UN General Assembly
1999

by civil society in activities in this area, and coordination of these activities. We have already devoted a significant amount of time to the discussion of United Nations reform. Today there is a common recognition throughout the international community that the reform of the United Nations is necessary. Indeed, there is not a single country that is opposed to reform per se. Nevertheless, progress towards reform is far from satisfactory. The amount of time that has been expended in discussions so far tells of the difficulty that lies in the way of reforming an organization. We must recognize at the very core of our being that if we fail to strengthen the United Nations through reforms, international trust in the Organization will be undermined. This would not only destroy the United Nations, but would be suicidal to all the Member States and the international community as a whole. The Millennium Assembly and the Millennium Summit, scheduled for next year, will provide an occasion on which the United Nations can demonstrate to the world