UN General Assembly
2018

In 1999, in his message for the New Millennium, the late Kofi Annan spoke words that still ring true almost two decades later: “More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.” Mr. Annan’s legacy is one of international cooperation, and of fighting illiteracy, poverty, inequality and climate change as root causes of conflict and human rights violations. Above all, his is a legacy of hope, and a firm belief that progress is the unifying theme in human history. The Millennium Development Goals proved him right, and it is up to us, the leaders of the united nations of the world, to carry this legacy forward and make the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement a reality. The Kingdom of the Netherlands remains firmly committed to international cooperation. In fact, we have enshrined the principle in Article 90 of our