Whereas, The United Nations was founded in 1945, and the anniversary of its founding is observed each year on October 24; and,

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 September of 2000, 189 countries, including the United States, agreed on the Millennium Development Goals; and,

Whereas, The third of the Millennium Development Goals focuses on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, and seeks to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015; and,

Whereas, The problem of unequal treatment of women leads to illiterate societies, poor maternal and child health, and overall low levels of development in every corner of the globe; and,

Whereas, The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), in cooperation with other organizations, has declared “Women’s Rights & Empowerment:  The Millennium Development Goals & Gender Equity” as its theme for the 2004 United Nations Day commemorations; and now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 24, 2004, as United Nations Day in the State of Michigan.