In his last United Nations Day message as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon recognized the efforts of courageous Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ staff members who are on the frontlines of disaster and violence and continue to respond to the plight of the vulnerable people across the world.
¡°We have also suffered enormous heartbreak ¨C including unresolved conflicts causing immense suffering throughout the troubled Middle East, South Sudan, the Sahel and beyond,¡± said Secretary-General Ban in his message on the Day, observed annually on 24 October, the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Charter.
He noted further: ¡°Together, we have put in place some solid foundations for shared progress ¨C which we must build on by working even harder to empower women, engage youth and uphold human rights for all.¡±
Mr. Ban said that major progress has been made towards a more sustainable future through the for Sustainable Development, as well as in addressing the threat of climate change, through the , which will enter into force on 4 November, a record entry for any such global accord.
¡°Across that historic threshold lies our best chance for greener, cleaner, low-carbon growth,¡± he said.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ chief further expressed that it was an honour to serve the world’s people over the past 10 years and called on everyone to support Secretary-General-designate Antonio Guterres in continuing the Organization’s global mission of peace, sustainable development and human rights.
Mr. Ban’s tenure as the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Secretary-General comes to a close at the end of this year.
In a separate statement, the President of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly, Peter Thomson welcomed the focus of the 2016 Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Day on real-world actions for a sustainable future.¡°I salute the fact that this year’s Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Day will be used to highlight concrete actions that people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,¡± said Mr. Thomson in a statement on the occasion.
Under his Presidency, a key agenda of the General Assembly¡¯s 71st Session is to achieve momentum in the implementation of the global goals.
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The 24th of October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Member States as a public holiday.
As part of the observance of the Day, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ will highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ().
Also, the organization’s Department of Public Information will organize a concert to celebrate and reflect on the work of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ through the universal language of music.
The event, will feature a traditional Korean music orchestra; world-renowned concert pianist and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Messenger of Peace, Lang Lang; the Harlem Gospel Choir; the Hungarian State Opera with performances by soprano Andrea Rost; and other notable artists.
The theme of this year’s Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Day concert is ¡°Freedom First.¡±