UN General Assembly
2012

organizations of civil society must free themselves from political cliques so as to contribute to the rapid development of human societies in key areas of economic and social life. In that regard, I welcome the decision taken several years ago to encourage citizen action by accrediting to the Economic and Social Council those organizations that have been recognized for their usefulness. That is a judicious way to encourage, within those citizen organizations, a heightened awareness of their responsibilities when facing today’s major challenges, economic crises, environment crises and the aspirations to democracy and freedoms that, although they assume new forms, should not obstruct the momentum of our societies. The peoples’ fight for more open and democratic societies should not dissipate at the borders of nation States. That fight must extend to the international level, in which the rules of the game must also continue to evolve in order to take into account the major changes that have taken place since the creation of the United Nations. And yet, since 1945, the basic rules that govern