'Long live the United Nations!' (excerpts from the more than 200 speeches given at the General Assembly to celebrate the organization's 50th anniversary)(Transcript)(Cover Story)

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was both serious and optimistic as he addressed the leaders of the world during the special commemorative session of the UN's golden jubilee: "Your presence speaks, as you have spoken, with eloquence, of confidence in the future of the United Nations." The UN photo above, taken by Paul Skipworth for the Eastman Kodak Company, includes 190 of the 200 participants in the session's historic debate. Among those pictured are 88 Heads of State and 36 Heads of Government, as well as Vice-Presidents, deputy Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Permanent Representatives and heads of intergovernmental organizations. In the pages that follow are excerpts from the 200 addresses given to the General Assembly, on the occasion of the Organization's fiftieth anniversary, during six special plenary meetings of the Assembly held between 22 and 24 October. "We have listened to the wisdom of those leaders", the Secretary-General said at the end of the three-day celebration. "Together they have given the world an `Agenda for Tomorrow'."

ALGERIA

President Liamine Zeroual: The fact that the United Nations has seen its membership approach universality in its 50 years of existence bears witness to the existence of a fortunate convergence between the trail that was blazed by the Charter and the course that has been followed by many of our peoples. The fact that the UN was able to foster the vast liberation movement that delivered peoples from the yoke of colonial domination, holds its rightful place among the causes of satisfaction that give today's event its full meaning. The UN has woven a fabric of cooperation that spreads the benefits of man's mastery over nature.

ANGOLA

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos: The journey has not been easy for our Organization. On the date of its foundation the world was just emerging from a devastating war, with a tragic balance of 50 million dead and profound trauma and destruction. Sooner or later, the difficulties facing the United Nations will require redefinition of its structures and mechanisms, particularly the Security Council. A permanent seat in the Council should be assigned to a country from each geographic region that can assume an effective role in preserving peace at the regional level.

BENIN

Desire Vieyra, Minister of State for Coordination of Government Action: The United Nations, as it reaches the half-century mark, must commit itself with resolve to the fight against poverty. We are pleased that at the World Summit for Social Development we finally overturned a sacrosanct principle to the effect that a country's social action must be determined by its economy. We shall now base our economies on the social sphere. Today, Benin is striving, with the help of its development partners, to reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality and to reduce illiteracy by placing particular emphasis on health and education.

BOTSWANA 

President Ketumile Masire: The presence of so many world leaders in New York bears witness to the success of the United Nations during its half century of existence. For Botswana and the African continent, this is a particularly historic moment. When the Organization was born in San Francisco in 1945, only four African countries were able to adhere as independent countries to the Declaration of the United Nations. The rest of the continent was still under colonial domination. Today, the UN boasts of 53 African States among its 185 Members. The UN has served us well.

BURKINA FASO 

Ablasse Ouedraogo, Minister for Foreign Affairs: On the threshold of the 21st century, above and beyond the theory of States and of sovereignty, beyond the relationship of force, beyond the ambitions of domination, should we not substitute people, societies, nations, States? Should we not give new impetus to what was enshrined in the UN Charter in the words "We the peoples", and find again the human being and the humanity in each and every one of us and in each and every one of our acts? Only then will we progress with certainty towards a world of solidarity, progress, justice and peace.

BURUNDI

President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya: The United Nations cannot effectively assist our countries unless it adapts to the requirements of today's world. Peace in the world is still endangered by growing poverty, which is evidently the gravest threat to peace in the years to come. Moreover, the exclusion of a major portion of humankind from the most influential bodies of the UN gives the impression of a world that is frozen in time, whereas important changes have taken place over the past 50 years. We must transform and democratize international relations as a whole.

CAMEROON

President Paul Biya: Cameroon rejoices in the opportunity to take part today in the 50th anniversary ceremonies, as the United Nations played a primary role in its accession to national and international sovereignty. For us Africans, the UN is the expression of a collective will that is at the service of peace, of human dignity and solidarity among peoples. Created in the wake of one of the most harrowing conflicts in the history of mankind, in the last 50 years, the UN has made an inestimable contribution to the defence of peace. In working for disarmament and encouraging negotiations, it has taken preventive action to ward off possible future conflicts.

CAPE VERDE 

President Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro: Nobody would know how to define our present world without the United Nations, taking into account not only its role in promoting and facilitating the great, imperative changes, but also its specific action in the most diverse fields of human accomplishment, both individually and collectively. The current reality requires firm leadership on the part of the UN to preserve peace and security in such a way that all Member States, big and small, will focus their abilities and energy on the promotion of the well-being to which all peoples have a right.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 

President Ange-Felix Patasse: Today, on the occasion of the jubilee of the UN, which is characterized by the density of its history and especially by its experiences, it is more than ever appropriate for the international community to draw the necessary lessons on which to base new hope, but especially, and above all, through which to fulfil the grand design of the UN, in the interests of our peoples. It appears unfair to certain nations that an Organization that wishes to be universal and democratic excludes other nations from its decision-making bodies. The Security Council must be expanded.

CHAD

President Idriss Deby: A half-century ago, immediately following the war, some 50 nations laid the foundations for a system of society turned resolutely towards freedom, peace, collective security, and economic and social well-being. While the world, over the years, has seen many upheavals and often-deadly conflicts that have resulted in sometimes severe criticism of our Organization, we must acknowledge that in many cases the United Nations has achieved substantial results and has spared humanity the worst of catastrophes.

