Whereas, One of the Principal Mandates of the United Nations -“To achieve international cooperation in solving problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character”, remains as valid today as when those words were written into the charter more than a half century ago; and,

Whereas, In early 2003, the United Nations launched the Literacy Decade; and,

Whereas, The problem of literacy and access to basic education is international in scope, transcends borders, and impacts children and adults in every corner of the globe; and,

Whereas, There are currently 860 million illiterate adults worldwide; and,

Whereas, Access to primary basic education is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, as agreed upon by all U.N. member states, including the United States at the Millennium Summit in September 2000; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 24, 2003, as United Nations Day in the State of Michigan.