UN General Assembly
1997

is the essential role of the United Nations. We believe that it unquestionably continues to be the maintenance of 14 international peace and security. In order to achieve this we must bring about a world where sustainable development is possible and where the norm is the rule of law; respect for human rights, including respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities; and non-discrimination by reason of race, religion, gender or anything else. The United Nations, through the General Assembly, must continue to be in the vanguard on all these issues, playing the role which in the past enabled it to overcome the scepticism of the times and successfully to combat colonialism, champion nuclear non-proliferation, and, even more important, alert the world to the grave risks of environmental pollution, marginalization, poverty and that new form of moral pollution: corruption. Although, on the whole, reform has aroused feelings of hope, we must overcome the present climate of scepticism and support the Secretary-General. In a world which today is increasingly marked by globalization, the autonomy which formerly characterized State action has