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Milestones:1950-60         Milestones:1970-80         Milestones: 1990's-Present

The UN evolved to face new challenges....
25 October 1971 General Assembly votes to seat representatives of the People's Republic of China	PRC delegation formally seated in GA, New York, 15 Nov 71 (117269 UN/DPI/Y. Nagata).
June 1972 The first UN Environment Conference is held in Stockholm, Sweden, leading to the establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi.	Voting board as GA grants PLO observer status, New York, 22 Nov 74 (126887 UN/DPI/T. Chen).
13 November 1974 General Assembly recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people".
June-July 1975 International Women's Year is marked by the first UN conference on women, held in Mexico City.	Women at UNICEF-assisted family planning clinic, Settat, Morocco, Jul 87 (156359 UN/DPI/J. Isaac).
4 November 1977 Security Council adopts mandatory arms embargo against South Africa.
May-June 1978 General Assembly convenes special session, for the first time, on disarmament.	In Lesotho, a female work crew builds a road, Lesotho, 1969 (118420 UN/DPI/K. Muldoon).
18 December 1979 General Assembly adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, covering political, economic, social, cultural and civic values.
8 May 1980 Three years after the last case was reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declares smallpox eradicated.	Congolese being vaccinated against smallpox, Leopoldville, Jan 62 (73798 UN/DPI/B. Zarov).
1981 UN High Commissioner for Refugees is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time, for its assistance to Asian refugees.
25 November 1981 General Assembly adopts Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.	FAO and UNDP assist in exploiting fish resources. Joal, Senegal, 1976 (137725 UN/DPI/J. Mohr).
10 December 1982 New UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is signed by 117 States and two entities -the largest number of signatures ever affixed to a treaty on its first day.
December 1984 Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar sets up a UN office for Emergency Operations in Africa to help coordinate famine relief efforts.	UK Red Cross worker assists drought victims. Bati camp, Ethiopia, 5 Nov 84 (164669 UN/DPI/J. Isaac).
10 December 1984 General Assembly adopts the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
July 1985 Thousands gather in Nairobi to attend the third UN conference on women, marking the end of the UN Decade for Women.	A brilliant sun shining over Knoxville, Tennessee, US, 1978 (139312 UN/DPI/R. Kollar/TVA).
September 1987 Efforts of UNEP lead to the signing of the Treaty on the Protection of the Ozone Layer -known as the Montreal Protocol -a follow-up to the 1985 Vienna Convention on the Ozone Layer.
1988 UN Peacekeeping operations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, at the time there were seven peacekeeping or observer missions in operation.	Nobel Peace Prize awarded to UN peacekeepers in 1988, New York, Oct 88 (173115 UN/DPI/J. Isaac).
April 1989 UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) is deployed throughout Namibia to monitor South Africa's withdrawal and provide electoral assistance. Elections were held in November 1989; Namibia becomes independent on 21 March 1990.