'Time to work for the benefit of all'

Address by Anura Bandaranaike, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the formal raising of the UN flag in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the United Nations on October 24.

The President of Sri Lanka, addressing the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly last month identified "three evils that plague our world today that can have no place in this modern globalizing era of the 21st century - poverty, disease and terrorism." These evils, she said, affect the social, cultural and economic well-being of a majority of humankind.

Sixty years have now passed since the birth of the United Nations. But with the passing of years, we must bear in mind that we should not even for a moment allow the factors that led to the creation of the United Nations fade from our memory.

It is only when the reasons for the adoption of the Charter are viewed in historical perspective that the people of the world can both individually and collectively continue to endeavour to create and fashion a world which cherishes peace, development, human rights and independence.

Despite what many critics of the UN may say, the United Nations has achieved much since its establishment. Its contribution to all aspects of socio-economic development in the world remains unparalleled. No era in human history, has seen so many benefits so much through the advances of life expectancy, health, education and living standards since the birth of the United Nations.

The tireless efforts of the United Nations, its specialised agencies and the countless number of UN staff members and UN volunteers who make up the UN family, towards this end, have been tremendous, to say the least, and should not be allowed to pass unacknowledged or unrecognised.

We must, on this solemn occasion, reflect upon the countless numbers of UN staff members, UN peacekeepers, and volunteers who, on a daily basis, often unnoticed, strive in all corners of the world, under the most trying and testing conditions. Often at the risk of their own lives they endeavour to improve the lives of the poor, the weak, the hungry, the homeless, the oppressed and the under privileged. We must indeed applaud their services.

The world today is quite different from the world which saw the establishment of the United Nations in the aftermath of two world wars. Today, in our rapidly globalizing world, we are faced with new threats and challenges.

The President of Sri Lanka, addressing the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly last month identified "three evils that plague our world today that can have no place in this modern globalizing era of the 21st century - poverty, disease and terrorism." These evils, she said, affect the social, cultural and economic well-being of a majority of humankind.

It is time that we worked together to eliminate these scourges. If I am permitted a personal note - it is indeed a proud and a humble achievement to have three members of my family - all elected overwhelmingly by our people - to address the General Assembly of the United Nations several times in the past fifty years and I have been personally present at three of them.

In this context, the Secretary-General of the UN, speaking on the occasion of the 2005 World Summit last month, said something that we all know too well but somehow seem to lose sight of often. He said that;

"... Whatever our differences, in our interdependent world, we stand or fall together."

As the member States which make up the United Nations, begin in this sixtieth year of the organisation to implement the pledges and the reform agenda undertaken at the 2005 World Summit, it is my fervent hope that we do not lose sight of the Secretary-General's words. It is time that we started working together in the interest of all our people, and in the interest of humanity.

This 60th anniversary year of the United Nations is of special significance to us in Sri Lanka, as this year marks the 50 anniversary of Sri Lanka's membership in the United Nations.

As a small developing nation, we take modest pride in the fact that we have done our best to regularly contribute to consensus building in the United Nations in areas ranging from the Law of the Sea, to disarmament, human rights and terrorism. Our commitment to the principles and ideals of the United Nations remain firm and undiminished.

The partnership between the UN and Sri Lanka is one that has evolved steadily over the last fifty years. Successive governments in Sri Lanka have worked towards the alignment of domestic social and economic policies with goals and benchmarks set by global UN conferences.

The most recent example of this is the alignment of economic and social development programmes with the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Sri Lanka's consistent emphasis on human development since gaining independence has been recognised, and its programmes in that area have been consistently assisted by the UN and its specialised agencies. It is with this able assistance that Sri Lanka has today managed to succeed in achieving the targeted Millennium Development Goals in primary education, infant and maternal mortality.

The UN and its specialised agencies have helped us greatly in the provision of humanitarian assistance in the conflict affected areas of Sri Lanka and in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

More recently, following the devastation of unprecedented magnitude caused by the December 26 tsunami, the UN team resident here in Sri Lanka and the UN family at large including President Clinton of the United States took quick action in assisting the Government of Sri Lanka and its people with the initial relief effort, and continue to this day in assisting the Government with rebuilding and reconstruction work.