YouSaid · the spoken record

Abdelaziz Belkhadem

lines on the record: 43
first: 2000-09-24
most recent: 2001-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Thus, in order for our Organization to bolster its credibility and effectiveness, to address the great changes on the international scene and to be more responsive to the aspirations of this global village, it must earnestly pursue its transformation and be more open to the world and to itself. It is also necessary to ensure greater democracy and fairness within the United Nations system, in particular in the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council incontestably requires a drastic reform of its processes and membership. In a word, the United Nations must serve the great family of mankind as a whole.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“These steps form an integral part of the reform process undertaken over the past few years by the African countries at the national, regional and continental levels to bring Africa into step with an ever-changing world. Aware of the magnitude of the challenges facing the continent and of the need to acquire a global integrated programme for the social and economic recovery of the continent, African leaders at the Lusaka summit adopted a plan that was conceived by and for Africa. Algeria, which actively participated in the creation and drafting of the New Partnership for African Development, believes that this programme will open the way to practical solutions to the economic and social problems of Africa.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In the same vein, the ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization that opened in Doha two days ago and the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in a few months in Mexico, are promising prospects for the lasting resumption of growth in the developing countries and for improving the living standards of their peoples. Four months ago, African countries, meeting at the 37th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity in Lusaka, clearly expressed Africa’s official response to the new needs and aspirations of its peoples through their solemn launching of the transitional process towards the African Union and their adoption of the New African Initiative.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The progress that has been achieved at the political and economic levels in several regions and countries must be consolidated and enhanced through the international promotion of good governance. In this respect, the direct and indirect threats to sustainable development that jeopardize the survival of our planet require us all to mobilize on a vast scale in the context of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Urgent measures must be taken to halt the devastating effects of various means and types of production and consumption that have become untenable. These must be transformed in a qualitative way, taking into account the needs of mankind as a whole.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Given this qualitative transformation in international relations, our hope of seeing our planet forever free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is indeed strengthened. The need to establish renewable international cooperation based on mutual interests and shared duties and responsibilities is more urgent than ever before. This new spirit must become an incentive for launching comprehensive initiatives to seek a genuine understanding of the problems plaguing the entire world. In brief, we must prepare for international governance that truly reflects the requirements of rationality, transparency, justice, democratic participation and responsibility, without which any discussion of a new world order is meaningless and of no use to humanity.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“26 Finally, regarding recent events in Burundi, my country welcomes the decision of the parties to the conflict there to establish a transitional Government that guarantees the participation of all the inhabitants of that country in the management of their own affairs. We hail the important role played by Mr. Nelson Mandela in achieving understanding among the parties in Burundi in the implementation of the Arusha Agreement. The end of the cold war eased the climate of suspicion and distrust that permeated international relations and was replaced by a measure of optimism based on new prospects. We hope that this optimism will signal an end to outdated doctrines and theories of nuclear deterrence and the balance of terror and that it will open the way to a bold approach to guaranteeing the security of all States.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The international community must pursue its efforts to make the settlement process irreversible and to facilitate the inter-Congolese dialogue. Africa also welcomes the progress made in Sierra Leone in the implementation of its disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, which have been made possible by the courageous and determined action of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. Despite the positive developments that have occurred in Angola there, UNITA continues to sow death and destruction among the people of that country. A return to security will require strict respect by all States for the punitive measures laid down by the Security Council against UNITA.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Elsewhere on the African continent, the determination of African peoples and leaders and the support of the international community are starting to bear fruit in the areas of conflict prevention and settlement. The Peace Agreement concluded in Algiers in June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea put an end to a devastating two-year war between those two brotherly African countries and opened the way to a peaceful settlement of their dispute. The progress made since the full deployment of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea attests to the commitment of those two countries to strengthening the basis for a lasting peace and for mutually beneficial cooperation. Similarly, the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, which has long been plagued by numerous difficulties, is now well under way.