings across the world are being illuminated in UN blue. As we shine a light on this milestone anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to a better and brighter future for all."
Among the events marking the anniversary was one held in San Francisco in June 2015 to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter there in 1945.