UN General Assembly
2007

points about the major issues on our agenda for the coming period. The end of the Cold War ushered in a new era in international relations in which the threat of military confrontation between the two power blocs dissipated. However, the world community still faces violent internal conflicts, civil wars, genocide and other large- scale atrocities that cause immense destruction and suffering to millions of people. And yet, conflicts within and between States are not the only threat to international peace and security. New threats and challenges are emerging. Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a serious challenge. Organized crime and human trafficking constitute another threat that can have destabilizing effects and fuel civil wars. Extreme poverty in many parts of the world, failing States, large-scale humanitarian disasters, deadly infectious diseases and environmental degradation and catastrophes have devastating consequences. We applaud the Secretary-General’s initiative to hold a high-level event last week to deal with climate change, environmental issues being potentially the greatest threat to our societies. I hope that a global, sustained and comprehensive approach emerges soon