75 years for peace

On 24 October 1945, the UN Charter was officially signed and ratified, and the United Nations came into being. Since 1948, 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day, and this year will be special, as the organization turns 75. The Covid-19 pandemic makes physical gatherings and large celebrations impossible, but the anniversary will nevertheless be visible across the world.

In Europe, official buildings, museums and monuments will be lit up in UN blue on Saturday. The UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe has initiated the campaign to “Turn Europe UN Blue” in a symbolic effort to promote the universal language of peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Thursday 22 October the anniversary was marked with a digital concert and dance show, Prerecorded at La Scala Theater in Malan, screened in the General Assembly Hall and distributed digitally across the world. The show featured international stars and contained dances curated specifically for the UN Day Concert. According to the UN, the performance was meant to “leverage the power of music and dance to capture our collective commitment to cooperation, multilateralism and global solidarity”.