[Title 3 CFR 7143]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - January 1, 1999 Edition]
[Title 3 - Presidential Documents]
[Proclamation 7143 - Proclamation 7143 of October 23, 1998]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


3Presidential Documents11999-01-011999-01-01false7143Proclamation 7143Presidential Documents
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

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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.
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.

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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.
                                                    WILLIAM J. CLINTON