YouSaid · the spoken record

Igor S. Ivanov

lines on the record: 43
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2002-09-24
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

“As for Russia, we have made our choice. This is the choice in favour of a democratic, multi- polar world order, which would guarantee sustainable development and equal security for all States; a world order formed on the basis of the extensive structure of multilateral institutions integrated within the framework of the United Nations. We hope that the decisions of this General Assembly session will mark an important stage of this process.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is apparent that the system to be created must be: ñ Global, as modern challenges in the context of globalization pose a universal threat, and should be addressed at the global level. ñ Comprehensive in scope, as each of the modern threats bears a huge destructive potential and all such problems without exceptions should be embraced by the system. ñ Holistic in approach, as quite often the new threats and challenges are directly interrelated. ñ Universal in participation. Finally, the system should become a reflection of the international rule of law, as its power will be built on principles and regulations of international law, the United Nations Charter above all. We bear grave responsibility to future generations, and the model of world order we will establish is destined to influence the life on our planet for decades.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Our common task is to unite around the United Nations to provide it with the necessary potential and resources and to develop as much as possible its internal reserves. Today, we can state with satisfaction that the global system is already evolving and the beginning of this process is largely successful. We suggest that an additional impetus should be given to this process and a resolution to encourage a most prompt creation of a global system of counteraction to present-day threats and challenges should be adopted at this session of the General Assembly. By doing so, we will direct all States towards the joint elaboration of its general shape and parameters. This is even more relevant because some of its parameters are already visible.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Putin on holding in autumn 2003 a World Conference on Climate Change in Moscow is designed to coordinate our efforts in this field. 22 A year ago, the Russian Federation called on the international community from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly to create a global system of counteraction to present-day threats and challenges that would be aimed at tackling real issues in the sphere of security and at meeting the vital interests of each and every State. This system would provide for long-term international stability and sustainable development. To be efficient, such a system needs a generally recognized coordinating centre capable of rallying the international community. And we do have such a centre the United Nations with its unique legitimacy, universality and experience.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The latest major international forums the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterey, World Food Summit in Rome, World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg adopted decisions designed to uproot the causes of the most threatening disparities in the world. The next step is to implement the agreements we have reached. Equally sweeping are the tasks that face us in the field of environmental protection. Natural disasters that afflicted many regions of our planet this summer have demonstrated again that the solution of environmental issues cannot be put off unless we want to endanger the very survival of future generations. This sphere also depends on multilateral efforts that exclude the egoism of individual States. The initiative of Russian President Vladimir V.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The entire international community benefits from a steady enhancement of the leading role of our Organization in peacemaking. We cannot relax our attention to this task. At all times and throughout the world, terrorism and extremism have tried to justify themselves with continuous social and economic instability and poverty. While recognizing the existence of these serious problems we should state most resolutely that terrorism does not and will not have any justification. At the same time, the creation of a sustainable and fair global financial and economic structure would, certainly, help combat many dangerous challenges to mankind.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“And yet, we are still far from a radical decrease in the number and intensity of armed conflicts. Hard work, requiring great human as well as material and financial resources, is awaiting us. But the most important here is the presence of a strong political will to implement the provisions of the United Nations Charter pertaining to the peaceful settlement of disputes. Experience shows that no matter how complex international crises and conflicts may be, whatever challenges and threats they may be fraught with, they can be settled with the aid of United Nations instruments and on the basis of international law. This fully applies to the situation around Iraq, which has long required political settlement in strict compliance with the Security Council resolutions.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Those so-called local problems have long turned into one of the main threats to international stability. Terrorism, political extremism, and economic and social degradation are their customary companions. Certainly, the primary responsibility in any settlement rests with the relevant parties, but multilateral mechanisms have also repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness in the restoration of peace and concord. A tangible progress made with the United Nations visible involvement in the post-Taliban reconstruction of Afghanistan is one of our common accomplishments. We can add to this the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of major practical decisions in support of a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East and the resolution of crises in a number of African countries.