COMOROS

Mouzaoir Abdallah, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation: The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the UN is a historic occasion. We pay resounding tribute to the free nations that founded the United Nations, an Organization that has become, over the years, a global political arena that is essential to the rapprochement of peoples. The role of the UN in decolonization, advances in international law, respect for human rights and the identification of certain major problems such as those relating to population and the environment illustrate its growing accomplishments and progress.

CONGO

Destin Arsene Tsaty-Boungou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie: The 50th anniversary comes at a time when a black page in the history of mankind, the page of the cold war, has been turned. But the world continues to face other challenges. The same nations that were powerful 50 years ago are even more powerful today, thanks to their command of science and technology. the expectations of African peoples, who, like the other peoples of the planet contributed to the liberation of mankind in the two major armed world confrontations, have not been fulfilled by a fitting display of solidarity on the part of the international community.

COTE D'IVOIRE

Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan: Certain failures notwithstanding, the Organization has achieved laudable successes. We can therefore be legitimately proud of our Organization because it is the institution that has made it possible to forge general consensus on issues of global policy. It is, moreover, the only structure capable of bringing about the implementation of and respect for the great principles of law, thanks simply to the universality of its Charter. Today, the question is how to reform the United Nations. Our Organization, a mirror on the world, must, 50 years after its creation, still be able to play the role assigned to it while adapting to the changes of our times.

DJIBOUTI

Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation: Fifty years ago, a mere 51 States began the United Nations. Today, with "nation inflation", we are 185 Members. The UN must be reformed if it is to remain relevant. But it needs stable resources, reordered priorities and more relevant and representative structures. Reform must be given priority or it may soon become incapable of addressing the real global problems of disease, hunger, poverty, development, conflict, security and national breakdown. The UN is the most important vehicle we have today to forge a new international system anchored in justice and equity.

EGYPT

Amre Moussa, Minister for Foreign Affairs: Today, we are gathered together here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. This is a unique opportunity to assess our successes and our failures. The UN has been a source of hope, a torch bearer and an element of construction. As we move closer to the beginning of the 21st century, mankind is sitting atop a volcano that is beginning to spew its lava. Let us not waste our scientific achievements by our political misconduct. Let us build up the credibility of the international order in a manner that instills confidence amongst peoples.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA 

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo: A half century of existence means a great deal for an Organization created after sufferings caused by war, injustice, discrimination, poverty, underdevelopment and the undervaluing of the individual. The creation of the UN was an act of conscience, an intention to reform by nations which decided to stop trying to take the upper hand in order to build a new world based on friendship, understanding, freedom, justice, tolerance, cooperation and love. After 50 years, it is natural that a work created by man should be examined to see if it continues to respond to the evolution of man and the times.

GABON

President El Hadj Omar Bongo: Some say that the UN is merely a forum in which to make speeches. Others say that it is an ineffective Organization. Conflicts persist in Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina and many other areas of the world. Underdevelopment also continues to be a problem. Many of the past inadequacies were a result of East-West confrontation. Today, the UN can take credit for ensuring respect for human fights and for democratization, although we must recognize that progress could have been considerably greater.

GAMBIA

Baboucarr-Blaise I. Jagne, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The commemoration of the golden jubilee of the UN affords a unique opportunity to review past achievements and failures and to carve out a new path for our world towards a community of peoples who need each other for survival. I refer, of course, to an interdependent world, a global village, in which the achievement of socio-economic growth, peace and security in one country would depend largely on similar performance in other countries. We in the developing countries of the South need a head start, as was given to Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War through the Marshall Plan.

GHANA

President Jerry John Rawlings: In congratulating the United Nations, we are applauding ourselves. The Organization is very much us. It is the collective will of the international community of sovereign States, embodying our collective weaknesses as well. For us in Africa, particularly, the next 50 years will perhaps be even more crucial than the past 50 years. We want to see in the international community and in the UN framework a reversal of our continent's marginalization. There can be no bright future for the world, no new international order that is sustainable, without Africa.

GUINEA

Kozo Zoumanigui, Minister for Foreign Affairs: In attempting to take stock of the 50 years of our Organization's existence, I think it can be said that over this last half-century, the United Nations has proved irreplaceable, unique as a tool for dialogue, a concerted approach, negotiation and international cooperation. Through all these years, it has provided the ideal framework and laboured tirelessly not only for the maintenance of international peace and security, but also to mobilize the international community towards a solution of the problems of the world's economic and social development.

GUINEA-BISSAU

President Joao Bernardo Vieira: Today, more than ever, the UN Charter is a legal, political and moral frame of reference that cannot be side-stepped in international relations. It is imperative to proceed with reforms within the Organization. The agenda of the General Assembly must be rationalized and the Security Council should be expanded on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. Member States must forge a world organization capable of protecting future generations from the scourge of war and providing true reasons for hope.

KENYA

Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: On this occasion, we can state with confidence that the Organization has succeeded in the prevention of a third world war; that it has drastically reduced inter-State armed conflicts; that it has made much progress in the codification of international law; that it has provided a conducive climate and means for the reconstruction of Europe; that it has almost completed the mission of decolonization; and that it has withstood the cold war. Like the founders of the United Nations, we, as today's leaders, should take full cognizance of the inseparable relationship, between peace and development.

LESOTHO

Deputy Prime Minister Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili: As the founder of our nation, King Moshoeshoe I, put it: "Peace is like rain which makes the grass grow, while war is like the wind which dries it up." As we celebrate this historic occasion, we cannot but rejoice in the accomplishments of the United Nations in bringing the nations of the world together. Internal and international conflicts are, however, not over. We need to reflect on their causes, all of which are inimical to the UN principles. Our common resolve should be to work together to build a world devoid of them.

