The foundations for a “League of Nations” were laid in the Treaty of Versailles, which was one of the treaties to formally end World War I. The treaty was signed in Versailles, France, on June 28, 1919. The league aimed to encourage disarmament, prevent outbreaks of war, encourage negotiations and diplomatic measures to settle international disputes and to improve the quality of life around the world. However, the outbreak of World War II suggested that the League of Nations needed to take on a different form.
The ideas around the United Nations were developed in the last years of World War II, particularly during the UN Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, the United States, beginning on April 25, 1945. The UN was officially created when a UN charter was ratified on October 24 that year.
October 24 is observed as United Nations Day since 1948. Since it was established in 1945, therefore, this year marks the 75th anniversary of UN Day. To commemorate this milestone, Member States held a special event on September 21st where they reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism.
This is the historic day when the United Nations officially came into being after the ratification of the Charter by the world’s biggest countries. The UN Charter is the founding document of this great non-partisan institution that has been working towards global peace and equality.
The United Nations was founded immediately after the end of World War II. It succeeded in the failed League of Nations with the aim of preventing further wars. It is an intergovernmental organization whose primary role is to maintain world peace and security.
Different countries and cultures have their own symbols of peace but a few are used commonly across the world like the dove and olive leaf. Legendary Spanish artist Pablo Picasso’s ‘Dove of Peace’, was first chosen as the emblem for the First International Peace Conference in Paris in 1949. It was a traditional, realistic picture of a pigeon which had been given to him by his great friend and rival, the French artist Henri Matisse. Picasso later developed this image into a simple, graphic line drawing that is one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of peace.
In Greek mythology, the dove was used as a symbol of love and the renewal of life. Many Western countries also use an olive branch as a symbol of peace. The Greeks believed that an olive branch meant abundance and drove evil away.
The year 2020 will mark the 75th year of the UN’s existence. The theme for 2020 is ‘The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism’. To mark the 75th anniversary, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced a large and inclusive global conversation on the role of global cooperation in building the future. Due to the pandemic, all the events will take place virtually.
It plays an important role in developing friendly relations among countries, achieve international cooperation and be a centre of coordination for nations. The UN has different organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.
The UN does not work alone but together with many specialized agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO); the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); International Labor Organization (ILO); United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); and United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). International Day of Peace: On International Day of Peace, the United Nations encourages countries to observe the day by adhering to “24 hours of non-violence”.
A United Nations-designated day, it was first established in 1981. On International Day of Peace, the world body encourages countries to observe the day by adhering to “24 hours of non-violence”. In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted to call for “non-violence and cease-fire” on world peace day. India has a huge legacy of contributing to world peace. “There is no path to peace, peace is the path”, said Mahatma Gandhi.
India commemorates this special day every year by raising the United Nations flag along with the tricolour atop all the significant buildings barring the Raj Bhawan and courts.
