UN Secretary-General António Guterres' message for United Nations Day 2025

“We the peoples of the United Nations...”

These are not just the opening words of the United Nations Charter – they define who we are.

The United Nations is more than an institution.  It is a living promise – spanning borders, bridging continents, inspiring generations.  

For eighty years, we have worked to forge peace, tackle poverty and hunger, advance human rights, and build a more sustainable world – together.

As we look ahead, we confront challenges of staggering scale: escalating conflicts, climate chaos, runaway technologies, and threats to the very fabric of our institution.

This is no time for timidity or retreat.  

Now, more than ever, the world must recommit to solving problems no nation can solve alone.  

On this UN Day, let’s stand together and fulfil the extraordinary promise of your United Nations.

Let’s show the world what is possible when “we the peoples” choose to act as one.