KABUL - The 70th anniversary of Afghanistan’s membership of the United Nations falls today.

On 19 November, 1946, A. Hosayn Aziz, the then Minister of Afghanistan to the U.S., signed the Charter of the United Nations. On the same day, the flag of Afghanistan was raised for the first time on the grounds of the General Assembly interim headquarters at Flushing Meadows, New York.

The Afghanistan representative took his place on the floor of the meeting Hall at Flushing Meadows, along with representatives from Iceland and Sweden, two countries also joining that same day.

In June 1945, the month after war had ended in Europe, representatives from 50 countries came together and drew up the UN Charter, which was signed on 26 June 1945. The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945.

As one of the UN's earliest members, Afghanistan has contributed to the work of the world body, including through its diverse and unique culture. The 70-year partnership has resulted not only in rich cultural exchanges but also efforts and achievements in the areas of human rights and women’s empowerment.

The world body’s work in Afghanistan dates back to 1949, when the UN Children’s Fund began operations here. Since then, there has been a near-consistent presence of the United Nations in the country.

More than 20 different UN entities operate in the country, working to support the Afghan government’s priorities through a broad spectrum of development and humanitarian activities, including through support for development planning, resource mobilization, and coordination of international donors and organizations.

Events to mark the 70th anniversary will take place in the weeks ahead.

The United Nations celebrated its own 70th anniversary last year with a series of global events. In Afghanistan, the UN family marked the anniversary with a nationwide campaign under the headline of “Strong UN - Strong Afghanistan” to highlight empowered Afghans making a positive difference in their communities with the support of the UN.