UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for global solidarity to tackle common challenges on the occasion of United Nations Day.

"We face colossal challenges. With global solidarity and cooperation, we can overcome them. That's what the United Nations is all about," said Guterres in a message.

The 75th anniversary of the United Nations comes amid a global pandemic. The United Nations' founding mission is more critical than ever: to promote human dignity, protect human rights, respect international law, and save humanity from war, he said.

COVID-19 is humanity's common enemy in the world today. Now is the time for a stepped-up push for peace to achieve a global cease-fire, he said.

"We must also make peace with our planet. The climate emergency threatens life itself. We must mobilize the whole world to reach carbon neutrality -- net zero emissions of greenhouse gasses by 2050," he said.

"Around the world, we must do more to end human suffering from poverty, inequality, hunger and hatred -- and fight discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or any other distinction," he added.

He asked for the engagement of people everywhere to uphold the values of the UN Charter, build on advances across the decades, and realize the shared vision of a better world for all.

United Nations Day falls on Oct 24, the birthday of the UN Charter.