Today is United Nations Day, marking the 69th anniversary of the UN charter. On October 24, 1945 the five permanent members of the UN Security Council officially ratified the charter. In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.

In September 2012 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon launched a five-year Global Education First Initiative reaffirming the fundamental right to free, quality primary schooling so that every parent can give their child an opportunity to fulfill their dreams.  The Global Partnership for Education fully supports the Global Education First Initiative as the two organizations share common goals. The GPE Chair sits on the Initiative's High Level Steering Committee. The Global Partnership issued this commitment to express its support to the Initiative's goals.