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UN General Assembly begins annual debate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-23 23:12

UNITED NATIONS: The 64th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off its general debate on Wednesday and the president of the session said global challenges can only be addressed through a well-functioning multilateral system.

UN General Assembly President Ali Abdelsalam Triki hosts the general debate at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2009. The 64th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off its general debate on Wednesday. [Xinhua]

In addressing world leaders gathered at UN Headquarters for the seven-day annual event, Ali Treki, president of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, said "multilateralism is the way forward to address global common-shared problems and it is also the only way to ensure effective and collective action" Treki told the opening of the general debate of the General Assembly.

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As the embodiment of multilateralism, the United Nations is the most legitimate forum for ensuring concerted global action," he said, pledging to work with all 192 member states of the world body to "facilitate consensus on a revitalized General Assembly."

Noting that the world is faced with "multiple crises and enormous challenges," Treki pledged his commitment to work with member states to ensure effective responses to global crises.

"The international community has learned from experience that transnational threats and the multiple crises facing the world today can only be addressed through responsible international cooperation," he said. "We learned also that unilateral actions can only exacerbate conflicts and delay the search for more sustainable solutions."

Before Ali Treki's speech, UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for unity through the United Nations to tackle multiple crises, including the crises of food, energy, recession and pandemic flu, and the time to act is now.

Ban said the world's most pressing challenges can only be solved when countries unite through the United Nations.

"If ever there were a time to act in a spirit of renewed multilateralism, a moment to create a United Nations of genuine collective action, it is now," Ban said.

"Now is our time. A time to put the 'united' back into the United Nations," he said. "United in purpose. United in action."

In his wide-ranging speech before dozens of heads of state or government, Ban was speaking to spotlight the need for joint action on issues ranging from climate change and disarmament to ensuring that the world's poorest people are not left behind by efforts to deal with the economic crisis.

The threat posed by climate change is the greatest challenge faced by humanity, he said, calling for united global efforts to tackle the problem.