24 October 2012: UN Day this year was observed with, among other events, a public forum in Japan at the UN University (UNU), a concert in New York, US, and a message by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighting the UN’s role in a period of “turmoil, transition and transformation.”

In his UN Day message, Ban praises progress achieved by many countries in reducing poverty and transitioning to democratic systems. He called on member States and individuals to intensify efforts and commitment, highlighting the need to prepare “a bold and practical post-2015 development agenda” as the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) draws near. He emphasized that the UN is “not just a meeting place for diplomats” but also spans many roles including peacekeeping, providing health services and humanitarian relief, and promoting human rights.

In Japan, a public forum on the theme “Post ‘Rio+20′: Achieving the future we want” was organized by the UN Information Centre (UNIC), UNU and the Environmental Partnership Council (EPC), in cooperation with the Global Environment Outreach Centre (GEOC). The forum speakers included: Naoki Kazama, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; and Janos Pasztor, UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability. It featured a panel discussion among representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), the private sector, civil society and academia. MOFA, UN agencies based in Japan and the Global Compact Japan Network (GC-JN) supported the event.

UN Day marks the 1945 entry into force of the UN Charter. The anniversary has been observed since 1948. [Secretary-General’s Message] [UNIC Press Release] [UN Association US Webpage]