LIBERIA

Wilton S. Sankawulo, Chairman of the Council of State of the Liberian National Transitional Government: If the spectre of war prevails in most of the countries that attained independence after the birth of the UN, it is due largely to the legacy of colonialism and the cold war. Colonial powers disregarded the traditional values and social needs of their subjects. The contest for spheres of influence during the cold war gave rise to autocratic regimes, which were insensitive to the aspirations of their peoples. The signing of the UN Charter 50 years ago was a significant milestone in the creation of a global arrangement for securing human liberty.

LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA

Omar Mustafa Muntasser, Secretary of the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation: We hope that this occasion will be a starting point for an unshackled United Nations that would continue to be revitalized and committed to the service of all peoples and not just a few States that seek to use it as a means to achieve their own ends. These few should realize that the UN has not been freed from the shackles of the cold war to find itself shackled by the fetters of major Powers. They should not forget that these small countries that helped the UN attain its universality are also capable of establishing their own organization away from the domination and hegemony of a few major Powers.

MADAGASCAR

President Albert Zafy: Fifty years! We are. no longer young, but neither are we old yet. This is maturity, an age replete with usefulness and reason, the result of a wealth of experience garnered over half a century. This anniversary provides us with an opportunity to take stock of the last half-century and to examine together ways and means to influence the course of the coming years to ensure that this Organization can genuinely live up to the expectations of all the peoples of the world that yearn for peace, equality, respect for human life, and peaceful technological progress.

MALAWI

President Bakili Muluzi: It would have been nice if the United Nations had performed miracles these past 50,years. It would have been nice if it succeeded in preventing human beings from wantonly slaughtering each other on a regular basis. The UN failed to perform this particular miracle. Human beings all over the world continue to kill each other for political, tribal, religious and all sorts of other reasons. The world has yet to become one big happy family. And this means that the UN still has a crucial role to play in bringing about peace, stability, freedom and justice.

MALI

Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita: We hope to see the United Nations live up to the desire of 21st century man to five in peace and security, in social justice and human dignity. How can we fail here to recall the action the Organization has taken to advance the cause of the self-determination of peoples, to eradicate colonialism and to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and oppression? The UN has thus opened new horizons for many countries and peoples, enabling them to cooperate and to live in brotherhood within a community of interests and fortunes that inspires each people to devote its resources and energy to development, progress and prosperity.

MAURITANIA

Mohamed Salem Ould Lekhal, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation: The theme of today's commemoration - "We the peoples of the United Nations ... united for a better world" - must be more than a slogan. May the wisdom and farsightedness of our forebears who wrote the UN Charter inspire us to adopt the conduct and attitudes that will enable us to avoid the misfortunes and disasters of war and insecurity. Mauritania reaffirms its commitment to work to advance the great ideals of our Organization, to consolidate international peace and security and to strengthen cooperation and solidarity amongst all nations for a world free of war, poverty and under development.

MAURITIUS

Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth: The United Nations is at the crossroads. It has already been challenged an unprecedented number of conflicts and humanitarian emergencies on an unprecedented scale throughout the world. The time is not for despair but for a renewal of efforts to rekindle the original aspirations of the UN. The UN must further the common objectives of the world community and promote the economic and social advancement of peoples in all countries, big and small, thus creating conditions for the peaceful development of all.

MOROCCO

Crown Prince Sidi Mohamed: If it is truly our desire to have mankind reap the benefits of UN activities, in particular in the areas of health, development, education and culture, we must not waste time in making the UN capable of addressing the issues that face mankind. This must be done quickly, before there appears on the international political scene another giant harbouring unipolar aspirations who would return us, God forbid, to the era of the cold war from whose consequences humanity suffered so much and from whose influence it was deeply scarred.

MOZAMBIQUE

President Joaquim Alberto Chissano: Our challenge for the next century is to further strengthen the United Nations in order to enable it to deal more efficiently and vigorously with issues related to the maintenance of international peace and security, and to promote sustainable development, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Only these can ensure a better and safer world for all. Development is the twin sister of peace. There can be no sustainable development without lasting peace, nor can there be a lasting peace without sustainable development.

NAMIBIA

President Sam Nujoma: Celebration of the birth, longevity and performance of the United Nations is proper and fitting indeed. The world has been a safer place because of the UN and its continued relevance is beyond question. After 50 years, the Organization is alive and well. Its misfortunes are exaggerated. Failures are those of the Member States and not of the UN. The 50 years of the existence of the UN have brought the peoples of the world closer together than ever before. Indeed, today's world is truly a global village.

NIGER

President Mahamane Ousmane: Whatever its detractors may say, and despite the many obstacles that impede its functioning, we must acknowledge that the United Nations has been at the root of striking qualitative changes on the international scene. It has been at the centre of the accession to independence of many hundreds of millions of people. In the sphere of peacekeeping, it has somehow managed to prevent the repetition of conflicts just as devastating and deadly as the war that brought it into being. It continues to be the best framework for multidirectional thought and action towards a common approach to the ills that beset mankind.

NIGERIA

Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The theme of war and peace has confronted the UN since its inception. Indeed, the founding fathers of the world body expressed their determination "to save succeeding generations from the scouge of war which ... has brought untold sorrow to mankind". Regrettably, these wars are proliferating mostly in the developing countries and have resulted in mindless human and material waste, destruction and dislocation of social structures, tidal waves of refugees and displacement of populations.

