The Secretary- General had intended to join this important commemoration, but, as the General Assembly may know, he is in now Nairobi attending an emergency meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His mission there aptly illustrates the importance of United Nations peacekeeping operations.
…
I would like to thank Council members for this opportunity to brief the Council on the situation in Zimbabwe.
I have just returned from the African Union summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, where I conveyed to leaders the Secretary-General’s message that the crisis in Zimbabwe represents a moment of truth f…
Let me join the Secretary-General in commending the United States for its initiative to convene this very important meeting. I want to pay special tribute to you, Madam President, for your leadership and commitment in this regard.
Under the guidance of the Secretary-General, the United Nations has …
It gives me great pleasure to be here today as a witness to the significant achievements of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. After listening to both the President and the Prosecutor speak about the work and goals of the Special Court, I feel humbled but, at the same time, encouraged. It was only …
I am moved to be with the General Assembly this morning in commemorating the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago. Let me thank the Assembly for making this commemoration happen, and in particular
the Caribbean Community caucus of permanent representatives to the United Nations.…
Let me first, if I may, read out a statement from the Secretary-General.
“I very much regret that I cannot be with you today. I was looking forward to this occasion, and I am particularly grateful to President Eliasson for organizing today’s debate. As you know, one of my consistent objectives as S…
It is a pleasure to join the General Assembly for this discussion.
The United Nations agenda is becoming more crowded every day. We are responding to conflicts, disasters and other emergencies. But we cannot relent in our campaign to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We see many exampl…
We gather at a time when the world’s peoples face multiple crises involving food, fuel and finance. These crises threaten to upset poverty reduction efforts and our development objectives. Therefore, this year’s meeting of the General Assembly on development takes on special significance.
The expec…
First, let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate to mark the fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and for devoting it to the topic of women’s participation in peace processes.
The principle of women’s participation is at the heart of resolution 1325 (2000). That landmar…
I am delighted to be here today for this meeting on a subject as inspiring as it is important, and I wish to extend a special welcome to all the young representatives who are with us today.
We are gathered here because we know that young people are our future. They will inherit what we create in ou…
Good morning, everyone. I welcome you very warmly to the United Nations. The Secretary-General is currently travelling, but he intends to join you briefly tomorrow.
The presence of so many representatives of civil society, of non-governmental organizations and of the private sector in the General A…
It is almost a year since United Nations troops arrived in Haiti. The Council sent them there to ensure a secure environment after civil violence erupted in the country. Armed gangs were roaming the streets. Police had abandoned their stations. Civilians had fled in fear of their lives. The combinat…
It is entirely appropriate that the General Assembly should commemorate with all due solemnity the end of the Second World War in Europe. As the opening words of the Charter remind us, the Second World War brought untold sorrow to mankind. The scourge of war, so constant in human history, reached un…
It gives me great pleasure to welcome, on behalf of the Secretary- General, delegates as the General Assembly begins a new session.
This midterm review of the 2001 Brussels Programme of Action is an occasion for stocktaking and sombre reflection. Over the past five years, least developed countries …
Every year, Human Rights Day provides us with an opportunity to review the progress we have made since the inception of the United Nations in meeting the Charter objective of encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
I think we can all agree that we have made some impre…
Three decades ago in Bucharest, the World Population Conference overcame political differences to adopt a groundbreaking, comprehensive Plan of Action. That Plan gave the world its first template for integrating population concerns into economic and social development, and it established the basic p…
Thank you, Mr. President, for having given me this opportunity to speak to the General Assembly about the relationship between the United Nations and civil society. Two documents are now before the Assembly: the report of the Panel of Eminent Persons headed by former President Cardoso; and the Secre…
This meeting of the General Assembly brings much needed attention to a global crisis that exists right in front of our eyes yet that, with some noble exceptions, has until now been strangely off the radar screen of public policy. 1.2 million men, women and children are killed in traffic accidents ev…
Ten years ago, the international community failed Rwanda. None of us — neither the Security Council, nor the United Nations Secretariat, nor Governments in general, nor the international media — paid enough attention to the gathering signs of disaster. And once the genocide was under way, none of us…
It is a great pleasure for me to join the Assembly today to present the Secretary-General’s report on implementation of his agenda for further change, contained in document A/58/351.
This is a moment when the United Nations is facing formidable challenges and wrestling with fundamental questions. T…
