Better Together: United Nations Turns 80

The United Nations is celebrating 80 years this year, and this week’s general assembly is meeting under the theme: Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.

The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force October 24 that year.

From its founding, the United Nations has been at the heart of global cooperation. Highlights include:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948
• UN peacekeeping created – 1948
• Eradication of smallpox – 1967 – 1980
• World Conference on Women – 1975
• The Millennium Development Goals – 2000
• The Paris Agreement on Climate Change – 2015
• The Sustainable Development Goals – 2015.

The United Nations stands up for justice and respect for human rights. It documents human rights violations worldwide, advocates for robust human rights protections, promotes compliance with international laws and standards, and supports governments in their reform efforts through work in over 90 countries.

Yet, human rights remain under threat at sea. David Hammond, founder of the NGO Human Rights at Sea, says: “There is no doubt that the emerging human rights at sea narrative and associated incidents which constitute egregious human rights abuses