The second part of the 20th century has seen an international effort to protect human rights. Progress has been registered. However, we have a long way to go in order to fulfil this lofty goal. Despite the recent economic growth and social progress, hundreds of millions of people still live in poverty and misery. The natural resources of the planet are rapidly being depleted while the environment is continually degraded.
Many countries lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Unemployment and income inequality contribute to the deterioration of the social and political fabric of many nations. In particular, we should focus our efforts on securing the rights and setting the ground for greater advancement of less fortunate groups of our citizens. In this context, further efforts should be initiated in the areas of gender equality and children's rights, particularly of those children who so often pay a disproportionately high price in areas of armed conflict. We should institute effective policies in the pursuit of youth employment, as well as policies for disabled people, who constitute one-sixth of our planet's citizenry and who should have the opportunity to become fully engaged in, and contribute to the development of our societies. We deeply feel the pain and agony of the families of missing persons all over the world and in my own country, who are waiting to be informed of the fate of their missing loved ones in a convincing manner.