Today, 24th October,is United Nations Day. It marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. Through the Charter’s ratification, the United Nations was institutionalized. This is the 75th Anniversary of the UN, and according to the UN, ‘this anniversary comes in a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with severe economic and social impacts. But it is also a reminder that times of struggle can become an opportunity for positive change and transformation. There is no other global organization with the legitimacy, convening power and normative impact of the United Nations. Today, the urgency for all countries to come together, to fulfil the promise of the nations united, has rarely been greater’.

Upon independence, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas became a member of the United Nations (UN) in 1973. The Bahamas participates actively in the organization, particularly through its Permanent Missions accredited to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and to the United Nations Office in Geneva. The Bahamas’ involvement in the UN extends through participation in the work of the agencies and organs of the UN. The Bahamas currently serves on the Human Rights Council (HRC). Several Bahamians also hold high positions in the UN system, including Sir Burton Hall who currently serves as a Judge on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and Ms Marion Bethel who serves as an Expert on the Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Bahamas, at this time, also serves on the Councils of three other UN Agencies, namely, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

According to the United Nations, the UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States. The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. The name "United Nations" was coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first used in the Declaration by the United Nations 1 January 1942, during the Second World War. Read more at - https://www.un.org/en/observances/un-day.