60th
United Nations Day
[October 24, 2005 - 3.30 GMT]
 We
the United Nations celebrate our 60th Anniversary, the 24th
of October. Let us resolve today to realize the noble ideals and
objectives enshrined in the UN Charter. Let us continue our efforts with
devotion to seek solutions to problems faced by mankind.
The UN Day this
year is of additional significance for us in
Sri Lanka. We celebrate the Fiftieth
Anniversary of our admission to the august world body on the 14th
of December.
In the past fifty
years we in Sri Lanka
have consistently stood for and worked towards the realization of values
such as democracy, good governance, freedom, social justice and respect
for human rights which the UN upholds. On behalf of the people and the
government of Sri Lanka
I express our deep appreciation of the contributions made by the entire
UN system towards the socio-economic development of
Sri Lanka. I wish to express my
gratitude to the UN for its generosity and timely assistance in the
aftermath of the tsunami tragedy in December last year.
My Government has
taken every step to incorporate the UN’s Millennium Development Goals
with
Sri Lanka’s
development plans both short and long-term. We renewed this commitment
before the international community at the last month’s World
Summit
and the 60th General Assembly sessions.
The UN's strength lies in the forum it provides to create and inspire
ideals, which have to be translated into action for the benefit of
mankind. We need the United Nations but not in the form it was in 1945.
We need a democratically reformed, politically strengthened, a morally
revitalized United Nations. Sri Lanka
is ready to play its part in the humanity’s striving to reach this goal.
Chandrika
Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
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Last Updated
Date: October 24, 2005 - 3.30 GMT |
