United Nations Day, 2011

Vol. 76

Thursday,

No. 208

October 27, 2011

Part IV

The President

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Proclamation 8740--United Nations Day, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8740 of October 24, 2011

United Nations Day, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In 1945, 51 nations in a world shaken by war signed the
Charter of the United Nations. Determined to move
beyond an era of violence and uncertainty, these
pioneers aimed to prevent conflict by addressing its
causes. Today, the United Nations provides a forum to
seek lasting peace by mediating international disputes,
advancing human rights, and fostering global
cooperation. On United Nations Day, we join our 192
fellow member states in celebrating the founding ideals
of the Charter, and we recommit to the global pursuit
of peace, justice, and human dignity.

Built out of the ashes of war and genocide, the United
Nations emerged as a vehicle for human progress.
Recognizing the power and virtue of working in concert,
the founders of this institution set out to mend the
wounds caused by World War II, embrace peace over
chaos, and lay the foundation for global cooperation on
shared goals. Now, as the fates of nations become ever
more intertwined, the leadership, staff, and member
states of the United Nations continue to play an
essential role in addressing global issues--from public
health and economic development to climate change,
transnational terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.

Extraordinary events have reminded the world that the
collective action of ordinary citizens can lead the
march toward liberty and justice. At a time of dramatic
political transformation, the United Nations can
embrace democratic movements and stand beside those who
reject tyranny and oppression and look to the promise
of freedom and prosperity. Together, we will help
realize the aspirations of peoples long denied the
opportunity to achieve their dreams.

The men and women who created the United Nations
understood that peace is not simply the absence of war.
The global community must continue not only to promote
stability, but also defend the right of all peoples to
live free and the right of all nations to chart their
own course. The United States, working in and with the
United Nations, will never accept a flawed status quo,
but will pursue with vigor the world as we know it can
be.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim October 24, 2011, as
United Nations Day. I urge the Governors of the 50
States, and the officials of all other areas under the
flag of the United States, to observe United Nations
Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.