UN General Assembly
2015

We are seeing thousands of people arriving in Europe every day, trying to escape threats to their lives, which they face in the conflict zones in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, among several other countries. It is crucial that we bear in mind that we must provide those who are forced to flee persecution and armed conflict with the protection to which they are entitled under international law. We cannot forget that crises, wherever they crop up, can drag on and spread indiscriminately, affecting economies, social life, peace and stability in particular regions and in the world. Notwithstanding the progress achieved since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, we must acknowledge that there remains much to do and fulfil. Conflicts and crises persist in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The Saharans, Palestinians and many other peoples continue to be denied their fundamental rights.