RWANDA

President Pasteur Bizimungu: Mechanisms should be worked out so that the UN can deliver on expectations. In particular, the Security Council must be reformed to make it more representative. Me future of our Organization, our future, requires us to strive for unconditional solidarity and more dynamic cooperation. Mankind should never again witness the horrors of genocide that took place in Rwanda, and the current ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia must be brought to an end. We count on the UN to direct and support our efforts to create a better world for humanity.

SENEGAL

Prime Minister Habib Thiam: Our presence bears witness to our renewed adherence to UN ideals and our faith in its unique mission of peace and cooperation, solidarity and progress. International peace and security, economic and social development, humanitarian aid and promotion of the rule of law continue to be permanent objectives which the UN has always been striving to achieve in the constant struggle for freedom. Indeed, the UN has not only persisted in this far-reaching enterprise, it has also inspired a great number of major positive transformations with a view to finding solutions to the problems facing our human race.

SIERRA LEONE 

Valentine E.M. Strasser, Head of State: The dreams of those delegates in San Francisco are still shared by every single delegate here in New York. The world has changed; giant nations no longer confront each other with deadly weapons; the Iron Curtain has given way to closer cooperation; the threat of nuclear annihilation has receded. Giant economic blocs are emerging; one-time arch enemies are now close allies. The resolution of ancient and emerging new conflicts and provision of humanitarian aid to the millions of hungry and dying peoples of the world are problems that the UN has grappled with. These are remarkable achievements.

SOUTH AFRICA 

President Nelson R. Mandela: When distinguished leaders came together, half a century ago, to consign to the past a war that had pitted humanity against itself, the ruins and the smoke from the dying fires were the monument to what should not have been. Fifty years after the formation of the United Nations, we meet to affirm our commitment to the founding ideal and the common desire to better the life of all human beings. What challenges us, who define ourselves as "states-persons", is the clarion call to dare to think that what we are about is people - the proverbial man and woman in the street. These - the poor, the hungry, the victims of petty tyrants, the objectives of policy - demand change.

SWAZILAND

King Mswati III, Head of State: I believe the United Nations' founding fathers would have recognized their own goals in those of my generation. They are, after all, what every human being has a right to expect - good health, shelter, security for one's family, freedom to pursue the ideas and beliefs of choice, to be educated and employed and, above all, to be able to Eve in peace. In the year 2045, I wish to be able to stand and meet the gaze of my children, and my grandchildren, and say, We did our best".

TOGO

Dahuki Pere, President of the National Assembly. A rapid survey of UN activities over the last 50 years shows that while it has allowed the world to escape a world war of a scope comparable to the last two wars the effects of which traumatized humanity, our Organization has not fulfilled our hopes - either in the area of peace-keeping or in the area of economic and social development. Despite enormous means invested in safeguarding and restoring regional and international peace, this goal is far from being achieved. UN capabilities in the area of preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes should be strengthened.

TUNISIA

Al-Habib ben Yahia, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The United Nations has done a great deal in the service of peace since its establishment in the difficult times that followed in the wake of World War II. It has saved humanity from destruction and contributed to the emergence of the national liberation movement in various parts of the world. It has championed the advocates of fraternity and equality against the forces of injustice and every form of discrimination. Notwithstanding the difficulties that faced it, the UN has shown itself to be the very embodiment of human wisdom.

UGANDA

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni: The Organization has in the last 50 years played a role in maintaining peace in the world and we salute its contribution. TO properly utilize the United Nations in future, we should clearly define the circumstances under which it should assist the forces of legitimacy and democracy. Most cases which confront the UN are explosions that follow a prolonged period of the disenfranchisement of the people. Me best way for the UN to handle such explosions is to seek to restore and support legitimacy.

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

Daudi N. Mwakawago, Chairman of the Delegation: As we meet today, we look back on 50 years of illustrious history. But our main objective is to focus on the future. The Organization needs revitalization. One area is to democratize its structures, especially the Security Council, to reflect current realities. Equitable geographical representation should be the centrepiece of reforms. A second area of concern is development. The scourge of poverty and environmental degradation is the new war facing the UN. It cannot be wished away or left to the developing countries to fight. It requires the solidarity of the international community through the leadership of the UN.

ZAIRE

President Marechal Mobutu Sese Seko: For us Africans, the United Nations is first and foremost a synonym of re-found dignity and freedom. The UN flag represents the universal emblem of the decolonization of the States of our continent. Indeed, members will recall that when the UN Charter was signed in San Francisco, only a few African countries were among the first 51 States to be admitted. From 1960 to 1990, that is, from the first proclamations of independence to the independence of Namibia, all the other African States have progressively won their seat within the UN.

ZAMBIA

President Frederick J.T. Chiluba: In a world of growing tensions and challenges, the UN has performed well since its inception and deserves a word of appreciation and thanks. The structures of 1945, meant to service an almost homogeneous membership of 50 countries that has since increased almost fourfold, are no longer capable of servicing the bigger and wider globe. Membership has increased in numbers as well as in regional diversity. A restructured and more representative UN will be better equipped to respond to growing demands which have become multifarious in character.

ZIMBABWE

President Robert G. Mugabe: For us in Africa, the contribution of the United Nations in the decolonization and democratization processes has been an outstanding and honourable one, with the result that today southern Africa, once described by a Portuguese seafarer as a "region of storms", has finally and truly become a region of good hope where the oppressive settler regimes, apartheid and other ruthless systems of governance have succumbed to the revolutionary will of the majority, paving the way to peace, stability and regional cooperation.

