Choir Invititation to United Nations 60th Anniversary

Service to commemorate the 60th Anniversary
of the foundation of the United Nations.

 St Paul’s Cathedral, 3.00pm, Monday 24 October, 2005

Invitation

Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, will lead the service of thanksgiving to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, to be held
at St Paul’s Cathedral on United Nations Day, Monday 24 October, at three o’clock.

The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Tony Blair will read a lesson. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, will give the sermon and Lord Ashdown, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, will contribute a short reflection. The “A Ray of Hope” choir from schools of different denominations in Northern Ireland will sing together for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement seven years ago.

The ‘Act of Commitment to the Future’ will use text from the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It will refer to the continuing work of the United Nations in working for peace and in the fields of Development, Justice and Human Rights.
In 1945, the United Nations set out to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to co-operate in solving international economic,
social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. Over
the past sixty years, it has been tested in all these roles. In St Paul’s Cathedral, we will rededicate ourselves to its support as it continues to seek to fulfil these roles, as challenging now as when first set out.