..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 22 October 2004
Press Release No: L/58/2004

United Nations Day
To be observed on Friday, 22 October 2004, UNCC, Bangkok
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Statement by Mr Kim Hak-Su, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations,
and Executive Secretary, UNESCAP

United Nations Day is a special day for every member of the United Nations family, and for everyone who believes in the ideals of our Organization.

Great historical institutions face many challenges as it continues to serve citizens of the world. In the name of “We the peoples…”, the United Nations continues to bear great relevance to the world we live in and to this region as it develops and makes great strides toward the ultimate goal of peace and security for all.

We are celebrating the 59th anniversary of the United Nations at a time when this organization is facing great challenge and reform. At the opening of the General Assembly last month, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan underlined the indivisible value of the United Nations:

“Indeed today, more than ever, the world needs an effective mechanism through which to seek common solutions to common problems. That is what this Organization was created for. Let’s not imagine that, if we fail to make good use of it, we will find any more effective instrument”.

The theme for this year’s UN day observation is Rice is Life. This common food on our tables across much of the region – from Japan to India, Mongolia to Singapore, is a symbol of the region’s achievement, indeed of its life. As we are aware, sadly, many of our people go to bed hungry. Without food we cannot even begin to think of making our lives better. Taken in a broader context, food security is inextricably linked to economic security. And without Peace, we cannot pursue either goals.

We have the clear goals and blueprint in the Millennium Declaration and Goals which member countries pledged in 2000 to achieve. One of the goals is to halve poverty by 2015. We must now implement them. Next year – the 60th Anniversary of the UN – Governments will be reviewing the progress made and we hope we will see progress being made.

I hope you will join us – the UN family in Thailand – today in pledging that we will all work together toward improving the lives of our fellowmen. Tackling the biggest problems must begin at home. By making leadership count in the family, and in the nation, we will be assured of a secure future.

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