Dear editor,
In the light of recent local interest in the United Nations, we are providing the following information about UN accomplishments:
The UN has provided a world forum - It is a place where people of all races and cultures can sit down together to talk out their differences and make plans for a more peaceful, harmonious, and productive world.
It has promoted human rights - Since adopting the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights in 1948, the United Nations has helped enact dozens of comprehensive agreements on political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights. By investigating individual complaints of human rights abuses, the UN Human Rights Commission has focused world attention on cases of torture, disappearance, and arbitrary detention and has generated international pressure to be brought on governments to improve their human rights records.
It has provided humanitarian aid to victims of conflict - More than 30 million refugees fleeing war, famine or persecution have received aid from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since 1951 in a continuing effort coordinated by the United Nations that often involves other agencies. There are more than 19 million refugees, mostly women and children, who are receiving food, shelter, medical aid, education and repatriation assistance.
It has worked to alleviate chronic hunger and rural poverty in developing countries - The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has developed a system of providing credit, often in very small amounts, for the poorest and most marginalised groups that has benefited over 230 million people in nearly 100 developing countries.
Further information on the United Nations may be obtained by writing the Mariposa Chapter of the United Nations Association, PO Box 134, Mariposa, CA 95338.
The Mariposa Chapter of the United Nations Association