UN Secretary-General Ends India Visit

SECRETARY-GENERAL ENDS INDIA VISIT WITH STRONG CALL FOR UN REFORM

New York, Apr 28 2005 3:00PM

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today wrapped up his visit to India stressing the urgency to bring about UN reforms and to enhance freedom around the globe by jointly pursuing goals in development, security and human rights.

In a lecture Mr. Annan delivered at the India International Centre in New Delhi, he strongly rebutted the suggestion that development, and the concerns of the developing world, did not receive much attention in the report “In Larger Freedom,” his comprehensive agenda for change at the UN.

“On the contrary, development is the subject of the first and longest chapter in the report, which maps out a detailed and practical strategy for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015,” he said, referring to the targets set at a UN summit in 2000 to tackle a host of socio-economic ills.

The report contained important proposals on trade and debt relief, as well as a call for all developed countries to reach a target for increased development aid of 70 cents out of every $100 dollars of gross national income, he added.

The Secretary-General said it would be preferable for UN Member States to agree on Security Council reform by consensus, but inability to reach consensus should not become an excuse for postponing action.

Mr. Annan also participated in an exchange of questions and answers after his lecture, and then gave a press conference before leaving New Delhi.

He is expected to be back in New York in time to attend tomorrow morning’s Security Council meeting on Lebanon and the implementation of resolution 1559, which calls for a full withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon.

2005-04-28 00:00:00.000

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