In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 24, as anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations as the UN Day.

The UN Day is often marked with meetings, discussions, talks, cultural shows and exhibits about the achievements and goals of the organisation. In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that member states observe it as a public holiday.

It is a historical fact that the name ‘United Nations’ was first used by the US President Franklin D Roosevelt on first January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations first established international organisations to cooperate on specific matters.

It was in 1945, that the representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference to draw up the United Nations Charter. The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, however, signed it later and became one of the original 51 member states of the UN.

But, the UN officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories.

The current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, "The United Nations is doing its utmost to respond — to address the big issues, to look at the big picture. We are forging a new multilateralism that can deliver real results for all people, especially those most in need."