Ley 139 del 2001

(No. 139)

(Approved September 28, 2001)

AN ACT

To provide that the $24^{ ext {th }}$ day of October of every year shall be observed and celebrated throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as the "United Nations Day."

STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

"United Nations" was a name conceived by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, and was used for the first time in the Declaration of the United Nations of January $1^{ ext {st }}, 1942$, during the Second World War, when the representatives of 26 nations established the commitment, on behalf of their governments, to join forces to fight the power of the German regime.

The United Nations Charter was drafted by the representatives of 50 countries convened in San Francisco from April 25 to June 26, 1945, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization. The delegates based their works on proposals formulated by the representatives of China, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, by the representatives of 50 countries. The United Nations Organization (UNO) was officially constituted on October 24, 1945, with the ratification of the Charter by China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the majority of the remaining signatories.

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Pursuant to the Charter, the United Nations Organization has four purposes: to maintain the international peace and security; to foster friendly relations among nations; to achieve international cooperation in the solution of international problems and in the development and fostering of respect for human rights; and to serve as a center to cohere the efforts of all nations.

The United Nations Organization is a center which seeks solutions for the problems faced by all mankind. Over 30 affiliate organizations, known as a whole as the UN system, collaborate in this effort. Day after day, the United Nations and its organizations system work in the pursuit of promoting respect for human rights, protecting the environment, fighting against diseases, fostering development and reducing poverty. In addition, UN bodies determine the security and efficiency standards for air and maritime transportation, contribute to the improvement of telecommunications and perfect consumer protection, seek to guarantee respect for copyrights and coordinate the distribution of radio frequencies. Throughout the world, the UN and its organizations offer assistance to refugees and establish programs for the removal of land mines, contribute to the improvement of the quality of drinking water and to increase food production, grant loans to developing countries and contribute to the stabilization of financial markets.

The government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in seeking to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation that bind the countries of the international community, wishes to educate the citizenry about the purpose and the work performed by this renowned international organization and to observe and celebrate every year, together with the representatives and the nationals of the countries represented in our soil, the United Nations Day.

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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:

Section 1.-It is hereby provided that the $24^{ ext {th }}$ day of October of each year shall be observed and celebrated throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as the "United Nations Day."

Section 2.-The Governor of Puerto Rico shall fulfill the purposes of this Act, and through a proclamation to that effect, shall urge all the Puerto Rican people to conduct activities leading to the observance and the education of the citizenry about the purpose, the importance and the work performed by the United Nations Organization and to celebrate, together with all the representatives and nationals of the countries who are established in our Island, the anniversary of the foundation of this important international organization.

Section 3.-The Department of State shall be responsible for coordinating the educational, commemorative and protocol activities relative to this Act.

Section 4.-This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.

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CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 139 (S.B. 284) of the $1^{ ext {st }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:

AN ACT to provide that the $24^{ ext {th }}$ day of October of every year shall be observed and celebrated throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as the "United Nations Day, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $20^{ ext {th }}$ of January of 2005.

Marialma Alfau-Alemán Acting Director