Study OAS · 24 October 2025

United Nations Day 2025

What's the News?

United Nations Day will be observed globally on October 24, 2025, commemorating the anniversary of the UN Charter coming into force in 1945.
The day celebrates the UN's role in promoting global peace, human rights, and sustainable development worldwide.
As of current information, the official theme for United Nations Day 2025 has not yet been announced by the UN Secretariat.

Origins: Established following the end of World War II, when global leaders recognized the need for an international organization to prevent future conflicts.
Key milestones:
- June 26, 1945: Representatives from 50 nations signed the UN Charter in San Francisco.
- October 24, 1945: UN Charter officially came into effect after ratification by major founding countries and the five permanent members of the Security Council.
- 1947: UN General Assembly declared October 24 as United Nations Day.
- 1971: UN General Assembly recommended member states observe it as a public holiday.

Principal Organs of the UN: The UN system is built around six principal organs:
- General Assembly: The main deliberative and policymaking body.
- Security Council: Responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
- Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Coordinates economic and social work.
- International Court of Justice (ICJ): The principal judicial organ.
- Secretariat: Carries out the day-to-day work of the UN.
- Trusteeship Council: Established to supervise 'Trust Territories', it suspended operations in 1994.
India and the UN:
- India was a founding member of the United Nations, signing the Charter in 1945.
- India is one of the largest contributors to UN Peacekeeping missions.
- India has been a long-standing advocate for reforms within the UN, particularly the expansion of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to better reflect contemporary global realities.