Message from President U Win Myint on 74th Anniversary of United Nations Day

On this occasion of the 74th Anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, I wish to express, on behalf of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, our heartfelt congratulations to the United Nations on its achievements so far, and to extend our best wishes for greater success in its discharge of the mandate vested by the United Nations Charter.

This United Nations Organization was established seventy-four years ago, on 24th October 1945, by peace-loving nations around the world. Member countries were resolved to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on the principle of equal rights and to achieve international co-operation in solving international issues as stipulated explicitly in the Charter of the United Nations.

The annals of the organization reveal clearly that important goals have been achieved in the midst of imperfections and constraints. People are better-fed than they used to be, wars are no longer as frequent as they once were and many people have escaped from extreme poverty. Such achievements on a global scale would not have been possible without collective efforts by the member countries of the United Nations.

The World continues to face serious global challenges which cannot be addressed by a single nation alone. As such, the United Nations is playing an increasingly important role in solving common traditional and non-traditional challenges of global concern such as climate change, which necessitate members of the international community to work together. The onus is on the UN to support each UN member state to find pragmatic solutions for these challenges in ways their capacity and resources permit.

The theme of the General Assembly this year “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion” aptly reflects the current global scenario. With strong support by the UN, the coordinated efforts of the international community are to be channeled into multilateral cooperation to tackle global challenges and achieve our shared Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The principles of sovereign equality, impartiality and objectivity are vividly enshrined in the UN Charter. It is therefore vital for the United Nations to ensure that it remains relevant to all nations regardless of their size and power. The United Nations should discharge its mandate and allocate its scarce resources in the most effective manner. Its activities should be driven by objective needs rather than by the desire to accommodate the wishes of particular member countries. Such polarization will lead to a trust deficit in the international system as is evidenced by the increase in nationalism and populism in recent years. To preserve the integrity of the organization, all of its members must play by the same rules under the UN umbrella. The values of the UN Charter must remain our guide.

Myanmar believes that the United Nations should remain at the heart of multilateralism. Cooperation with the United Nations has always ranked high in the tenets of our foreign policy. As an emerging democracy with numerous domestic challenges, Myanmar reaffirms its commitment to work together with the United Nations in our nation-building efforts.

The United Nations has, despite its limitations, yielded wide-ranging benefits to humankind and brought benefits to many people the world over. Although questions have been raised as to the capability of the United Nations, it has managed to tackle many global challenges and to forge ahead. The UN remains a beacon of hope for everyone. “We the peoples” should unite our strength in supporting the task of the UN to build a brighter future for all.

On this auspicious occasion of the 74th anniversary of the United Nations, I wish to reaffirm our belief in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and to state our determination to cooperate with the United Nations and other member countries in support of constructive efforts of the organization for peace, prosperity, people and the planet.

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