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United Nations Day: UN marks 81 years as Guterres says it is needed more than ever

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United Nations Day on 24 October 2026 marked 81 years since the UN Charter entered into force, and Secretary-General António Guterres used his last message for the day as UN chief to say the organisation is “needed more than ever”, UN News reported.

United Nations Day: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opens the general debate at UN Headquarters in New York in September 2026 (file)
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opens the general debate at UN Headquarters in New York in September 2026 (file) Photo: UN Photo/Loey Felipe via UN News (editorial use with credit).

Why United Nations Day falls on 24 October

UN Day marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945, UN News said. The organisation officially came into being once its founding document was ratified by a majority of signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council. The day has been celebrated every year on 24 October since 1948. According to UN News, the agenda set at that time has not changed: settling disputes through diplomacy, fighting poverty and hunger, promoting human rights and delivering lifesaving aid to people hit by conflict, disasters and displacement. This year’s anniversary highlighted more than eight decades of work on peace, human rights and development around the world.

Key Facts

  • Date: 24 October 2026, the UN’s 81st anniversary
  • Marks: entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945
  • Observed every year since: 1948
  • Member states: 193
  • UNRRA founded: November 1943

“The United Nations is an essential part of the fabric of our world. And it's needed more than ever.”

— Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres: humanity must work together

In his last message marking the day while in charge of the UN, Mr Guterres said UN Day stands for the idea that “humanity’s future depends on our ability to work together to advance peace, development and human rights.” He pointed to the deep challenges facing the world today, including conflict, the climate crisis, rising inequalities and technologies that are advancing faster than the ability to govern them. “The United Nations is an essential part of the fabric of our world,” he said. “And it’s needed more than ever.” His message comes as the UN General Assembly, where all 193 member states meet, continues to debate the defining issues of the day, from war and peace to development, climate change and human rights.

UNRRA: the relief effort that came first

UN News also recalled the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), founded in November 1943 while the Second World War was still raging, before the UN itself had been set up. Faced with hunger, disease, mass displacement and devastation, UNRRA helped deliver the essentials of survival and gave hope to millions trying to rebuild their lives, it said. Beyond emergency relief, it became a pioneering experiment in international cooperation, and a UN video marking the anniversary uses archive footage and personal testimony to tell its story. UN News described the founding of the UN in 1945 as a dream of a more peaceful and fairer world that grew from the ruins of the war. UN News said the General Assembly, more than eight decades after the UN’s founding, remains the place where member states debate war and peace, development, climate change and human rights.

Why It Matters: The UN runs much of the world's humanitarian aid and peace diplomacy, and its future direction matters as a new Secretary-General is due to take over.

Also on TrendDesh: West Bank closures after Hebron attack leave Guterres alarmed, UN says · Samarkand summit on child wellbeing opens as Guterres says investing in children is investing in the future

Source: UN News, 23 Oct 2026 · United Nations: UN Day

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