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Here, the two parties should be reminded of their obligation to cooperate openly and sincerely with MINURSO, to conclude the referendum process and to call upon the bodies of the United Nations that deal with this issue to strictly respect their mandate. The unswerving position of Algeria on the issue of the Western Sahara stems from its dedication to international legality and to respect for the right of people to self-determination. Algeria therefore supports the holding of a free and transparent referendum, organized by the United Nations that will allow this people to decide on its destiny. Any effort or initiative to settle that dispute must be part of the framework of international legality and, in particular, of the resolutions on decolonization adopted by the General Assembly.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has not been able to continue the implementation of the settlement plan of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU), though it had been accepted by the two parties to the conflict, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el- Hamra y del R'o de Oro (POLISARIO), in particular because of the many challenges that followed the identification stage. Action by the United Nations in the Western Sahara, carried out through MINURSO since 1991, should be commended, and the progress made within the framework of the implementation of the settlement plan — in particular the identification of the electoral body — should be maintained and consolidated.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In addition, Algeria welcomes the decision of the Security Council to lift the sanctions on the brotherly people of Sudan and seizes the opportunity to renew its appeal for the lifting of the sanctions on the brotherly Iraqi and Libyan peoples. The situation in the Western Sahara, where the settlement process has been halted for more than a year and a half, is also a source of great concern and a factor of instability in the Maghreb and in Africa as a whole.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Algeria urgently calls upon the international community to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people by sending international observers to the region. Algeria wishes to emphasize that only a solution based on international legality — in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) — as well as on the principle of land for peace, adopted at the Madrid Conference, can ensure just and lasting peace and security for all the peoples of the region, as Chairman Yasser Arafat indicated in his speech this morning. Algeria would also like to reaffirm its solidarity with the brotherly peoples of Syria and Lebanon for the restoration of their lands still under Israeli occupation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“First of all, there is a need at the United Nations level to set aright unacceptable situations of injustice and denial of rights. In Palestine, the serious situation that prevails as a result of the continued Israeli occupation and its oppressive practices requires the attention of the entire international community. It demands urgent action to put an end to the daily trials of the Palestinian people, who are subjected to a deliberate policy by the Israeli army of intimidation, 25 abuse and murder. This policy is likely to endanger the resumption of the peace process, taking the entire region to the brink of a conflagration with incalculable consequences. Given the situation, Algeria reaffirms its total solidarity with the Palestinian people and their inalienable right to an independent State with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Today, reality amply demonstrates that globalization, despite its enormous potential and opportunities, has not yet yielded the expected results with regard to the universal improvement of living conditions. The processes to which it leads have too often widened the existing cracks within societies and exacerbated differences among nations. This has encouraged marginal groups to exploit the difficult social situations to which many peoples are subject and to promote isolationism and rejection of the other. The Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Durban World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance provide a framework for inspiration and action to build more harmonious and fraternal relations among people.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The denial of the right of peoples to self-determination, the exacerbated phenomena of exclusion and poverty, the persistence of economic imbalances, the intensification of social inequalities, the continued deterioration of the environment and the pursuit of the arms race are all problems awaiting solutions and concrete measures that, in many cases, United Nations forums have already defined and adopted in many cases adopted. The commitments undertaken recently to make globalization a factor of integration rather than of exclusion — in particular the objectives enshrined in the Millennium Declaration — take on full importance here, since they highlight the urgent need for effective measures to build a stable and united world on a solid foundation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“While the urgency of this struggle has made it possible to achieve notable progress in a few weeks, we must be unanimous in our determination if we are to confront the roots of terrorism — that is, we must address the problems that constitute a breeding ground for extremism and intolerance throughout the world. This means that Islam, a religion of peace and tolerance, cannot in any way be associated with terrorism, which is alien to its values. It also underscores the importance of ensuring that the anti- terrorist struggle is not aimed at any one country, religion, culture or civilization. The United Nations, which has often diagnosed and analysed the state of our world, has rightly emphasized that problems tend to be of an economic, political and social nature and that their causes are both national and international.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“For its part, my country is ready to cooperate with other nations to achieve this as quickly as possible. The dangers that terrorism poses to global peace and security highlight the need for a ruthless struggle against it, in particular through dismantling bases and networks, draining sources of financing, cooperating in exchanging information and providing proper equipment to countries that are victims of terrorism, and reviewing permissive national legislation regarding the right of asylum as well as the justification for murder or planning criminal activities to be committed in third countries.