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Furthermore, we should universalize' the most important agreements on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and on comprehensive nuclear test ban. The missile sphere needs a sustainable negotiating process aimed at concluding an international arrangement on a global regime of missile and missile technology non- proliferation. The prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space forms an integral part of the non- proliferation process. Together with a number of our partners we suggest that a comprehensive agreement be worked out aimed at preserving outer space as a zone free from any kind of weapons. We are confident that this proposal serves the interests of all States, and expect that it will enjoy wide support. Since its establishment, the United Nations has been engaged in the settlement of regional conflicts.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“This means that there is a need to step up efforts to strengthen the non-proliferation regime for weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles. 21 By acting jointly and responsibly, we have already achieved a great deal. When we speak about the establishment of new regimes for the non- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and for arms control, we by no means wish to imply a renunciation of regimes and agreements already in effect. They are our shared protective mechanism a mechanism that is very reliable and has stood the test of time. Unjustified removal of the key elements of the international legal framework of non-proliferation can aggravate the international military and strategic situation and undermine global security.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The stability and credibility of the emerging international system of the twenty-first century will depend directly on the maintenance and strengthening of strategic stability. This fundamental objective was advanced by the signing, by the Presidents of Russia and of the United States, at their May meeting in Moscow, of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, which was a specific, major contribution by the leading nuclear Powers to nuclear disarmament. It is also very important to ensure the non- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The danger of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons or their components falling into the irresponsible hands of terrorists increases international terrorism's potential to cause devastation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The anti-terrorist cooperation mechanisms aimed at preventing the spread of terrorism in Central Asia, including those within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, are gaining momentum and thus provide clear evidence of that fact. There is a great deal of potential in the new partnership between Russia and the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The field of anti-terrorism is an integral part of our continuous dialogue and cooperation with the leading countries of the world, including the United States, China, India and the States members of the European Union. We are confident that the development of such interaction at many levels will promote a climate of confidence, security and cooperation in all parts of the world.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is our obligation to provide our citizens with the right to reliable protection against terrorism. Such an objective can be achieved only if all States agree on a range of specific measures under United Nations auspices. There is now a need to draw up an effective code to protect human rights against terrorism. Some of these measures have already been discussed by the international community, including in this forum. Others will require consideration in a broader context. The most important consideration, however, is that we should agree on a unified system of values and measures shared by all States. The results of the war against terrorism will be tangible only if we act in concert at all levels global, regional and national.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The well-known differences in the approaches of States to the provisions of such instruments could certainly be fully reconciled. They should not overshadow the objective, which is pressing for all of us, of establishing a legal basis to counter terrorism in all its manifestations a basis that would be in keeping with the realities of today's world. Russia is continuing to make resolute efforts to achieve that objective. It is the obligation of all States to protect the rights and freedoms of their citizens, the most important of these being the right to life. But it is precisely the lives of ordinary people that are threatened by terrorists, and each year new names are added to the list of victims. The international community can no longer tolerate this.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“That resolution is binding on all States, and we must now seek to achieve its unconditional implementation by all States. A priority task in the war on terrorism is the strengthening of its international legal framework. First and foremost, there is a need to ensure the genuinely universal character of existing anti-terrorist conventions. Having ratified the 1999 Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, Russia is now completing the process of accession to those international instruments. At the same time, we are seriously concerned about the lack of real progress in negotiating a comprehensive convention on combating terrorism and a convention on the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Indeed, the United Nations is called upon to continue to guarantee that, in combating new threats and challenges, the efforts of 20 the international community rest on a solid basis of international law. We must acknowledge and the past year has been very instructive in this regard that a great deal of hard work awaits us. It will be possible to put insurmountable obstacles in the way of fanatics and extremists who spread death and destruction only if we can reach general agreement on core issues relating to the world order. In this context, the role of the United Nations is, indeed, irreplaceable. The fact that the process of implementing the fundamental anti-terrorist resolution Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) is under way is of critical importance.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The most important outcome of the coming together of States to achieve common goals unprecedented since the Second World War is clear today. A broad international anti-terrorist coalition has been established and is actively functioning; it has already demonstrated its effectiveness in Afghanistan, a country that international terrorists of various affiliations had transformed into their own personal lair. Our common objective is not only to preserve the experience of interaction acquired within the framework of the coalition avoiding such unilateral actions as might undermine it but also to transform the anti-terrorist alliance into a supportive mechanism of effective security and cooperation for the new millennium. The United Nations must certainly be a pivotal element of such a mechanism.