AFGHANISTAN

Najibullah Lafraie, Minister for Foreign Affairs: Each and every document of the UN talks about respecting the right to life, liberty and security, as well as the will of the nations. During this special commemorative meeting, world leaders have also presented speeches about the future of the world and ways and means of implementing the provisions of the UN Charter, which would remain merely beautiful expressions unless translated into practice. Let us not forget, however, that at this very moment millions of human beings go on living in poverty, hunger and deprivation.

BAHRAIN

Shaikh Mohamed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The future of the United Nations depends, now more than ever, on the extent of its ability to influence events and to mould the future, especially in an era of accelerating change and development, influenced by the dramatic communications revolution in the world. If the UN is to carry out its task of peacemaking and ensuring justice, it behooves us, peoples and Governments alike, to present the 21st century with a UN capable of promoting the causes of justice, development and equality for all.

BANGLADESH

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia: If we look around the world today at the numerous conflicts, big and small, at aggression perpetrated against small States, at genocidal conflicts and ethnic cleansing, and denial of the right of lower riparian countries to water of common rivers, there are many who may question the justification of this world body. Despite these drawbacks, mankind has not been able to evolve a more effective forum. The 50th anniversary offers the ideal opportunity to review its achievements and to look forward to a strengthened and reinvigorated United Nations.

BHUTAN

Dawa Tsering, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The United Nations means different things to different nations around the globe. It is only natural that we should view the world through our own perspective, influenced by our historical experience, geographical setting, traditions and value system. For a small nation like Bhutan, membership of the UN enables us to participate in shaping the international agenda on numerous issues that are of importance to our people. We benefit from the activities of the UN family of organizations, whose assistance has made a real difference in the everyday lives of our people.

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah: The United Nations is still the best Organization to uphold a world order based on international law and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Interdependence between nations has increased, but has not displaced the sovereignty of nations as the basic principle in international relations. The UN gives all Members, big and small, an equal voice. The UN must change to meet new challenges, but I hope it will continue to give small nations an adequate voice in its deliberations.

CAMBODIA

First Prime Minister Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh: The United Nations contribution to world peace has been unique. Through its specialist bodies, it has provided both emergency assistance to people around the world in urgent need and development assistance to help raise the standard of living of millions of people. We salute the staff of these UN organizations and thank them for their noble endeavours. We, Cambodians, are particularly indebted to the Organization for helping our country and people to regain their freedom and independence. Cambodians will never forget the assistance provided to our country by the UN.

CHINA

President Jiang Zemin: Over the past 50 years, the United Nations has done much useful work in mitigating regional conflicts, eradicating colonialism, expediting arms reduction and promoting peace and development in the world. However it also has its failures and setbacks. The rivalry of certain big Powers has often left the UN in limbo. Moreover, the rights and interests of the large number of developing countries have not been fully respected. Our experience and lessons over the past half century, the Charter's purposes and principles, and epochal themes of peace and development have all placed solemn and urgent demands on us.

CYPRUS

President Glafcos Clerides: The UN Charter, a great human achievement, embodying the wisdom and vision of its drafters to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, constitutes the legal and moral foundation in international relations, and is as valid and relevant today as ever. What is really needed is to reduce the gap between principle and practice created by the failure to apply objectively and universally the Charter provisions, thus causing insecurity, frustration and bitterness. The authority of the Organization must be upheld against those who flout international opinion.

FIJI 

Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka: The norms of the powerful have in the past been imposed to disinherit indigenous people, and to this day in some places, to deny them the political self-determination essential for their social and economic advancement. The United Nations must guarantee that external values and forces do not continue to coerce political concessions, economic reforms and social changes not desired by indigenous peoples themselves. Not all the wrongs that history has wrought upon indigenous peoples can now be put right. The UN should not hesitate to ensure for these that remedy is expeditious.

INDIA

Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao: The United Nations today includes a much larger number of independent, sovereign States than when it began. In such a context, the UN cannot afford to be seen as either exclusivist or incomplete, either in appearance or in outlook. In particular, an adequate presence of developing countries is needed in the Security Council on the basis of objective criteria: nations of the world must feel that their stakes in global peace and prosperity are factored into the UN decision-making. At the 50th anniversary, we thus have the task of making the UN truly and effectively the global repository of humankind's aspirations.

INDONESIA

President Soeharto: In these troubled times, we, the Governments and peoples of the world, look up to the United Nations for the sustenance of our hopes. There is no question that we need the UN. What we often forget is that the UN needs us too. We applaud its triumphs, but we often forget that its failures are ours too. Its responsibility is our responsibility. It is our hope that during the next 50 years strides can be made in achieving better harmony between the national self-interest and the legitimate rights of the less empowered people of the world.

IRAN 

Ali Akbar Velayati, Minister for Foreign Affairs: The UN gains its strength from its universal character, which is even more impressive in light of the diversity of its constituent elements. Faith in and, thus protection of, fundamental human rights, the dignity and worth of the human person, and equal rights of men and women cannot be divorced from respect for equality of nations, large and small. There can therefore be no justification for any attempt to impose the will or values of a few over the rest of humanity, or to enhance the perception of security of the privileged few at the expense of subjecting the rest of humanity to the nightmare of nuclear holocaust.

IRAQ

Vice-President Taha M. Marouf. With the end of the cold war, all the grandiose hopes for a new era of peace have given way to an emergent unipolarism, with many armed conflicts, on both the international and the domestic levels. Within the UN, it has spawned types of behaviour characterized by selectivity, double standards and putting the UN mechanisms at the service of narrow self-interest. Now that we can diagnose the ailment, we have to be quick with the remedy. We should begin by activating the democratic process in the work of the UN.

