United Nations Day 1990

United Nations Day falls on 24 October, the anniversary of the UN Charter entering into force in 1945. It invites reflection on international cooperation, peace, development and the rights and dignity of people everywhere.

United Nations Day is observed on 24 October because the UN Charter came into force on that date in 1945, formally bringing the United Nations into existence. The organization was created in the closing months of the Second World War, when governments sought a stronger international framework for preventing future conflict and cooperating on common problems. Representatives of fifty countries met in San Francisco in 1945 to draft the Charter; it was signed on 26 June and took effect after the required ratifications on 24 October. In 1947 the UN General Assembly designated the anniversary as United Nations Day, and in 1971 recommended its observance by Member States. The day highlights the principles of the Charter—peace, international cooperation, human rights, development and respect for international law—and is marked through educational programmes, public discussions, cultural events and activities explaining the work of the United Nations and its agencies.

Marks the UN Charter's entry into force and promotes peace, human rights, international cooperation and multilateral problem-solving.

School Model UN sessions, Charter readings, talks on peace and human rights, cultural programmes and community service; civic observance, not a religious festival.

Observed internationally on 24 October. The UN was founded in 1945; local programmes and public-holiday status vary by country and institution.