[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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 Con

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stitution 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.
BARACK OBAMA