UN General Assembly
2005

I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election. I am confident that you will carry forward the able legacy left by your predecessor, Mr. Jean Ping. Our warm tribute is also due to the Secretary-General as he strives to reinvigorate our Organization. We meet in the wake of the High-level Plenary Meeting, where bold decisions were made to promote implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Our problems transcend national boundaries. Solutions need a global consensus. All of us must emphatically reaffirm the central role of the United Nations in the cooperative management of the worldís problems. We are constitutionally committed to uphold the Charter and its legitimacy based on the rule of law. In a globalizing world, no nation is an island. None can prosper alone. The United Nations remains the only bastion of peace, justice and development in the world. Reform of the United Nations is vital. We must focus on its effectiveness and ability to deliver quickly. Its agenda and mandate must be meaningful. Its administration must be reformed. Its budget must be