Proclamation 6052—United Nations Day, 1989

Each year, United Nations Day provides us the opportunity to reaffirm the principles upon which the United Nations was founded in 1945. Those principles are eloquently expressed in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. In that historic document, the peoples of the United Nations agreed that "recognition of the inherent dignity of the equal and unalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world." The ongoing efforts of the United States and other members of the United Nations are rooted in the conviction that human rights should be protected by the rule of law.

Today, mankind is filled with hope, for the prospects for peace have improved greatly in regions where it seemed impossible just a few years ago. Throughout the world, we are witnessing the triumph of freedom and democratic ideals over regimes maintained by intimidation and force. The United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have contributed much to this progress, both symbolically and practically.

The effectiveness and credibility of the organization have been enhanced by a continuing series of internal reforms, and the United Nations plays an important role in promoting constructive dialogue and the peaceful resolution of differences between nations. It has helped advance or implement the settlement of a number of regional conflicts, and it has helped promote the economic and political development of countries beset by strife and poverty. The United Nations has also begun to offer leadership in the fight against drug trafficking, as well as in efforts to protect the global environment.

Much of the United Nations' work is carried out by its technical and specialized agencies, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which provided for the establishment of the ICAO. Since its inception, the ICAO has led efforts to promote safety in international air navigation and to ensure the orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world.

In recent years, the ICAO has devoted increasing attention to the threat of terrorism. Earlier this year, it adopted a plan of action to thwart terrorists attempting to place bombs on board passenger aircraft. The Organization is currently developing a regimen for the marking and detection of plastic explosives. The ICAO has long been a useful forum in which to address the problem of aircraft hijackings. In fact, the incidence of aircraft hijackings around the world has decreased markedly -- in large part as a result of improved security measures recommended by the ICAO and implemented by its member states.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is one example of the positive role played by the technical and specialized agencies of the United Nations. Throughout the United Nations system, men and women from around the world are working together to help make the world a safer, healthier place in which to live. Their efforts reflect the vision of those who, in signing the United Nations Charter, "reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, [and] in the dignity and worth of the human person."

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 24, 1989, as United Nations Day. I urge all Americans to observe that day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth.

GEORGE BUSH