UN General Assembly
2018

Seventy years ago, the General Assembly agreed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today we must renew the ideals and values on which that Declaration was founded. In doing so, we must learn the lessons of the past and show through our actions how cooperation between strong and accountable States with open economies and inclusive societies can best deliver security and prosperity for all our people. As Kofi Annan said at the start of his second term as Secretary-General, “I have sought to turn an unflinching eye to the failures of our recent past, in order to assess more clearly what it will take for us to succeed in the future.” (A/55/PV.105, p.3) In that spirit, let us show unflinching resolve to renew the promise of freedom, opportunity and fairness, a promise that has delivered for more people, in more places, than at any other period in our history. Let us ensure that promise can be fulfilled for our children and grandchildren and for every generation to come.