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“One year has passed since the tragic events that took place on 11 September 2001 in the United States of America shook the world and demonstrated the magnitude and brutality of the global threat of international terrorism. During the past year the world became fully aware of the challenges that humankind was facing as we entered the twenty-first century. It was a year during which the international community came together and began to take decisive action against terrorism. While paying tribute to the memory of all of the victims of the terrorism that has left a bloody trail throughout the world, we must now take stock of the initial results of the joint anti-terrorist campaign and, most important, outline our objectives in strengthening the foundations of international security and stability.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is our duty to win this peace and to make it comprehensive and irreversible.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The United Nations and its specialized agencies should play a role here. The expansion of human economic activities has brought about a globalization of both natural and man-made disasters, and this has become a major destabilizing global factor. The challenges related to the prevention of such disasters and the elimination of their consequences require that the most advanced technologies be used for the benefit of the world community as a whole. Why not consider, therefore, the establishment, under the auspices of the United Nations, of a specialized international emergency agency which would assume relevant functions? A widely known saying reads: "It is much easier to win a war than a peace." The United Nations founders won the war and laid the foundations for peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The time has come to reach, through joint efforts, a common understanding of such threats and of measures to reduce them. The twentieth century has brought about economic globalization. All economies have become open and closely linked as a result of advances in science and technology. All these factors have provided a powerful impetus to social and economic development while creating their own specific problems. The gap between the industrial and the formerly colonial worlds has not only persisted but has begun to widen. Development assistance should remain a principal focus of future United Nations activities. Crises, primarily financial ones, have assumed an international character. We must draw the appropriate lessons and modernize the architecture of the world financial system.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We believe that the General Assembly should come out clearly in support of the preservation and observance of the ABM Treaty, which is a cornerstone of strategic stability, because unilateral actions aimed at undermining the time-tested regime established by this Treaty are fraught with extremely dangerous consequences. A collective search for political and diplomatic solutions is the alternative to military responses to the problems of proliferation. This is precisely the target of Russia’s initiative concerning the global system of control over proliferation of missiles and missile technologies. Substantive discussions on threats to international information security must also be continued within the framework and under the auspices of the United Nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“If the political and legal fabric regulating international relations continues to disintegrate further, then trends to ensure national security through an arms race will become even stronger. Russia has consistently advocated the reduction and limitation of nuclear arsenals and strict compliance with the non-proliferation regime. For without this, ensuring strategic stability would prove impossible. We realize the importance of early ratification of the START II Treaty and of the initiation of START III negotiations, under which Russia would be prepared, on a reciprocal basis, to agree to considerable further reduction of strategic offensive armaments. Naturally, this process will be feasible only if the existing agreements in this field, first of all the ABM Treaty, are strictly observed.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Civilized integration, rather than latent assimilation — this is the way out of the prevailing humanitarian situation in these 15 countries. We welcome the efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe and the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) aimed at eliminating violations of human rights and freedoms of the non-indigenous population of Latvia and Estonia. We hope that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will make her contribution to these efforts. The risk of losing positive dynamics in the sphere of disarmament as a result of attempts to rely on unilateral power methods cannot but cause concern.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is the duty of the international community to render every possible support to the African peoples. While strengthening the legal and practical basis of peacemaking activities, special attention should be paid to what is commonly called the human rights dimension. This relates not only to measures to minimize human sufferings caused by armed conflicts, but also to efforts aimed at preventing humanitarian crises. In this connection, I cannot fail to mention the unacceptable situation of countless thousands of people in the centre of Europe who, due to arbitrary actions by authorities, have found themselves deprived of their citizenship and of the right to use their native language and enjoy full rights in their State of residence.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Conference on Interaction and Confidence- building Measures in Asia may become an important factor for stability on the Asian continent after the new positive impetus it received at the recent Almaty Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting of the founding States. The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, a venue for active dialogue on a broad spectrum of urgent international issues, is yet another example of the focus of the Asian countries on the formation of solid structures for security and cooperation on the continent. It is necessary to enhance the potential of African regional and subregional organizations, which are acting in close cooperation with the United Nations to curb and cope with conflicts and humanitarian catastrophes emerging in Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In a broad sense, OSCE peacemaking parameters, ranging from conflict prevention to peacekeeping operations and post- conflict rehabilitation, should be defined in a charter on European security. Russia proposes too that the charter should also reflect such principles important for the future of Europeans as ensuring the security and the foundations of the relations between European and Euro-Atlantic organizations in this area. Then the charter will indeed become a kind of political constitution for the Europe of the twenty-first century. As the Istanbul summit of the OSCE, which is expected to adopt the charter, is approaching fast, we should press ahead with the formulation of a substantive document.