ISRAEL

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: In the past 50 years, this podium has seen empires fall and borders erased. But it has also seen people awaken to their freedom and the nations of the world display their flags side by side. We are grateful to the international community for its encouragement at this historic moment which is unfolding on our little plot of land. The road is still long. However, we are determined to continue until we have brought peace to the region, for our children and our children's children and for all the peoples of the region. This is our mission. We will fulfil it. Israel celebrates here with everyone - with all those attending here and with the entire world-50 years of the United Nations.

JAPAN

Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama: We have only five years left to the 21st century. Humankind has reached the stage at which we should all join hands and advance together so that the coming century will be one of hope, in which we can look forward to the creation and development of a new global civilization. On this occasion, I should like to reaffirm the determination that the people of japan made 50 years ago to live in peace, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world. As the exploration of a new vision for the United Nations continues, Japan will enhance its support for the Organization.

JORDAN

King Hussein Ibn Talal: I may not be the eldest head of State among you, but God has willed that I should be the longest serving, and the one who has dealt with the United Nations for the longest period. I recall at an early age, witnessing the endeavours of men like Trygve Lie, Count Bernadotte, Ralph Bunche, Dag Hammarskjold, and Gunnar jarring and many others who have served the cause of peace and stability in our region. We acknowledge our debt to the men and women of the UN who have worked over the years to preserve peace in our region and feel proud to have contributed to serve the same lofty ideals in other regions.

KAZAKHSTAN

President Nursultan Nazarbaev. No international structure on the eve of the 21st century will be capable of effectively resolving the issues of global security and social and political development without taking into consideration the new global balances. Today, we should be grateful to the United Nations for its effective endeavours, which have helped us all to avert potential global disasters in the second half of the 20th century. This is an undoubted accomplishment of the UN and its principal bodies and structures.

KUWAIT

Sheik Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State: Global confidence in the United Nations system has been on the rise since it has become a beacon of hope for alleviating and redressing the human suffering caused by aggression and oppression in all their forms and manifestations. We trust that the Organization will become even more effective in confronting mankind's global problems in the coming century. Such a contribution would indeed consolidate the lofty human values of benevolence, cooperation and interdependence for the common benefit of all human beings who yearn for a peaceful and dignified life.

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

Mukar Cholponbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber. As representatives of an ancient people but a young nation, and reflecting on our own history and the half-century of efforts to create a new code of international cooperation, we express profound gratitude to the founding fathers of the UN. The world community has been successful in interrupting the tragic cycle of world wars. Today, our discussions cover not the problems of global war, but rather global development. Me UN is a living body and it is needed by all of us. Let us then join efforts to make it more effective and more responsive to contemporary challenges.

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Deputy Prime Minister Khamphoui Keoboualapha: During the last five decades, our universal Organization has been sorely tried in many conflicts and upheavals in various parts of the world. Despite the difficulties encountered, the United Nations has survived and strengthened its role in solving world problems. While we welcome what has been achieved, we cannot but confirm the fact that today's world is entering a new era - an era of cooperation for development. Yet the world is still without true peace. The realities of the world today show us that true peace cannot prevail until the imperatives of socio-economic development have been adequately addressed.

LEBANON

Bahige Tabbarah, Minister of Justice: The UN is not only a unique forum where Members can have their voices heard, and their complaints addressed. It is primarily the international institution that provides assistance and support to the developing countries so that they, in turn, can build their economies and their societies, and gradually bridge the gap between the industrial and the developing countries. World peace and understanding and respect for human rights cannot be permanent unless the economic gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world is bridged.

MALAYSIA

Datuk Abdullah bin Hadji Ahmad Badawi, Minister for Foreign Affairs: We strongly believe that the UN should be the body to promote globalism and pluralism. It must stand clearly on the side of universal values in combating genocide and aggression. Peace and security cannot be built on arms reduction alone. Development focused on eradication of poverty and the removal of bottlenecks towards global prosperity must remain a UN priority. The UN should not become an instrument for disciplining developing countries, while allowing for power politics and global domination by a few powerful countries.

MALDIVES

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom: Fifty years ago, the UN was created to serve all peoples - rich and poor alike; big and small on an equal footing - based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. My question is this: has the UN been successful in the even-handed application of this principle and in ensuring the protection and security of small States? Today, the world needs an organization that will aim at a world of shared economic prosperity and national security and one in which communities can live in harmony with one another and with the environment.

MARSHALL ISLANDS 

President Amata Kabua: Today is an occasion to celebrate half a century of the existence of the United Nations and its accomplishments, and also to reflect over how, collectively, we may better chart our path and more clearly articulate our goals for the next 50 years or so. The current political landscape is vastly different from that of 50 years ago. This requires the UN critically to examine its performance and structures in search of practical solutions. It is imperative that those elements which are antiquated, and no longer minister to the needs of a continually changing humanity, be swept away and relegated to the currents of history.

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

President Bailey Olter. Me accomplishments of the UN as a forum for advancing world peace and security cannot be minimized. But this Organization has an even greater mission. As populations grow and make increasing demands on the planet's limited resources, even the most richly endowed must come to understand the great, futuristic vision of the Charter. It wisely calls upon peoples and Governments, large and small, rich and poor, to incorporate in their policies and actions true respect for the rights of all, including the least privileged, to live in conditions of decency and equality.

MONGOLIA

President Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat: The UN, having risen from the ashes of the most devastating war in the history of mankind, is today celebrating its golden anniversary with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence in the future. From a distance of 50 years, one could reasonably argue that there were no victors nor vanquished, and that the sole winner was the entire human race. But the 50 million who perished in the war will always be a stark reminder of the imperative still fundamental today - to persevere in our collective efforts to achieve peace, progress and social justice.

