UN General Assembly
1999

fulfilling the role entrusted to it by the Charter, as the guarantor of peace, security and social justice throughout the world. It is from that perspective that we evaluate the United Nations reform process launched by the Secretary- General; as we see it, reform means the rational adaptation of United Nations mechanisms to present and future needs. We owe the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, our gratitude and support for his reform proposals. Especially, we welcome the implementation of the Secretary-General’s reform proposals aimed at fostering greater internal coordination, streamlining procedures and rationalizing the activities of the Organization. In this context, I would like to underline the positive results thus far achieved by the United Nations Development Group and the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs. The preliminary application of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework in 18 pilot countries and more intense cooperation between Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations are also producing promising results. Integration within the United Nations system is also moving ahead at the country level. I can already see some 12