24 October, Beijing – United Nations Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being. 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.

On the 2017 UN Day, UN Country Team (UNCT) in China and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation co-hosted a commemorative event themed ‘SDG Action Day’. The theme was selected to inspire and mobilize stakeholders to act on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To promote the crucial role of the private sector in advancing the SDGs, Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi, the China Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Mr. Zhu Xiaoqing, the Deputy Director from the Qinghai Department of Commerce presented Letters of Appreciation to a group of Chinese companies for their contributions to address maternal health in Qinghai.