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In that regard, Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) unquestionably constituted a major breakthrough. It was adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter and obliges all States unequivocally and dutifully to outlaw terrorist activities and their supporters and sponsors, wherever they may be. Algeria is fully cooperating with the international community in the implementation of that universal collective endeavour. Algeria stresses how important it is that the resolution be strictly implemented and reaffirms the imperative need for universal adherence to existing international anti-terrorism instruments and for the ratification of relevant regional instruments. Algeria believes, inter alia, that the adoption of a comprehensive convention to combat terrorism is essential.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“This session is taking place at a time when there is a new international awareness of the global nature of problems of peace, security and development. The barbaric terrorist attacks against the United States on 11 September, and their alarming consequences, made it clear that terrorism is now a factor for worldwide political and economic destabilization. Algeria has conveyed its deepest sympathy to the families of the victims of those horrible acts. It did so with all the more sincerity and feeling because for more than a decade Algeria itself has been enduring the horrors of terrorism. The international reaction to this devastating scourge has been a heartening collective wake-up call. Mobilization and multifaceted action to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is now worldwide.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We leave behind a century and usher in another, hopeful that humankind will learn from the past and will demonstrate the necessary determination to avoid making the same mistakes, for which we have paid such a high price.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Effective and unified tackling of the problem of sustainable development in the third world necessarily entails settling the problem of debt, reviving cooperation for development, promoting investments 21 and opening up the markets of the North to the products and commodities of the South. We are meeting today for the last session of the General Assembly in our century, which has been marked by many events, a century in which the horror of destructive wars was mingled with the joy of peace and détente, a century marked by a struggle between hope and resignation, where it became evident that people are at once capable of the most abject acts and the most useful kinds of actions.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“That fact reinforces our conviction of the need to accelerate the restructuring of international relations and our insistence on the need for a serious and comprehensive dialogue between the North and the South to find solutions for the imbalances that exist in the international financial and trade systems. It is time to tackle international economic relations from the standpoint of humankind's needs and dignity rather than from the standpoint of market forces alone, because experience has proved that such forces do not accord the necessary importance to social issues. If there is one area in which we must translate into reality the values of solidarity upon which the United Nations was founded and the interdependence which marks international relations, it is that of combating poverty, ignorance and epidemics.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The contrasts that exist in today's world can be seen very clearly in the economic and social situation of the world. Humanity has never before achieved such a level of technological development. That development now makes it possible to meet basic human needs economically, socially and culturally. However, some segments of humanity continue to suffer the most abject forms of poverty and destitution. The Secretary-General's report to the Millennium Summit contains a clear formulation of those contradictions, which do us no credit as a civilized society that aspires to preserve human dignity and to protect the rights of those whose rights have been wrested from them. Mr. Kofi Annan also recognized in his report that the benefits of globalization remain limited to a small group of people.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Those acts have not spared even members of the United Nations Mission. While we reaffirm the fundamental role of the United Nations and the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security, we continue to stress the need for the Security Council to demonstrate the same effectiveness and speed of action with regard to conflicts in Africa as it does in connection with conflicts in other regions of the world. In that regard, I would like to express our desire that the General Assembly give the necessary attention and in-depth consideration to the Brahimi report's recommendations on peacekeeping operations, and that it implement those recommendations so as to make the United Nations more effective in this essential area of maintaining international peace and security.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“UNITA's continued defiance of the international community in Angola and its failure to comply with the commitments it made in the peace process continue to inflict the disastrous consequences of an endless war on the people of Angola. While reaffirming UNITA's responsibility for the ongoing war in that country, we note with satisfaction the new effectiveness of sanctions on that rebel group. We reiterate the need for complete compliance by any means necessary to make the rebel elements comply with international law and honour their commitments under the Lusaka Agreement. The solidarity expressed by the international community for the efforts of the leaders of Sierra Leone to restore peace and security must be accompanied by a tough attitude towards the criminal elements guilty of murder and despicable acts against civilians.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In coordination and consultation with the countries of the region concerned and with the United Nations, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has intensified his efforts with the parties, urging them to find a peaceful and negotiated solution in order to spare the peoples of that country any further suffering and preserve its unity and territorial integrity. Today, more than a year since the Lusaka Agreement, we can only view with regret the reversals that have taken place in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Those setbacks have led to a deferment by the United Nations of the deployment of its peacekeeping mission.