Countries welcome new Assembly President’s focus on global governance
From UN News Centre:
Several countries have expressed support for the initiative of the General Assembly President to make global governance a central theme of the current session of the United Nations body.
Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher of Liechtenstein, as well as Sheikh Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa, the Foreign Minister of Bahrain; Xavier Espot Miró, the Foreign Minister of Andorra; and Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League concurred with Joseph Deiss on prioritizing such an important topic.
The leaders voiced their support in separate meetings held with the President on Monday, on the sidelines of the high-level summit being held at UN Headquarters on how to advance the Millennium Development Goals , which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.
Outlining priorities for the 65th session at a news conference last week, Mr. Deiss called for efforts to “reinstate” the UN and its 192-member General Assembly to the centre of global governance.
“The challenges which we face today have acquired a global dimension and require global solutions. Our actions must have broad legitimacy and be the result of inclusive processes. We have to improve the mechanisms for information, consultation and cooperation between the United Nations and other actors and tools of global governance,” he said.
Mr. Deiss also met yesterday with Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey; Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss Foreign Minister; Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister of China; and Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Union, his spokesperson reported.
Among the other issues discussed was UN reform – another priority issue for the Assembly President – as well as alleviating poverty, improving international peace and security and the situation in the Middle East.
Mr. Deiss also had brief encounters with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.