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Press Releases United Nations Day 24 October 2002 Today, the United Nations Association in Canada is proud to celebrate the 57th Anniversary of the United Nations. UN Day is a time both to reflect on the accomplishments of the organization and to consider how best to address the challenges it continues to face. "No institution embodies the global community more than the United Nations," says Steve Mason, Executive Director of UNA-Canada. "In the last half century the UN and its agencies have, on a shoestring budget, improved the health of millions, acted as a key player in the decolonization movement and assisted with elections in over 70 countries. Additionally, the UN has played a major role in defusing international crises, resolving protracted conflict and ending civil wars. UN relief agencies help to aid and protect more than 25 million refugees and displaced persons throughout the world, and the UN is the premier vehicle for furthering development in poorer countries." At the same time, the United Nations still struggles with the difficulties inherent in achieving cooperation between 191 countries characterized by vastly different social, cultural, religious and economic realities. This challenge has been underscored by the attempts to delineate an internationally-agreed upon resolution to the dispute over Iraq. The intensity of debate and the divergence in viewpoints can mean that a consensual solution is very difficult to achieve, but it does not negate the crucial role that the UN has as a collective mechanism to deal with threats to international peace and security and humanitarian crises. Although the UN may face considerable obstacles, the alternative of working around the UN threatens the legal and normative foundations on which the international system is built. Patience, perseverance and the support and engagement of citizens around the globe are needed to ensure an effective United Nations. The UN is only as strong as its member states allow it to be, and the voices of citizen can play a significant role in bolstering the governmental support for the organization. Today, in the midst of so much uncertainty, is the ideal time to demonstrate our support for the best hope for a peaceful future, the United Nations.
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