UN General Assembly
2007

divisions among cultures and societies, driven by suspicion and prejudice. At the heart of that growing malaise is not a clash of values or civilizations; it is the failure of the international community to address festering disputes and our collective inability to universalize the opportunities and benefits offered by the phenomenal advances of technology and globalization for the betterment of all peoples. Conflicts continue in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. In South Asia, the Kashmir dispute is yet to be resolved. Old disputes are compounded by new confrontations. Also, serious challenges are emerging in the shape of climate change, energy security, and financial and trade imbalances. In this complex world, the United Nations provides a critical and indispensable role. The United Nations is at the apex of expanding international interaction and remains the only acknowledged instrument for regulating global affairs on the basis of agreed principles and norms. Terrorism is a grave and pervasive threat. Terrorism destabilizes societies. It must not be associated with any faith or culture. It must be countered and rejected, addressing both its