UN General Assembly
1997

a global mandate and global legitimacy. The Secretary-General’s proposals are well attuned to our thinking in Finland. The General Assembly should consider these proposals as a coherent whole and give the Secretary-General the authority to act on them during this session. For our part, we, the Member States, must shoulder our responsibility for those reforms that require action by Governments. Human rights must become an integral part of all United Nations activities. We very much welcome the Secretary-General’s comprehensive approach in this regard. The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights next year must produce practical results. The celebration is an opportunity to emphasize that human rights are universal rights that belong to all individuals, irrespective of culture or political systems. The duty of Governments is to promote, secure and protect these rights. Therefore, the international community has the authority to deal with human rights violations wherever they may occur. There is no difference between big or small States in this respect. Europe is by no means an exception. The common standards must be valid