A delegation from the Sierra Leone High Commission (SLHC) in London, led by Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh, today attended the United Nations General Assembly at 80 (*UNGA@80*) commemorative event themed “*From 1946 to Our Future.*”
The landmark event marked the 80th anniversary of the first session of the United Nations General Assembly, convened in London in January 1946, just four months after the end of the devastating Second World War. That historic inaugural session, held in a heavily bombed city, provided a powerful reminder to the nearly 2,000 delegates from 51 original Member States of the urgent need for collective action to prevent future global conflict.
In his address at the 1946 session, then British Prime Minister Clement Attlee called for the United Nations to become the “*over-riding factor in foreign policy*,” urging not merely the absence of war but the creation of “*a world of security and freedom*.”
Eighty years later, the UNGA@80 commemoration was held today at Central Hall Westminster, the historic birthplace of the General Assembly. The event brought together diplomats, senior UN officials, policymakers, civil society leaders, and international partners to reflect on eight decades of multilateral cooperation and to consider the future of the United Nations amid growing global challenges.
Speaking at today’s opening session, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reflected on the UN’s founding purpose as a response to the devastation of war. He acknowledged that the organisation faces formidable challenges, including armed conflicts, climate change, growing inequality, and declining trust in multilateral institutions. Despite these pressures, he stressed that the United Nations remains indispensable and called for renewed unity, shared responsibility, and decisive action to build *a more peaceful, safer, and fairer world*.
Also addressing the gathering, UK Attorney General Lord Hermer KC highlighted the United Kingdom’s historic role in the founding of the UN and reaffirmed the central importance of international law, the rule of law, and multilateral cooperation, emphasising the need for states to remain anchored in the principles of the UN Charter.
Commenting on the significance of the occasion, Deputy High Commissioner Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh noted that the anniversary served both as a reminder of the UN’s origins and a timely call to renew commitment to its ideals in an uncertain world.
The commemoration also featured panel discussions on peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, institutional reform, climate action, technological change, and the future of global governance.
The Sierra Leone High Commission’s participation reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s strong commitment to the principles of the United Nations and to multilateral cooperation. This commitment was again demonstrated when Sierra Leone, under the leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, recently served in the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, earning well-deserved international commendation.
Abdulai Braima
Information Attaché