UNACTO was proud to mark the UN’s 75th United Nations Day on 24 October 2020.
Each year, UN Day marks the anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force and celebrates everything that the UN represents and has achieved since its establishment in 1945. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the UN officially came into being.
To celebrate the milestone, UNACTO brought together Canadian leaders to discuss Canada's most challenging issues from climate change to racial inequality to the COVID-19 pandemic, and presented solutions for building a more sustainable world.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, made a special appearance to talk about Canada's role in achieving the UN’s Global Goals and the importance of international cooperation, as part of the UN's #UN75 global conversation for change.
“As we reach this milestone in the midst of a global pandemic that has affected the health and economic wellbeing of people around the world, the need for us to work together has never been greater because the harsh reality is that we are a world in crisis. Countries around the world are facing the immediate challenge of COVID-19 along with the existing challenges of climate change, violent extremism, escalating numbers of displaced people and migrants and so many others. These challenges do not have borders.”
—Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Speakers
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations
John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
Kate White, President of the United Nations Association in Canada
Irene Kashelsky, President of UNACTO
Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire
Stephanie Dei, National Coordinator in Canada for the WE EMPOWER programme of the European Union, UN Women and International Labour Organization
Reema Bazzi, Managing Director of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP)
Host
Aliya Jasmine
TV Host/Producer, Environmental Journalist, and
Co-founder of Lili Media Lab & Design