UN General Assembly
2019

The Second World War began exactly 80 years ago. What had appeared in 1919 to be a promise, however precarious, had become a hecatomb by 1939. Notwithstanding the differences in time frame and style, it is worth stopping and reflecting for a moment on the lessons of that still recent past now that we are entering the seventy-fifth year of existence of the United Nations. We believe that it is worth fighting for stronger international laws to help steer relations among States and peoples; for international organizations to help solve problems that affect everyone, not just a few; for a political and not merely a technical role for those organizations; and for a multilateral vision that is shared by all, including those deemed most powerful, because nobody is an island and nobody, alone or with a few allies, can address the increasingly complex problems that affect us all.