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STORY: UN / UNITED NATIONS CHARTER DAY
TRT: 02:49
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 JUNE 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
26 JUNE 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
3. Wide shot, the President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock walks up to the GA rostrum
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Annalena Baerbock, President 80th General Assembly, United Nations:
“The United Nations is miracle of humanity. The greatest achievement of the United Nations is probably the simple fact that it exists at all, and therefore our biggest responsibility is to protect this United Nations.”
5. Wide shot, GA
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Annalena Baerbock, President 80th General Assembly, United Nations:
“So, the greatest tribute we can pay to the founders of the United Nations today is not simply to celebrate what they build, but to ensure it is fit for the future through a successful UN80 reform.”
7. Pan left, audience
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Annalena Baerbock, President 80th General Assembly, United Nations:
“In a world where the principles of this institution are not only under pressure but under attack, our responsibility is clear to defend the Charter, not only today through commemorations, but through our actions, and by proving through what we do every day, also in this home, that the promise made in San Francisco still lives on.”
9. Wide shot, Secretary-General António Guterres walks up to the rostrum
10. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The Charter was a promise to the world that humanity can choose cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, dignity over domination, and hope over fear. A promise made from the ashes of war and carried by every generation since. For 81 years, we have strived to keep that promise alive.”
11. Wide shot, Guterres at the rostrum
12. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“No border can hold back a warming planet. No country can govern artificial intelligence alone, and the pandemic alone, or shield its people from global shocks alone. In a world of shared dangers, cooperation is not naivete. It is the clearest idealism there is. But cooperation only works when it's grounded in rules. Rules that apply to all. Rules that protect all, rules set out in the Charter. I've said it before. The charter is not in a la carte menu. Its principles are not optional, and they are not negotiable. And they demand respect for the sovereign equality of all states.”
13. Wide shot, GA
Eighty-one years after the signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, the President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock today (26 Jun) said, “in a world where the principles of this institution are not only under pressure but under attack, our responsibility is clear to defend the Charter.”
During a ceremony to commemorate the signing of the Charter, Baerbock said, “the United Nations is miracle of humanity. The greatest achievement of the United Nations is probably the simple fact that it exists at all, and therefore our biggest responsibility is to protect this United Nations.”
She said, “the greatest tribute we can pay to the founders of the United Nations today is not simply to celebrate what they build, but to ensure it is fit for the future through a successful UN80 reform.”
Launched in March 2025 by Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN80 Initiative’s goal is to streamline operations, reduce duplication, and modernize administrative processes.
Baerbock said the Charter must be defended,” not only today through commemorations, but through our actions, and by proving through what we do every day, also in this home, that the promise made in San Francisco still lives on.”
Guterres for his part said the Charter “was a promise to the world that humanity can choose cooperation over chaos, law over lawlessness, dignity over domination, and hope over fear.”
He said, “for 81 years, we have strived to keep that promise alive.”
The Secretary-General said, “no border can hold back a warming planet. No country can govern artificial intelligence alone, and the pandemic alone, or shield its people from global shocks alone. In a world of shared dangers, cooperation is not naivete. It is the clearest idealism there is. But cooperation only works when it's grounded in rules. Rules that apply to all. Rules that protect all, rules set out in the Charter.”
Since 1945 the Charter has been a cornerstone of the international order and guiding framework for multilateralism. The vision set out in the Charter, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, remains one of the most consequential collective commitments made.
