ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, LAUDING UNITED NATIONS ACHIEVEMENTS, SAYS RANGE OF OUTSTANDING CHALLENGES CONFIRMS RELEVANCE OF WORLD BODY

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ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, LAUDING UNITED NATIONS ACHIEVEMENTS, SAYS RANGE

OF OUTSTANDING CHALLENGES CONFIRMS RELEVANCE OF WORLD BODY

UN Day Message Says Ultimate Test of Credibility Depends

on Ability to Secure Implementation of Articulated Political Goals

This is the text of a message by the President of the General Assembly Jan Kavan (Czech Republic) in observance of United Nations Day -- 24 October:

As we celebrate the fifty-seventh anniversary of the United Nations, we may rejoice on this day and pay tribute to the founders and their foresight in establishing an Organization that was mandated to ensure a just and peaceful world; an Organization that would reflect the universal moral conscience; an Organization which is the most inclusive of all world forums, where nations could settle their differences and disputes peacefully.  The relevance of the United Nations is confirmed more than ever in these times, when there are so many global problems challenging our world.  On this day, we can take pride and satisfaction that every country, and, therefore, every citizen, is a stakeholder in this enterprise.

Over the years, the influence and substantive work of the United Nations have impacted on issues such as decolonization, democratization, human rights, gender sensitivity, protection of the environment and, most important of all, in the domain of peace and security backed by world solidarity.

Focus of the United Nations on crucial issues of development materialized in the Millennium Declaration, followed by the Monterrey Consensus in Mexico and the Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.  The Millennium Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty and HIV/AIDS, have received new impetus in the follow-up process.

Another important addition to the work of the United Nations is the concept of new partnerships that have been fostered between non-governmental organizations, civil society, religious and ethnic groups and multinational corporations and multilateral organizations.

As the United Nations continues to enlarge its membership, which now stands at 191 members, it has also embarked on important reforms and changes within the

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Organization to consolidate various departments, to increase efficiency and better serve Member States.  The introduction of the Internet has provided the opportunity to disseminate, to a wider public, information on the role of the United Nations and its work on global issues.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that, although the United Nations has many important achievements to its credit, the ultimate test of its credibility is based not only on its ability to articulate political goals, but also, and primarily, on its ability to mobilize the will for their implementation.

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