October 24 is United Nations Day. The date was marked as a holiday in 1948. This year celebrates the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its charter. We reached out to the AMUN secretariat to see what the United Nations means to them.

According to Aaron Jorbin, an Executive Staff member, “The United Nations, to me, is best summed up in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’” Aaron adds, “It’s a statement that, while incredibly simple, is powerful.”

Rebecca Thomas, the Under-Secretary-General for Rapporteurs, says, “To me, the UN represents the possibility of a brighter future. It is a group of diverse and empathetic people who want to make the lives of their fellow humans better.” Katie Evans, President of the General Assembly, agrees. “The UN is about consensus-building, celebrating humanity, both individual and collective similarities and differences to promoting peace-building and human rights,” Katie adds.

Our Director of Conference Services, Lindsay Leguillon puts it really well, “The UN is the world’s dinner table, everyone has a seat and everyone is welcome to sit together for a chat.” Christi Johnson, Under-Secretary-General for the International Court of Justice, shares a similar thought, “The UN… demonstrates that people from varying backgrounds can work together in order to unselfishly improve life for people around the world.”

In a year that has impacted much of the world, it’s hard to be optimistic on current global affairs. Rob Matevich, Director of Delegate Services Lab, looks at it with more optimism, “[The UN] reminds me that we are always striving to be better and make the world a better place for everyone. Sometimes that’s hard but organizations like the UN make those changes a little easier.”

The UN has been making its mark on the world for 75 years. As you reflect on everything this organization has accomplished and the challenges it has faced, what does the UN mean to you?