MYANMAR

Maung Aye, Vice Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council. The international community has changed considerably in the past 50 years; yet the UN Charter framed in june 1945 continues to be valid. Its principles - the equality of sovereign States, territorial integrity, the political independence of States and the peaceful resolution of conflicts - must remain inviolate and be faithfully observed in international relations. Erosion of these fundamental principles will undermine the aims and purposes of the Organization. Any attempt to weaken the time-honoured and universally accepted principles of sovereignty would be cause for serious concern.

NEPAL 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba: The spectre of a global nuclear catastrophe which has haunted humanity since 1945 is less threatening now with the end of the cold war. The Organization's functional approach to peace has provided economic relief to the less privileged regions of the world and restored human dignity to the neglected segments of our global society. While we are currently caught in a dilemma between our efforts to forge a new world order and face the reality of a global disorder, there is a strong need to reinforce some of its mechanisms to cope with the demanding times.

OMAN

Fahad Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers: The past epoch of United Nations history has been a period of many a positive achievement, thanks to the effectiveness of multilateral action. The fact that the UN has been able to surmount the many great difficulties that stood in its path attests to the success of the Organization and its Member States. However, the achievement of peace, security, economic prosperity and social well-being on a basis of equality and justice will not be possible unless we strengthen our collective efforts and give priority to development plans on the individual and the collective levels.

PAKISTAN

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto: Fifty years ago this day, men and women of vision assembled to create an Organization to save the world from war. For 50 years, there has been no global conflict. We applaud the United Nations humanitarian and peace-keeping interventions, to which the brave sons of Pakistan have contributed with their own blood. We welcome the UN efforts to emphasize social issues, including population, social development, women and human settlements. Let us remember the words of the philosopher Spinoza, who said: "Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is a virtue that springs from force of character."

PALAU

President Kuniwo Nakamura: The UN represents the most ambitious and noble attempt humankind has ever made to craft a lens with which to transcend self-interest as individuals and as nations. With such a lens, we are able to consider issues from the vantage point of the representatives of our closeknit global family who will come here to the United Nations 50 and 100 years from now to celebrate future anniversaries of this magnificent institution. When my ancestors sailed from Southeast Asia to Palau, they needed courage, knowledge and wisdom. As nations, we too will need all of these qualities in the coming years.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA 

Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister. The end of the cold war provides a rare opportunity to the international community to divert its energies and resources towards positive development directed at meeting the basic needs of our people and, thereby, ensuring long-term peace and stability. The UN no doubt remains the only global entity capable of shaping international consensus in order to instil confidence and facilitate international development cooperation. Papua New Guinea stands to salute the achievements of the UN, and will continue to support the noble cause and objectives of the Organization.

PHILIPPINES

President Fidel V. Ramos: In five turbulent decades we have seen the decolonization of virtually the whole world, the rise of human rights to the forefront of world concerns, the engagement of our world community in reform for the welfare of children, women, minorities and the environment and, most of all, the work of re-engineering development in the poor regions of the world. Now we must ensure that this Organization is adequate to meet the challenges of a new era. Let us remember that the United Nations was created - as the Charter says - "to promote better standards of life in larger freedom" all over the world.

OATAR

Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani: We ardently hope to see the birth of a new United Nations, which can firmly and effectively face up to the challenges of wars, internal conflicts, ethnic intolerance and other hurdles which hold back mankind's progress. This can happen only if the Organization can do more than set up machinery to deal with conflicts after they erupt. Preventive measures should be taken to forestall such conflagrations through the development of societies, economically and socially, and combating poverty, sickness and all the other causes of underdevelopment.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

President Kim Young Sam: The dreams of the founders of the United Nations of a better world have already changed our planet tremendously. Riding the crest of the information age and globalization, not only is the international order undergoing an epochal change, but human civilization itself is being radically transformed. Change and reform in the UN are necessary if the Organization is to create and maintain the new world order. The UN has to be democratized and made more efficient; and every region of the world must be more equitably represented on the Security Council.

SAMOA

Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Delegation: My own country, like so many in this Hall, came to independence through the process of decolonization made possible only through the central role played by the United Nations. That process was a historic achievement. We now have an Organization structured by a few, half-a-century ago, that has to respond to the needs of many more, and to a world which is fundamentally different and which continues to change. It needs to be reformed and assured of the financial resources it needs. Membership of the Security Council must be enlarged to reflect the realities of the present time and to enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy.

SAUDI ARABIA 

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister: The capabilities the UN has demonstrated over the past 50 years makes us determined to continue to support it. If the yardstick of its success lies in its effectiveness in serving the cause of international peace and security, we must underscore the importance of abiding by its Charter, and enforcing its resolutions. It is the hope of The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques that our celebration today will make a watershed in the history of our Organization to enable it to achieve its goals and make it possible for all peoples of the world to live in security and achieve continued progress.

SINGAPORE

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong: The United Nations has been criticized, even maligned. Some of the criticisms are valid, but many of them are unfair. Let us not forget that the UN has contributed to a better world, despite its shortcomings and failures in several areas. The UN may not necessarily be the prime mover in many world events, given the increasing strength of regional and multilateral bodies. But it has a very important integrative function: that of maintaining global coherence and ensuring that no country is excluded in the march towards security, peace and prosperity.

