UN celebrates 72nd anniversary across South Sudan
24 October 2017, JUBA — UN personnel working across South Sudan have today cometogether with local leaders and communities to celebrate United Nations Day and the workthe organization is doing to protect civilians, build durable peace, and create stability anddevelopment within the young nation.
Speaking at a UN Day event in Juba, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General,David Shearer paid tribute to the professionalism, commitment and courage of thethousands of staff working for more than 20 UN entities in often remote and dangerouslocations across South Sudan.
“This year alone, UN agencies and humanitarian partners are providing life-saving health,nutrition, education, and water and sanitation services to 4.7 million South Sudanese inneed.
Those achievements are testament to the commitment of dedicated aid workers, many ofwhom are South Sudanese nationals,” said David Shearer.
South Sudanese political and community leaders as well as members of the public joinedin the 72nd anniversary celebration held in the capital as well as at UN bases across thecountry under the theme: “United Nations and South Sudan Building the FutureTogether”.
The UN has been working in what is now the country of South Sudan, for over 50 years,providing vital services such as food, access to clean water, sanitation, education, healthcare, infrastructural development, peacekeeping, policing, demining, human rights andother forms of advocacy.
David Shearer said while the many South Sudanese people he had met were from differentregions and backgrounds, they all wanted one thing – peace.
“People want to return home. They want their children to go to school. They want to beproductive citizens. They want to be self-reliant,” he said. “That is why the South Sudaneseare urging their leaders to silence the guns and give peace a chance.”
UN day allows the organization to actively promote the ideals of the UN. It is also beingcelebrated in Torit, Aweil, Yambio, Bentiu, Malakal, Wau, Bor, Rumbek and Warrap.
The United Nations was established in 1945 with just 51 Member States. Today there are193, including South Sudan, the UN’s youngest member. While the organization haschanged, the UN’s founding principles of promoting peace and security, human rights anddevelopment remain the same and are at the core of the UN’s work in South Sudan, saidDavid Shearer.# # #