UN General Assembly
2003

No organization can stand the test of time unless it is prepared to carry out bold reforms. Events in the run-up to the Iraq war have shown the frailty of the United Nations and underlined the imperative for immediate and balanced reforms for the Organization to secure more legitimacy, not only in the eyes of the rich but also in the perception of the poor. While we welcome the reforms the General Assembly adopted last year, we support the Secretary- General’s proposal to set up a high-level panel to seek ways to make the United Nations a vibrant, effective and efficient Organization, which can come to grips with emerging challenges. As we see it, it is imperative for the General Assembly to reclaim its primacy at the United Nations and for the Economic and Social Council to make its work more visible and relevant to ordinary people. To achieve these objectives, we must not only rationalize the agendas of those organs but also ensure that they adopt fewer but more relevant resolutions — resolutions that could be implemented to benefit