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Through its chairmanship of the OAU last year, my country made great efforts to resolve some of those conflicts and to limit their scale. Algeria's efforts were successful in the case of the conflict between two neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, where the Algiers Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities doused the fire of that destructive war between two fraternal peoples. The Agreement now offers real prospects for a just and lasting settlement of the border dispute between the two countries. Algeria has also stepped up its initiatives to end the conflict in the sisterly nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“At the economic level, African countries have wasted no time in joining the world trend towards a market economy and in creating the necessary conditions to promote free trade and investment. With regard to the conflicts that have devastated the continent and continue to cause humanitarian disasters and to tarnish Africa's prestige, the continent's leaders are now using preventive diplomacy and their own skills in mediating and settling conflict. Along the same lines, the OAU's Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution is being reinforced as the authority of reference to provide a framework for dialogue and conflict 20 prevention. As a result of those efforts, we see signs of easing in various conflicts in some parts of Africa.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Those changes have been brought about by the serious and determined will of Africans to free themselves from the burdens of the past and by their aspiration to join in the process of change that is sweeping our world today. Democracy is gaining ground daily as the mode of governance for the vast majority of societies in Africa. The State of law and respect for human rights are becoming embedded in African societies. That tendency is strikingly reflected in the historic decision by the 1999 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government no longer to recognize any anti- constitutional changes. That was a promising sign for the establishment of a democratic culture in Africa.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Algeria reiterates its support for the Palestinian people and salutes their struggle for recovering their legitimate rights, including the right to establish their own independent State with Al-Quds as its capital. Algeria would also like to reaffirm its support for the fraternal Syrian people and its right to recover the occupied Golan. We express our profound satisfaction and pride at Lebanon's regaining its sovereignty over all its territory. Algeria once again reaffirms the need to lift the embargo that has hit the fraternal Iraqi people so hard. We also call for a final lifting of the sanctions that continue to penalize the fraternal peoples of Libya and the Sudan. Africa is undergoing profound changes that are opening up new vistas for the peoples and countries of that continent.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“My country is convinced of the interdependence of the interests of the States and peoples on both shores of the Mediterranean Sea. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean process, which provides a promising framework for the promotion of dialogue and consultation among the countries of the region and opens up great prospects for understanding, intercultural exchange and improvement of partnership for the benefit of all peoples. The Middle East region has seen some developments this year that have had an important impact on the peace process. The question of Palestine, which is at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is at a delicate stage. That means that the international community must mobilize even further in order to move the peace talks forward.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The settlement plan, which was supported by both sides — Morocco and the POLISARIO Front — and by the international community, remains the practical, realistic option that will guarantee a just and lasting solution to this issue. Today the settlement plan is at a delicate stage, and the international community, which has already made a considerable effort to implement it, must give it even more attention and more support. Thanks to the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker, and the cooperation of both sides, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has resolved the difficulties that for so long prevented implementation of the plan. Today, there is no reason to delay or to block the referendum process.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Algeria is prepared today to work with its Maghreb partners to reactivate the process on the basis of an objective thorough analysis of common Maghreb action according to a rigorous and pragmatic methodology that seeks to maximize the complementarities of the countries of the region and that ensures gradual integration, taking into account the principles of equity and balance of interests. It is on the basis of this vision that Algeria has spared no effort to help find a just and lasting solution to the problem of Western Sahara. Algeria's support for the United Nations settlement plan is based on our commitment to preserve the security and stability of the region, without, however, rejecting the principle of the right of peoples to self-determination.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In our policy towards the peoples and countries with which we have relations of neighbourliness, geography and common heritage, we want to consolidate the principle of dialogue and consultation and develop cooperation and solidarity in keeping with the demands of good neighbourliness, common destiny, mutual interest, mutual trust and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. 19 Regarding the Arab Maghreb region, Algeria's commitment to build a unified, stable and prosperous Maghreb is based on our conviction that Maghreb unity is a strategic option dictated by the aspirations of the peoples of the region and by the current international situation, which encourages integration and the formation of blocs.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The United Nations and regional groups have adopted legal instruments that supplement international laws dealing with anti- terrorist actions. We hope that these achievements will be enhanced by the adoption of a comprehensive international convention, to be considered a political, legal and moral international covenant, to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Algeria is keen that its relations within its political and geographical spheres be governed by a vision of the future that goes beyond short-term interactions or ephemeral motives.