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“As before, we do not see any reasonable alternative to political settlement of these crisis situations, for which political will, patience and commitment to one’s obligations are needed. We consider it important for the United Nations to continue to play a prominent role in finding solutions in Tajikistan and in Abkhazia, Georgia. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is called upon to play a central role in ensuring European security and stability, can and should be the main United Nations peacemaking partner in Europe. When this arrangement fails to work, not only do specific European countries suffer, but providing for global and continental security becomes complicated.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is of fundamental importance that such cooperation should be in strict accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter and should be fully consistent with the prerogatives of the Security Council. For Russia, the question of peacemaking cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations is far from theoretical. For many years, Russian peacemakers within the peacekeeping forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have contributed to stabilizing the situations in Abkhazia, Georgia, in Tajikistan, and in Trans- Dniestria, Moldova. This testifies to the fact that the settlement of conflicts within the framework of the CIS is a priority for Russia.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The encouragement of peacemaking and the strengthening of its legal basis in strict conformity with the fundamental principles of the Charter should become an important component of the concept of the world in the twenty-first century. Building up and modernizing the anti- crisis capability of the United Nations is a key prerequisite for tackling these tasks successfully. The top priority here is to begin truly using the system of stand-by agreements with the United Nations. Taking into account the limited resources of the world Organization, and given the high demand for peacekeeping operations, cooperation and division of labour between the United Nations and regional structures has become a priority.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is necessary to take very serious account of the humanitarian implications of sanctions both for the population of the States subject to 14 such sanctions and for third countries. The punishment of entire nations, especially for an indefinite time and indiscriminately, is inadmissible. Peacemaking is one of the key areas of United Nations activities. During the past 50 years the Organization has acquired vast practical experience in this field. Having successfully survived intense disputes and ideological battles, peacemaking has proved its vital power and importance for securing world and regional stability. The evolution of the theory and practice of present-day peacemaking confirms that there is no alternative to maintaining the central role of the United Nations in this sphere.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Developments in the Middle East, where the peace process has of late acquired a new positive impetus, clearly exemplify the optimal alternative, that of negotiated settlement. Also on the agenda is the issue of improving sanctions regimes, to which the international community has frequently resorted over the past decade. Sanctions are an extreme measure. They must be applied only when other means of political influence have been exhausted and when the Security Council has established the existence of a threat to peace. The Council, for its part, should be guided by clear criteria for the imposition and the lifting of sanctions, and should not permit any free interpretation of the decisions it has adopted, much less permit the use of its decisions by anyone for selfish political or economic ends.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have managed through joint efforts to bring the settlement of the Kosovo problem back within the legal and political framework of the United Nations. Now we need jointly to strive for strict and consistent implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). We cannot afford to let the re-emerging political process be undermined again, since that could become a tragedy for all of Europe and could once again bring the world to the brink of catastrophe. Equally urgent is the issue of post-conflict rehabilitation in the Balkans. The United Nations has an important role to play in meeting these challenges as well. We all should draw serious lessons from recent crises. Non-legitimate methods of exerting power only exacerbate problems and result in even greater deadlock.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is also beyond doubt that preservation of the right of veto of permanent members is indispensable for meaningful and efficient work in the Council. Generally speaking, the entire system of international organizations needs sensible and responsible reform. At the same time, the United Nations must remain a focal point of the international community’s efforts to settle the most burning problems of the day. The issue of strengthening the authority of the United Nations after it has been seriously and painfully tested by the Balkan and Iraq crises is at the very top of the agenda at the current session of the General Assembly. First of all, we must continue strenuous efforts to restore the role of the Security Council in world affairs.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“What objectives future reform should pursue is another matter. In our view, reform means, first and foremost, the adoption of a package of measures to enhance the role of the United Nations in the world arena. The Organization should be ready to respond in a timely and appropriate way to the challenges that globalization presents to mankind. We must give serious thought to how to enhance the efficiency of the Security Council and how to make that principal organ of the United Nations more representative through the inclusion of influential new members, including — and this is absolutely indispensable — developing countries. This would help maintain the overall balance in the system of international relations, especially when the use of force, bypassing the Security Council, continues.