Athens marked United Nations Day on Friday, 24 October 2025, an occasion observed every year to celebrate the founding of the UN. The city hosted a solemn ceremony atop the Acropolis and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the organization’s 80th anniversary.
The day's events commenced at 8:00 a.m. with the raising of the Greek and UN flags on the Acropolis Hill, a symbolic gesture underscoring Greece's enduring commitment to the principles of the United Nations. This was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, attended by dignitaries including the Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Governor of the Attica Region Nikolaos Chardalias, and the Coordinator of UNEP/MAP, the Lead United Nations Agency in Greece, Tatjana Hema.
On behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Mrs. Hema delivered a speech highlighting the UN’s role as "a living promise spanning borders, bridging continents, inspiring generations." She conveyed the Secretary-General’s call for renewed global unity to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change, conflict, and inequality.
This year's observance not only honored the UN's historic achievements but also reaffirmed the collective responsibility of nations and citizens to work together for a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world.
The United Nations is present in Greece since the 1940s, when the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) provided assistance to Greece to recover from conflict. Today, several UN offices and agencies are supporting Greece at its request in multiple fields, with more than one thousand staff serving with the United Nations in Greece, the overwhelming majority of whom are Greek nationals.
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