UN General Assembly
2003

express our deepest condolences. Not for the first time in its history the United Nations is mourning the violent death of its talented servants in the course of their duty. Besides being a human tragedy, it was indeed — for the first time — also a direct and deliberate attack on the United Nations itself. In this sense, an analysis of the implications of the attack in Baghdad needs to form an integral part of the broader considerations relating to the structures and objectives of the international system. The reality is that in the United Nations the international community has a system that is both vital and indispensable. However, it is also a fact that the international community has taken this system for granted for too long. Events over the last few weeks and months constitute a renewed reminder that urgent reform is necessary. We need to heed the Secretary- General’s advice that this action has to be radical. One important element in the process of building international cooperation and solidarity lies in the