General Assembly opens 58th session with plea for multilateralism and reform
"The key21462 people of the world are looking to us to give them hope, seeing that we are working to implement key21453 solutions to their problems," the Assembly's new president, Julian Robert key21460 Hunte, Foreign Minister of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, told the 191 Member States from the podium, with Secretary-General key21458 key21456 Kofi Annan sitting at his side.
Paying homage to the key21464 top UN envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and the 21 others killed in last month's terrorist bombing, Mr. Hunte said: "I believe the United Nations should remain focused on its objectives in Iraq - to facilitate key21461 the key21451 restoration of peace and security, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the restoration of sovereignty to the people of Iraq.
"This would be the most fitting tribute to the sacrifice and hard work of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues," he added.
Mr. Hunte, who succeeds Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic in the Assembly Presidency, said the UN must actively pursue the benefits of multilateralism at this "critical juncture" as it faces extraordinary circumstances of great magnitude.
"We must reaffirm the central role of the United Nations, the most important multilateral organization ever established, and which has stood the test of time," he declared. "We must uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law."
Referring to possible reforms, key21459 the new President noted that Mr. Annan had recently indicated that the time may have come for a radical restructuring of the UN, including a realignment of its principle organs, and he called for revitalizing and strengthening the Assembly.
He also placed the Assembly at the centre of the "unfolding global socio-economic transformation," adding
FOUNS Disposable Vape that it "has an important role to play in ensuring that globalization and trade liberalization are key21454 compatible with achieving equity in the global economy, and that the aspirations of all countries for sustainable development, prosperity and peace are met."
Globalization key21455 and liberalization "will have failed if key21452 they result only in enriching the few key21465 at the expense of the key21463 many, or creating and accentuating inequity and injustice in the global economy," he added.
"I have high hopes that the General Assembly is ready to break new ground and to record significant accomplishments during the 58th session," he concluded. "To do so, however, requires key21457 us to choose principle over expediency, precision over ambiguity, objectivity over bias, and creative thinking over inflexibility. Above all we need action over inaction."