UN Protectorates
12-12-2006, 13:21
12/12/06 - The current UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan gave his last major speech to the Truman Library in Missouri yesterday. An audio link to this speech can be found here:
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/specialevents/sg061211pm.rm
It's fairly interesting. It lasts 25 minutes with another 25 minutes of questions from journalists, congressman and citizens about various topics such as the Iraqi Civil war and other international issues.
Annan's term as Secretary-General will expire in 3 weeks time, when he will be replaced by South Korean diplomat Ban-Ki Moon.
In his speech he outlines 5 lessons he has learned from his term:
1. All peoples are responsible for all other peoples security regardless of nation.
2. All peoples from all nations must be given the opportunity to benefit from global economic prosperity.
3. Both global security and prosperity depends on human rights and the rule of law.
4. Nationstates must be held accountable to each other and to other non-governmental groups in regard to international relations.
5. These previous four lessons can only be achieved by nations acting multilaterally through the United Nations.
Also in his speech, Annan states that the Security Council must "seperate itself from the reality of 1945 and embrace the reality of today" in regard to its decisions and organisation.
Personally I applaud Kofi Annan's work at the UN over his 10 year term, especially his constructive criticism of the Security Council and his work to reform the UN. If you are interested, I'd suggest reading his report "In Larger Freedom" which proposes constructive reform of the UN. It's available from the UN website. There's also a handy summary if you can't be bothered to read it all.
Perhaps if you agree you could write to your elected representatives and implore them to read the report.
To my fellow NSers, what is your opinion of the Secretary-General's term? Will Ban-Ki Moon do a better job?
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/specialevents/sg061211pm.rm
It's fairly interesting. It lasts 25 minutes with another 25 minutes of questions from journalists, congressman and citizens about various topics such as the Iraqi Civil war and other international issues.
Annan's term as Secretary-General will expire in 3 weeks time, when he will be replaced by South Korean diplomat Ban-Ki Moon.
In his speech he outlines 5 lessons he has learned from his term:
1. All peoples are responsible for all other peoples security regardless of nation.
2. All peoples from all nations must be given the opportunity to benefit from global economic prosperity.
3. Both global security and prosperity depends on human rights and the rule of law.
4. Nationstates must be held accountable to each other and to other non-governmental groups in regard to international relations.
5. These previous four lessons can only be achieved by nations acting multilaterally through the United Nations.
Also in his speech, Annan states that the Security Council must "seperate itself from the reality of 1945 and embrace the reality of today" in regard to its decisions and organisation.
Personally I applaud Kofi Annan's work at the UN over his 10 year term, especially his constructive criticism of the Security Council and his work to reform the UN. If you are interested, I'd suggest reading his report "In Larger Freedom" which proposes constructive reform of the UN. It's available from the UN website. There's also a handy summary if you can't be bothered to read it all.
Perhaps if you agree you could write to your elected representatives and implore them to read the report.
To my fellow NSers, what is your opinion of the Secretary-General's term? Will Ban-Ki Moon do a better job?