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In the area of disarmament, for example, thanks to the available frameworks for negotiation and dialogue, the Organization has been able to realize considerable achievements, such as the signing of many conventions on weapons of mass destruction and the success of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), presided over by Algeria. The United Nations has also provided a framework to coordinate international efforts to deal with new dangers that pose a threat to international peace and security, such as terrorism, organized crime, and drug and arms trafficking. On the subject of terrorism, the international community has embarked on a process of implementing its strategy to combat this scourge and to prevent it.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is in the context of this vision that we state our position on humanitarian intervention. For us it is a question not of whether or not it is acceptable to intervene in humanitarian disasters, but, rather, of legal and political parameters that should govern any decision on this matter. We therefore demand that terms of reference be clearly and precisely established, that they should be democratically adopted in a context of transparency and that they should effectively reflect the will of the community of nations. They must be based on principles of solidarity and justice, ruling out any forms of selectivity, special treatment or double standards. Experience has shown that the international community has found in the United Nations a framework that allows for considerable progress to be made with regard to security and cooperation.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Accordingly, marginalization of the Assembly, when it comes to major questions such as the maintenance of international peace and security, does not in any way allow the overwhelming majority of nations to contribute to the decision-making process in international affairs. Opening the United Nations to the outside world is a necessity dictated by changes in the international community and the demands of our times. By involving civil society in its work, the United Nations will benefit from the considerable contribution that non- governmental partners can provide in meeting the needs of countries in matters of development, particularly in the areas of education, health and housing. But this partnership cannot be at the expense of the purposes and principles of the United Nations, nor the independence of its decisions.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“No one denies the fact that it needs to be radically reformed in order to prepare it and adapt it effectively to meet current and future challenges and to manage and redress the contradictions of international relations. Security Council reform and expansion of its membership are urgent matters, because this important body clearly lacks the necessary representativity to give legitimacy and efficiency to its decisions and actions. Likewise, consolidation of democracy and international relations, if it is to be truly meaningful, must involve the enhancement of the General Assembly and the establishment of its role as the principal source of international law, as well as oversight over the three principal organs, in keeping with the United Nations Charter.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is because of this that the Millennium Summit forcefully proclaimed the need to reinvigorate the United Nations and to galvanize its role, since it is the 18 refuge of the weak and the marginalized. The massive presence of the leaders of the whole world at the Summit was irrefutable proof of the commitment of the peoples and nations of the world to the United Nations and to the principles and purposes it embodies. The United Nations is the only forum built on the ideals and reference points shared by mankind as a whole, marked by universality and globality in its missions and prerogatives. Certainly the United Nations is facing today new challenges caused by rapid, profound and sometimes surprising changes in international affairs.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The world has changed in a very short time from a system with clearly defined parameters to a system where political and economic reference points are sorely lacking. It is a system defined by nebulous phenomena, which evolve according to rules set by forces that refuse, in the name of globalization, to accept any form of guidance or collective democratic oversight. It is no surprise that globalization is increasing the suspicions and fears of the developing countries vis-à-vis the evolving new world order. The current state of international relations, marked by injustice and imbalance, will inevitably get worse because of the unbridled process of globalization.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Kofi Annan, the head of the Secretariat, and commend his sincere and tireless work to reform the Organization and to give it a new dynamism so as to prepare it to meet the challenge of the enormous changes in international relations. I should also like to welcome the State of Tuvalu as a new Member of our Organization. Just a few days ago, the United Nations hosted a political event that was without precedent since the Organization was created: the Millennium Summit. Because of a host of fast-paced developments that occurred in international relations, we, the peoples of the United Nations, must take time at this juncture of history to organize a dialogue to discuss the shape of the new emerging world order and the effects on us, the peoples, the States and the United Nations, the repository of our collective hopes and aspirations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“I should like first of all, on my own behalf and that of the Algerian delegation, to convey to Mr. Holkeri heartfelt congratulations on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. I wish him every success in discharging his noble duties. The choice of Mr. Holkeri as President is a tribute to his personal qualities and to the experience of his country, Finland, with which we enjoy a firm friendship. I should also like to take this opportunity to convey to his predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the Foreign Minister of Namibia, our deep appreciation and gratitude for the great effort he made during his presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. Finally, I should like to salute the spirit of initiative and commitment shown by our Secretary- General, Mr.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)