UN General Assembly
2004

subordinate organizations of the United Nations. Of course, a reduction cannot be an end in itself. But we ought to exercise enough self-criticism to ask ourselves whether it would not be better to pool competences in some cases. However, there are also spheres that need to be better equipped. I am thinking here, for example, of the handling of environmental issues in the United Nations system. We thus support the proposal made by French President Jacques Chirac last year to upgrade the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to a specialized agency with universal membership. That 18 could considerably strengthen UNFP’s contribution to sustainable development. At the heart of the reform of the United Nations is the organ shouldering the central responsibility for international peace: the Security Council. Conflicts are on the increase. They stretch across all continents, and they are growing in complexity. In turn, the responsibility and competences of the Council have expanded constantly. Crisis prevention will play an increasingly important role. And for peace-building, ever more comprehensive strategies, closer cooperation and additional resources will be needed. This will