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Of course, evolution of the international situation means that it is appropriate for existing rules of international law to be developed and adapted to prevailing conditions, but this should be done through collective discussion and the adoption of appropriate decisions, not as a fait accompli and not working from scratch: it should be based on valid rules of international law. This is precisely what Russia had in mind with its initiative to consider at the Millennium Summit legal aspects of the use of force in international relations in the era of globalization. We invite all countries to a broad and open dialogue on this issue. Much has been said in recent years about the reform of the United Nations, which is only natural. Life is an evolving process and, as times change, any system will need to be updated.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The founding fathers of the United Nations made provision for a law-based response to violations of peace and security. The international community can take also coercive measures, but this should be done in accordance with the Charter and following a decision by the Security Council. Unlawful means can only undermine rightful ends. It is from this very perspective that we assess such doctrines as that of humanitarian intervention. In general, we should take an extremely careful approach to coercive measures; what is more, we must not allow them to turn into a repressive mechanism for influencing States and peoples that are not to the liking of some.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is the States’ bounden duty to protect their citizens against terrorist attacks and to prevent activities from taking place in their territory that are aimed at organizing such acts against the citizens of other countries. Russia therefore supports the initiative to convene, under United Nations auspices, a conference or a special session of the General Assembly next year on 13 combating terrorism. Such an event would give a powerful political impetus to the struggle against terrorism at a global level. The capabilities of the United Nations should also be used more efficiently in the fight against drug-related threats and organized crime. Only through joint efforts that are also in strict compliance with the rules of international law can we defeat this evil.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The international community and, above all, the United Nations, must decisively clamp down on any manifestations of separatism and strictly and consistently defend the principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and the inviolability of their borders. Outside encouragement and support for separatist forces must be totally eradicated. Recently, separatism has been increasingly merging with the monster of terrorism. We could even now, during this session, take a number of specific steps to stimulate practical international cooperation in combating terrorism. We must finalize the draft international convention on the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism. I therefore suggest that we should develop and adopt a declaration of principles for cooperation between States on combating terrorism more vigorously.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Is there a body which can reflect the interests of all States in a balanced manner? The answer is obvious: it is the United Nations. From the outset, the United Nations Charter put the Organization at the service of all humankind. There is simply no other universal mechanism to regulate international relations. We are fully aware of the danger posed by the threats and challenges facing our world today: the various manifestations of militant nationalism, separatism, terrorism and extremism, which know no borders. This is a common challenge which is claiming countless victims and wreaking destruction in various parts of the globe. Aggressive separatism, which has become a growth medium for various extremist forces, has become one of the main sources of domestic conflict and regional instability. No one is immune to it.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Our country is pursuing in practice a multifaceted foreign policy with a view to establishing equitable and mutually beneficial bilateral and multilateral relations with all the countries of the world and to strengthening international security and stability. The world concept for the twenty-first century involves establishing a new culture which would aim to form a common system of values and models of behaviour. A world without wars and conflict, a world of democracy and prosperity must be the highest priority for all peoples and States. Every nation is entitled to its rightful place among other nations and to security on an equal footing in all its aspects, including in the political, military, economic and social areas. How and through what mechanisms can this be achieved?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We cannot resolve all these problems before the advent of the third millennium, but we are indeed duty bound to lay down the foundations for resolving them in the long-term and to start moving in that direction. The most important thing we should do is to define the parameters of the world in which we are going to live. This lies at the core of the initiative put forward by the President of the Russian Federation, President Yeltsin, to develop a world concept for the twenty-first century. As a world Power and permanent member of the Security Council, Russia is fully conscious of its special role in and responsibility for world developments and stands for the establishment of a multipolar world built on a solid foundation of international law.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“There is no doubt that the twentieth century, which is now coming to a close, will leave a deep imprint on the history of the world. This has been an epoch of global transformation and social change, scientific discoveries and achievements. The realization of the idea of a universal world Organization, which has become the foundation uniting the entire international community, has indeed been one of the positive things about this century. However, the twentieth century has witnessed the most severe upheavals. Millions of people have perished in the flames of world wars, revolutions and civil and ethnic conflicts. On a few occasions, humanity teetered on the brink of self-destruction, and the burden of outstanding problems it has left for the new era is a heavy one.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)