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Year 2005
Home | News | Press Department Archive | Year 2005

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič delivered a speech on the first day of the UN Summit

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič delivered a speech on the first day of the UN Summit

September 14, 2005

On the first day of the UN Summit the President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič delivered a speech to more than 190 heads of states assembled at the New York headquarters of the United Nations attending the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the greatest global organization.

In his speech Ivan Gašparovič emphasized the need for a UN reform and pointed out that this institution must not be merely a "discussion club" that fails to deliver working solutions. "The United Nations can redeem its prestige and credibility if it is able to take operative decisions aimed at solving the burning issues of today," the President said in New York.

The Head of State regrets the fact that in the final declaration of the UN Summit there is no reference to disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Ivan Gašparovič believes that even though the document does not fulfill the expectations of the Slovak Republic, it is still a fundamental step towards the crucial UN reform. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Kukan expressed the same opinion as the Head of the Slovak delegation. According to Kukan, the UN achievements reach as far as the agreement on these issues within the UN nowadays.

As long as the UN does not have the power to ensure the implementation of its decisions, it will fail to meet the expectations. According to President’s statement, the reforms should include a much more precise declaration of supervisory bodies.

The final document, which was not easily approved, envisages a reform of the UN and its bodies. The declaration of the United Nations includes four main parts and focuses on tackling poverty worldwide, security issues, human rights and the reform of the UN Secretariat. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan joined the numerous leaders of countries who have criticized the fact that further priorities have not been included in the declaration.
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© 2005 Office of the President of the Slovak Republic.