On the International Day of Friendship, marked annually on 30 July, we are looking back to the pontiff’s powerful speech in the General Assembly Hall when he suggested the UN could be improved and can “be the pledge of a secure and happy future for future generations”.

“Be close to one another, respect one another,” he said. “The international juridical framework of the United Nations and of all its activities, like any other human endeavour, can be improved, yet it remains necessary.”

United human family

“Embody among yourselves this Organization’s ideal of a united human family, living in harmony, working not only for peace, but in peace, working not only for justice, but in a spirit of justice,” he said.

Pope Francis also offered a blessing to UN staff, asking in turn for their prayers.

Read the full UN News archived story here, and watch UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive episode on the pontiff below:

Stories from the UN Archive

UN News is showcasing epic moments across UN history, cultivated from the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video and 18,000 hours of audio recordings.

Catch up on UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist here and our accompanying series here.

Join us next week for another dive into history.