The 70th Anniversary Of The Signing Of The U.N. Charter

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter and the establishment of one of the world's greatest organizations for peace and the advancement of humanity.

As the representative from San Francisco, this anniversary holds a particular pride for the people of my city and for me--for it was San Francisco that played host to the grand conference of delegates that wrote the U.N. Charter; and it was in the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, on June 26, 1945, that the Charter was signed.

On that day, President Harry S Truman came to the Plenary to offer his congratulations and his hopes for the future of the new United Nations: ``You have created a great instrument for peace and security and human progress in the world,'' President Truman said. ``The world must now use it.''

Seven decades later, 193 member states have ratified the Charter. The world's greatest leaders and thinkers have been among the United Nations representatives. In 1946, United Nations General Assembly Delegate and Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which builds on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's commitment to ``freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want'' for all people.

The United Nations has worked to end disease, hunger and poverty. It has sought to advance human rights, human dignity, and the opportunities of women and girls. It has focused the world's attention on the urgency of the climate crisis and the plight of refugees. It has stood against violence, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. It has been a great bulwark for global peace.

The U.N. continues to confront the challenges of the 21st century by striving to not only meet the Millennium Development Goals but to expand them with the Sustainable Development Goals to be finalized this fall. It is my firm hope that the United States will be a strong and active participant in the effort to realize the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve progress for all the peoples of the United Nations.

In striving to fulfill the ideals and promise of its charter, the United Nations, related agencies, programs and staff have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize eleven times.

In 1950, Ralph Bunche, an American, became the first person affiliated with the new organization to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech, he remarked, ``I am but one of many cogs in the United Nations, the greatest peace organization ever dedicated to the salvation of mankind's future on earth.''

This weekend, the city of San Francisco will once again welcome the U.N.'s highly respected Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and other representatives of the United Nations. Our mayor Ed Lee and the people of San Francisco are thrilled and proud to once more play host to another milestone of U.N. history in our beautiful city.

Under the vital leadership of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations remains a strong, resolute, unwavering voice for peace in a world burdened by war. May it continue to stand as a beacon of peace for the next 70 years and beyond.

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