[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
Presidential Documents
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
