United Nations Day

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (15:27): I rise to note that today, 24 October, is United Nations Day, marking the 73^rd anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter. The UN is a remarkable institution, something I developed an interest in back when I was flag monitor when, on 24 October, I got to put up the UN flag for that one time of year.

Australia is one of the UN's strongest supporters, both today and throughout its history. Contemporary perceptions of the relevance and role of the UN have changed over the years and across the world. However, from any objective viewpoint, the UN continues to remain a positive force for good overall, both in principle and with regard to the practical work it does around the world.

To provide some background into the UN, the concept of the UN was first articulated in the Atlantic Charter issued by the United Kingdom and the United States in August 1941. It was later ratified by 26 allied nations, including Australia, on 1 January 1942 as the Declaration of the United Nations. This occurred not long after the USA's entry into the Second World War.

The UN Charter was signed in San Francisco by 50 nations, including Australia, on 26 June 1945 after the Nazis surrendered in Europe but before the Imperial Japanese surrendered in the Asia-Pacific. Australian forces were still fighting in the closing stages of the Second World War and thousands were still prisoners of war. The UN Charter key principles are the sovereign equality of all members, meaning that all nations are equal; peaceful resolution of international disputes; refraining from the use or threat of force against territorial integrity or political independence; and not interfering in individual nations' domestic affairs.

Certain articles of the UN Charter allow for nations to defend themselves and for the Security Council to employ military forces from member states in the interest of restoring and maintaining international peace and security. International economic and social cooperation is also important, as is international justice. It is fair to say that these principles have not always been met, even by the permanent members of the Security Council, both historically and recently.

A key part of the United Nations is peacekeeping. The UN comprises many specialist organisations and has undertaken a range of missions around the world. Peacekeeping is an important function. The UN has completed more than 50 such missions since 1947 and is currently engaged in 15 peacekeeping missions, with over half of those in Africa.

The very first peacekeeper personnel deployed by the UN were Australians—military observers sent to Indonesia during the independence struggles in 1947. Since then, more than 65,000 Australians have served in 62 multilateral peacekeeping operations in more than 20 countries. Australians are currently deployed on UN missions in Ethiopia and Eritrea, East Timor, Sudan, Cyprus, Israel and Korea.

There are a number of other notable UN facts involving Australia. For instance, Australia was the first nation to preside over the UN Security Council in 1946. In 1948, Australia became the third country to preside over the UN General Assembly. Australia is the 11^th largest financial contributor to the UN. Key UN specialist organisations include the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), active in 191 countries and raising around $US5 billion a year. The United Nations is an amazing organisation and must be commended for the work it has done over its 73-year history, and I commend these comments to the house.