HARMONY, KEY MUSICAL CONCEPT, IS ALSO CRUCIAL FOR UN IN HANDLING MEDLEY OF CONFLICTS, PROBLEMS, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS AT UN DAY CONCERT
Press Release
GA/SM/9
OBV/20
HARMONY, KEY MUSICAL CONCEPT, IS ALSO CRUCIAL FOR UN IN HANDLING MEDLEY OF CONFLICTS, PROBLEMS, ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS AT UN DAY CONCERT
19971024 Following is the text of the statement of the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), at the United Nations day concert at Headquarters today:First of all, let me join you in applauding the wonderful art of the musicians we are privileged to have with us today.
As I was listening to those magnificent melodies, I could not help thinking what a wonderful custom this is to mark United Nations Day by a musical concert. It is said that music is a universal language that helps to build bridges among people no matter how great the distance separating their countries.
No less fittingly, the United Nations is known as a universal organization, bringing together 185 nations -- irrespective of the differences among them -- in pursuit of a noble goal of unified international action to cope with problems of universal concern.
I hope you will forgive me, if, inspired by today's concert, I will try to extend the musical metaphor a little further. Harmony -- a key musical concept -- is also a crucial principle for the United Nations as it strives to deal with an often cacophonous medley of conflicts, crises and problems on the international arena. In fact there is at times so much dissonance in world affairs, that harmony among nations may appear to be a somewhat naive idea.
And yet, the past 52 years in United Nations history offer convincing proof that despite all the difficulties, the Organization has played a crucial role in making our world a more safe and friendly place to live in. The United Nations has helped to end violence, keep peace and promote tolerance. It has worked hard to promote the process of decolonization, to advance development and equality. It has stood up in defense of human rights, protected refugees and waged battles against poverty and hunger.
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And the tasks before it are not getting any easier. The end of the cold war has triggered the emergence of new kinds of conflicts; the process of globalization has brought with it unforseen risks; breakthroughs in science and technology have been accompanied by new threats to the environment.
As the challenges multiplied, a question has arisen whether the United Nations is prepared to meet them, whether it is capable of adapting to the enormous transformations taking place around the globe.
Well, I personally remain an optimist. I firmly believe that a renewed, reformed and revitalized Organization is not a product of wishful thinking, but a realistic and achievable goal. A number of concrete steps to streamline the Organization have already been taken. Just a couple of weeks ago, here in this very Hall, the General Assembly began considering the Secretary-General's new program of reform measures and proposals aimed at making the world body a much more efficient mechanism for dealing with the challenges of the next millennium. There are promising signs that the Assembly's current session can indeed go down in history as the session of the reformers.
But as we are voicing our optimism today, we should not close our eyes to what is needed to make our dreams come true. And here, once again, music can offer us an apt analogy. For musical sounds to blend in beautiful harmonies -- such as the ones we are hearing today -- it takes not only the talent of individual performers, but also years of dedicated work, commitment, patience and willingness to work in concert with others.
For building a more harmonious world, one should expect no less from the players on the international arena. It may not be too far-fetched a comparison to look at the United Nations as a global orchestra whose members have made a pledge to work together on a project that is as complex and daring as it is visionary and noble.
Let us not forget, however, that we can succeed in this venture only if there is commitment, cooperation and real support of all the participants. Let us also not forget that our success will greatly depend on the active and direct involvement of our global audience -- from men and women in the street to non-governmental organizations, the business community and the civil society at large.
So let us enjoy musical harmonies and let us all work together for a harmonious world of united nations.
I wish all of you a meaningful United Nations Day.
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