Hyderabad: Delegates bring the United Nations to life. Without them, this Organisation would not be what it is. They negotiate agreements and coordinate with their home countries. Some form alliances, others struggle for compromises. In that way, they embody the multilateralism, that the UN stands for.
The delegates represent their countries in meetings at the United Nations. Unless a politician of higher rank is present, the delegates speak and vote on behalf of their country at the UN General Assembly, and other fora, such as the UN Security Council. The delegates are appointed by their countries. Hence, they follow the interests of the government they serve.
April 25 marks International Delegate's Day to raise awareness of the role of the representatives and delegates of Member States to the United Nations.
History of International Delegate’s Day:
International Delegate’s Day marks the anniversary of the first day of the San Francisco Conference, also known as the United Nations Conference on International Organization. On 25 April 1945, delegates from 50 countries came together for the first time in San Francisco. Coming together after the devastation of the Second World War, their aim was to set up an organisation that would restore world peace and impose rules on the post-war world order.
850 delegates took part in this conference, which lasted for two months. They represented over 80 per cent of the world’s population, people of every world religion and continent; all determined to set up an organisation, which would preserve peace and help build a better world.
Two months after the first meeting, on 26 June 1945, the Charter of the United Nations was signed by representatives of the 50 countries that attended the conference. The agreement resulted in the creation of the United Nations, an organisation, which now comprises 193 Member States and serves as the main international venue for collective dialogue between the delegates of its Member States.
Poland, which did not have a government at the time of the conference, signed the charter later, hence bringing up the number of the Founding Member States to 51. In its resolution from 2 April 2019, the General Assembly recalled the achievement of the San Francisco Conference and proclaimed 25 April as International Delegate’s Day.
Importance of International Delegate’s Day:
It appreciates delegates
The holiday is an appreciation to delegates, their efforts, and their hard work to make the world better.
It provides a good opportunity to reflect
It is a special day to celebrate the achievements of those who have contributed to the advancement of society. It's a time when we can pause and reflect on how far we have come as a species and what our future holds.
We now understand the importance of delegates
Delegates play an important role in ensuring that the needs of their constituents are met. They also provide valuable insight into how the association can better serve its members. On this day, we learn and understand the importance of delegates.
Ruchira Kamboj: Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
Ruchira Kamboj joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1987. She was the All India women's topper of the 1987 Civil Services batch and the topper of the 1987 Foreign Service batch. Ruchira Kamboj was posted as Counsellor at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2002-2005, where she dealt with a wide range of political issues, including UN Peacekeeping, UN Security Council Reform, the Middle East crisis etc.
Upon release of Secretary-General Kofi Anan's Blue Ribbon Panel Report in December 2014, she was part of the G-4 team that worked on the reform and expansion of the United Nations Security Council, which is yet a work in progress. In this period, she also doubled as the Mission's Head of Chancery and dealt successfully with four Prime Ministerial visits coinciding with the opening of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in September every year.
Ruchira Kamboj formally assumed the position of PR / Ambassador of India to New York, upon presentation of her credentials to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 2 August 2022, the first lady diplomat from India to assume this position.
She has several OpEds to her credit, in different newspapers and magazines, on a diverse range of topics. She has also been called upon to speak at prestigious events in India and abroad on a wide range of issues.
Ruchira Kamboj is married to businessman Diwakar Kamboj and has one daughter. Her late father was an Officer in the Indian Army and her mother is a writer-professor (Retd.) of Sanskrit from the University of Delhi. She speaks three languages, Hindi, English and French.
International Delegate’s Day: Timeline
- April 25, 1945 - The San Francisco Conference Delegates from 50 countries come together in San Francisco
- June 26, 1945 - The United Nations Charter - The U.N. Charter, the founding document of the United Nations Organisation, is signed in San Francisco
- February 1, 1946 - The First U.N. Chief Norwegian politician Trygve Halvdan Lie is appointed as the first-ever Secretary-General of the United Nations
