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United Nations: Festivals and Special Occasions

Volume 498: debated on Wednesday 28 October 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what events in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) overseas territories took place on 24 October 2009 to celebrate United Nations Day. (295663)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not informed of all events commemorating UN day across the UK or in the Overseas Territories. However, to mark UN Day 2009, my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock, FCO Minister for the UN, will host a reception for members of the UN Association-UK’s young professionals network at the FCO on 28 October 2009. The reception will give young professionals from across the vocational spectrum the opportunity to hear about the ways in which the UK supports the work of the UN. Baroness Kinnock has also paid tribute to the UN and its staff by posting a message on the FCO website.

UN Association-UK have marked UN Day through a range of activities. These included fundraising events to support the UN’s humanitarian work, UN flag-raising ceremonies, conferences and speaker events, as well as the launch of its annual lobby of Parliament which aims to promote dialogue between voters and MPs on UN issues. Other events across the country include, UN ‘flag day’ collections (London and the South East of England), Celebration of UN Day and the International Year of Astronomy (Northern Ireland), UN Day talk on Israel and Palestine (Warwick), UN Day service (Shropshire) and UN Day ceremony (Harpenden).