UN General Assembly
2003

tuberculosis in tropical countries. AIDS is a threat to mankind. It is devastating entire populations, making millions of children defenceless orphans and swallowing up all development efforts. Faced with this common danger, urgent action is necessary. We herald the establishment in January 2002 of the Global Fund to combat these three scourges, and we urge those countries that have the financial and scientific means to do so to step up their efforts to limit and ultimately stamp out those disasters. I would not like to end without emphasizing again the critical role that the United Nations Charter bestows on our Organization in its sacred mission of humanizing international relations each day and contributing to building a better world. The obstacles in the path of the United Nations are not inevitable; rather, they are an opportunity to meet new challenges and adapt the Organization to achieve the objectives of the Charter and those of the Millennium Declaration.