THE United Nations, one of the biggest producers of words, celebrated its 56th birthday Wednesday with a ceremony that took place partly in silence: a performance by the French mime Marcel Marceau. Marceau, a goodwill ambassador for the UN Second World Assembly on Aging, to be held next year in Madrid, was to act six pieces before an audience including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The performance was to be followed by a concert of rock music featuring one group from India and another from Pakistan, two countries at loggerheads over Kashmir, one of the world’s tensest flashpoints. The UN charter, the organisation’s founding document, came into force on October 24, 1945, four months after it was signed in San Francisco. In a message, Annan said: ”As the world confronts a new challenge, old ones remain. The United Nations is more central than ever to creating a better and safer world for all.” – Sapa-AFP