[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 208 (Wednesday, October 28, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 57889-57890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29051]



[[Page 57887]]

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Part V





The President





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Proclamation 7143--United Nations Day, 1998
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 208 / Wednesday, October 28, 1998 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 57889]]

                Proclamation 7143 of October 23, 1998

                
United Nations Day, 1998

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every year on October 24, we celebrate the United 
                Nations, a unique institution conceived in the crucible 
                of World War II. Although the U.N. is an international 
                body, the term ``United Nations'' was coined by an 
                American, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who 
                vigorously advocated for the creation of an assembly, 
                composed of representatives from nations around the 
                globe, devoted to the promotion of world peace and 
                prosperity. The member countries of the United Nations 
                are large and small, with diverse social, cultural, and 
                political values, but each has a voice in shaping the 
                world's destiny. Maintaining peace and security; 
                promoting democracy, development, and human rights--
                this is the noble mission put forth in the U.N. 
                Charter. The U.N. has been effective in fulfilling this 
                formidable mission, winning Nobel Peace Prizes for its 
                peace-keeping operations, its promotion of children's 
                and workers' rights, and its assistance to refugees. 
                The U.N. has also enabled people in more than 45 
                countries to participate in free and fair elections by 
                providing electoral advice and assistance and 
                monitoring results. Its day-to-day operations--
                supplying safe drinking water, fighting disease, giving 
                food and shelter to victims of emergencies and 
                political tumult--have made a difference in the lives 
                of millions of people around the world.

                This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal 
                Declaration of Human Rights, one of the first major 
                achievements of the U.N. The Declaration has become the 
                standard for international human rights law, beginning 
                with the uncompromising statement: ``All human beings 
                are born free and equal in dignity and rights.'' Over 
                the years, the Declaration has been used countless 
                times in countless ways to advance and defend human 
                rights. As Secretary General Kofi Annan has stated, 
                ``Human rights are universal, indivisible, and 
                interdependent and lie at the heart of all that the 
                United Nations aspires to achieve in peace and 
                development.''

                Despite the U.N.'s extraordinary accomplishments, many 
                challenges lie before us. Lasting peace can be realized 
                only through wide social and economic development. 
                Today, three-fourths of the world's people live in 
                developing countries, and 1.3 billion live in abject 
                poverty. The ever-widening gap between the world's 
                richest and poorest countries remains one of our most 
                pressing challenges. The U.N. and its agencies, 
                including the World Bank and the International Monetary 
                Fund, provide vital assistance to developing countries 
                through grants and loans of over $25 billion a year. 
                With the current disruption in the world financial 
                markets, the U.N. also plays a pivotal role as a 
                stabilizing force, attracting investment in emerging 
                economies in the developing world by promoting 
                political stability, transparency, and good governance. 
                And the U.N. continues to serve the world as an 
                effective forum for instant consultation and 
                cooperation among governments when attacking such 
                shared threats as terrorism, drug trafficking, 
                environmental degradation, and infectious disease.

[[Page 57890]]

                The United States can best honor and celebrate the good 
                work and many accomplishments of the United Nations by 
                ensuring its continued strength and effectiveness. The 
                U.N. has made great strides in streamlining its 
                programs and cutting its costs. I applaud this 
                progress, and I deeply regret the failure of this 
                Congress to agree to pay our overdue U.N. dues. I 
                pledge to work with the next Congress to meet our 
                financial treaty obligations to the U.N. America played 
                a vital role in the birth of the United Nations more 
                than 50 years ago, and, if we are to remain true to our 
                values and goals, we must work constructively with this 
                great institution and maintain our vote in its 
                deliberations.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim October 24, 1998, as United 
                Nations Day. I encourage all Americans to acquaint 
                themselves with the activities and accomplishments of 
                the United Nations and to observe this day with 
                appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities 
                furthering the goal of international cooperation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-third.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 98-29051
Filed 10-27-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P