The United Nations has a record of significant and proud achievements in resolvingconflicts and reducing tensions in situations such as Namibia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Guatemala and El Salvador, to name just a few.
Under its banner ad hoc coalitions of states have been formed in order to successfully repel aggression.
Its record may however be somewhat arguable in situations like Somalia, Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia, even though it cannot he denied that the United Nations has significantly contributed to alleviating human suffering of vulnerable populations in these countries through the provision of essential humanitarian supplies under the most difficult and even dangerous situations. I wish to pay warm tribute to heroic performance of civilians and soldiers from many countries who have dedicated their lives to the cause of peace and human decency through the peace-keeping and humanitarian activities. I wish to add here that non-governmental organizations have worked closely with the U.N. and humanitarian relief agencies in crisis situations their great skill.
Like any other organization the UN has to reform itself in order to reflect the changing state of the world. The Security Council would have to reflect both the shifting balance of power and the state of rising democracy in the world. At the moment, it is deadlocked over the competing demands by different Member States for better representation. I find it rather distressing to see some national legislatures being reluctant to honour their countries' financial obligation to the UN bodies, at the moment when Member Governments expect more and more from the Organization.
It is axiomatic that countries cannot expect miracles from the United Nations, which is not given any of the attributes of a world government. At the least they owe it to the Organization to give it the necessary authority and resources. Nations, like individuals, cannot have the cake and eat it too. There is widespread opposition in some countries to giving supra-national means to the United Nations to finance its requirements even to a very modest extent. As you know well the United Nations regular budget is extremely small, it is not more than $ 1.3 billion per annum, which is less than what New York City's Sanitation Department or Fire Department spends each year.
The developed countries today spend about $ 60 billion per annum for economic and humanitarian assistance to the third world. They do so motivated by both humanitarian instinct and the concept of self interest. At present there is a growing tendency in these countries to pay less attention to international affairs and if possible to reduce international commitment and the sense of global solidarity. We must resist these tendencies which