SOLOMON ISLANDS 

Deputy Prime Minister Danny Philip: In the course of the last five decades, the United Nations did much to expand and strengthen the community of nations. In the Pacific, for example, the UN has been a critical factor in the emergence of independent States. The recent international recognition of the vulnerability of small island developing States to adverse economic conditions, as well as to natural and environmental disasters, is a significant example of the family of nations building mutual trust, support and respect. As the founders of this Organization understood, our problems are ultimately moral and spiritual in nature. Therefore, the very work of diplomacy can be successful only in an atmosphere of tolerance.

SRI LANKA 

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga: The effective strengthening of the United Nations system is an essential requisite for advancing its goals. The Organization has regrettably sometimes come to be seen by the more vulnerable States as primarily serving the interests of the more powerful States. The revitalizing process must enhance the capacity of the UN, rather than merely effect economies and scale down its scope. In the end, the UN will essentially be what we, the Member States, make of it - not what individual States seek to make from it.

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC Farouk Al Shara', Minister for Foreign Affairs: A unanimity has crystallized among States of the world on the need to reform the UN, to render it more efficient for present and future challenges. The improvement in UN performance and the democratization of decision-making within it cannot be attained if stronger and richer States impose their selfish interests at the expense of the overwhelming majority of the world's countries. It is the tendency to do just that which lies at the source of genuine concern that has been generated by certain recent practices and experiences.

TAJIKISTAN President Emomali Rakhmonov: Designed to help States resolve disputes in a peaceful manner, the UN today faces a new challenge: to make wider use of preventive diplomacy. The peacemaking potential of the UN can be coupled with its cooperation with regional organizations, primarily in deterring, confining and settling armed conflicts and in countering terrorism and radical manifestations of fundamentalism of various kinds. The best prospects for defending our national interests lie in cooperation with the UN, the OSCE, and other international organizations.

THAILAND Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa: In this day and age, where uncertainty lurks at every turn, and where sustainable development poses a challenge, the United Nations is more important than ever. Its role in South-East Asia has shown that, with the right kind of support it is indeed capable of promoting "happiness in tranquility. We should see to it that the Organization concentrates on the things which only it can do, or which it can do better than any other international body: to stop people from killing each other, to get people to treat each other fairly, and to help people live in an environment of their own choosing.

TURKMENISTAN President Saparmurat Niyazov. The 20th century ideological confrontation between blocs is gone, and mankind must choose which way to go. We stand together with those who believe in the philosophy of uniting the world while re-cognizing existing differences. We stand together with those who recognize the primacy of the United Nations in divising programmes of civilized partnership free from diktat and the imposition of ideas and ways of life. The new non-polar world is a community of equal partners. There should be no elite countries with special powers and prerogatives that rightfully belong to the entire world community.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahayan: Our participation in these celebrations clearly reflects our firm belief in the important and historic role of the United Nations in the establishment of a new era of international relations and in strengthening peace and security, especially in the Arab region, a region that has been ravaged, over the past few decades, by numerous wars and conflicts that have consumed its material and human energy and resources. The UN should perform a larger role in addressing those problems and in realizing the hopes and aspirations of the region's peoples.

UZBEKISTAN President Islam A. Karimov: Today, the newly independent States on the post-Soviet space are in the process of laying the foundations of their national statehood and advancing towards democratic reforms for which they need support from the world community to expedite their integration into international structures. The consistency and irreversibility of reforms, democratization and a free market economy must be maintained. This will enable us to secure the place we deserve in the world community.

VANUATU Prime Minister Maxime Carlot Korman: At a time when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations and, in particular, the development programmes adopted and applied for the benefit of Member States, and the means established to guarantee international peace and security, it is our duty to do more to help the Organization face the new challenges of the 21st century. Vanuatu assures the Secretary-General of its support for initiatives for reform. Let us respect peoples and guarantee life in the regions of our world. Let us effectively protect the environment in our respective regions. Let us together build a more pacific world.

VIET NAM President Le Duc Anh: Over the past 50 years, the growth of the UN has been closely linked with the struggle of peoples for the right to self-determination and for UN Charter principles. Paradoxically, just when mankind has acquired the technology to reduce the distance between the Earth and other celestial bodies, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened alarmingly. Everyday, we witness the human tragedy of countless innocent people - victims of wars, conflicts, economic embargoes and epidemics. The international community should do its utmost to ensure the enjoyment of fundamental rights to a life in peace.

YEMEN Vice-President Abdourabou Mansour Hadi: Despite the challenges and difficulties facing the Organization as it discharges its functions and reaffirms its character, the last five decades have yielded important historic achievements, which have helped us to arrive at forming a collective future vision. Its greatest achievement is, perhaps, that it has spared mankind the horrors of a third world war. The Organization has also contributed to the liberation of nations, the raising of mankind's standard of having and the affirmation of the human right to a free and dignified life.

ALBANIA President Sali Berisha. The fall of the Iron Curtain - on which the United Nations had a positive influence - averted the threat of a large scale confrontation and ushered in a period of difficult transition for the countries of Eastern Europe. In this process, international institutions turned out to be not always interlocking, but interblocking. The international community, heading into the 21st century, is growing ever more aware of the need to redirect its advance towards a more reliable international order for everybody. The UN and its agencies can render a new contribution to this trend, to the benefit of present history.

ARMENIA President Levon Ter-Petrossian: In view of the situation in 1945, it was only natural that the Charter of the UN should deal primarily with the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN played a pivotal role in the reconstruction that followed the devastation of the world war, and it has so far been able to prevent the world being plunged into global conflict. Even during the cold war, the very existence of an international forum in which countries might discuss global issues prevented the outbreak of many conflicts.

AZERBAIJAN President Heydar Alirza ogly Aliyev: Great positive changes have occurred since the establishment of the United Natio