Liberia celebrates the 67th Anniversary of the United Nations

25 Oct 2012

Liberia celebrates the 67th Anniversary of the United Nations

Monrovia, Liberia - The United Nations in Liberia in collaboration with the Government of Liberia and partners on Wednesday, 24 October, 2012 held a series of events to mark the 67th anniversary of the UN under the theme: UN4U: the UN Works for You bringing together senior government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and other partners.

 

An official program was held at the Centennial Pavilion where special recognition was given to UN Personnel for their dedicated service in Liberia. UNHCR Representative Cosmas Chanda was honored for 20 years of service while UN Police Officer Rezi Danismend was recognized for organizing the first Transnational Crime Unit in Liberia. UNMIL’s Ukrainian Aviation Unit received a plaque for airlifting a Liberian who had been stranded on a rock in the middle of a river for 30 hours. The program also recognized Liberian journalist and UN Raham Al-Farra fellow D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh.

 

On the occasion the UN Secretary General’s message was read by Acting Head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Mr. Louis M. Aucoin. “In carrying out this global mission we rely on countless friends and supporters. Non-governmental organizations, scientists, scholars, philanthropists, religious leaders, business executives and concerned citizens are critical to our success” read UN Secretary-General’s message on UN Day.

 

“We in Liberia being one of the founding nations that met at the historic San Francisco conference in 1945 to give birth to the UN, are proud that an organization that we helped conceive 67 years ago still remains an institution, despite challenges ,that is inarguably the most effective and viable mechanism for international cooperation and conflict resolution," said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a statement read by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Augustine Ngafuan who represented her on the occasion.

 

An Open Day Exhibition on Ashmun Street by the different components of the UN including members of the UN Police (UNPOL) and Liberian National Police (LNP) who provided briefings on their joint activities such as recruitment of female police, community policing, women and children protection, among others. It was attended by an estimated 1,000 visitors including students, diplomats, government representatives and the public at large.

 

Also in commemoration of the day, ten teams of staff from UNMIL, the UN funds, agencies and programmes, and the UNV office visited ten schools in Monrovia and interacted with students mainly answering questions related to UN activities in Liberia.

 

Similar UN Day activities took place in Lofa, Bong, Margibi, Maryland, Grand Gedeh, Bomi and Grand Bassa Counties.

 

UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

 

24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.