Solidarity and the United Nations
Convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing was important for combating poverty, the General Assembly proclaimed 20 December as International Human Solidarity Day. Therefore, International Human Solidarity Day is:
- A day to celebrate our unity in diversity;
- A day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements;
- A day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity;
- A day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals including poverty eradication;
- A day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.
The UN and the Concept of Solidarity
The concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the Organization. The creation of the United Nations drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights and social and economic development. The organization was founded on a basic premise of unity and harmony among its members expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite “to maintain international peace and security”.
It is in the spirit of solidarity that the organization relies on “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character” as well.