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SECRETARY-GENERAL'S UNITED NATIONS DAY MESSAGE, 1969

October 30, 1969

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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.

See the article in its original context from October 1969.

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Birthdays usually are happy occasions. But, in all good conscience, I cannot say that this twentyfourth anniversary of the United Nations is entirely a happy one. It is true, of course, that over the past two dozen years, the organized international community has accomplished much. It has tackled many urgent political, economic, social and humanitarian problems. It has shown that, given the support it requires, international action can and does succeed. But it also must be said that we have not done nearly enough to reach the goals solemnly proclaimed 24 years ago: universal peace, prosperity, social justice -- a life worth living for every human being. The need for international action to bring these goals to fruition is at least as urgent now as it was in 1945. We only have to look around us. The scourge of war is still with us. The armaments race continues under its own mad momentum. Human rights are being flagrantly violated in Southern Africa and in many other parts of the world. Most of the people in the world still do not have enough to eat. There is poverty that can be alleviated. There is disease that can be prevented. There is ignorance that can be remedied. There is plain misery, unnecessarily marring the lives of so many of our fellow human beings. And now the very environment which must sustain a growing world population is becoming increasingly polluted. I am very much afraid that, although we have been able to reach the moon, we often show incredibly shortsighted selfishness, complacency and indifference when it comes to meeting the great challenges that we face here on earth. Above all Governments seem to find it increasingly easy to disregard the voice of the international community, in spite of their solemn undertakings. Thus a profound malaise characterizes the human situation today.

In fact, the current youth unrest is in many respects but a reaction to this deplorable and steadily worsening state of affairs. To help reverse this ominous trend, to help stop the drift to possible disaster in the years ahead, is the overriding duty of every citizen of this world. We are, after all, members of the same human race and we share the same fate, no matter who or where we are. On this twenty-fourth birthday of the United Nations, let us remember that the deep and urgent concerns which led us to create this Organization almost a generation ago are even more valid today. And let us match this realization with concerted international action in the days ahead.