UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Joseph Deiss, the president of the 65th UN General Assembly (GA) session, on Wednesday called for efforts to turn words into actions so as not to "disappoint the expectations（期望,预期） of the millions of men, women and children living in poverty. "The statement came as Deiss was delivering his speech at the closing of the general debate of the General Assembly, which kicked off here last Thursday with a theme of "Reaffirming(重申) the central role of the UN in global governance.""What we need now is for our words to be followed by actions," the president said. "Too often in the past, these words have gone unheeded.""We cannot afford to disappoint the expectations of the millions of men, women and children living in poverty," he said. " We will need to closely monitor the fulfillment（履行） of our commitments. The General Assembly must -- and will -- contribute towards this."During the week-long general debate, speaker after speaker dwelled on the efforts to reach the targets of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, reform the international financial structure（财务结构）, strengthen the role of the United Nations in world peace and global development and boost development cooperation among developed and developing countries.
Leaders of 192 countries descended upon the UN headquarters in New York to take part in the debate that kicked-off here on Sept. 23. Throughout the week, scores of presidents, prime ministers, ministers and ambassadors took the floor at the General Assembly（联合国大会） Hall to provide their views on the world's most pressing issues.
The countries also expressed their belief that the United Nations plays an indispensable role in uniting the whole world in dealing with global challenges, such as climate change.
"The need to consolidate the still fragile global economic situation, to improve poverty reduction and to redouble efforts for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals were emphasized in many statements," he said.
Welcoming the commitment of the international community, the president said: "Now is the time to take stock so that we can make greater progress, together, on the issues of critical importance for our common well-being.""I have been struck by the convergence of concerns expressed not only from this rostrum, but also during the many bilateral meetings that I had the honor to host on the sidelines of this debate," he said.
"Let us put aside electoral cycles and purely national interests so that we can forge consensus-based solutions that will enable us to move forward," he said.
"We need to find the ideal combination of legitimacy and effectiveness. We must improve the machinery of information, consultation and cooperation between the United Nations and other players connected with global governance."However, "the lack of leadership and the need for major reform" of the United Nations and the international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, have been concerns raised throughout the debate.
"It is clearly up to you, the member states, to make of the United Nations a strong tool that can play a central role in facing these global challenges and work for the common good," said the president.
"To make true breakthroughs on the major projects related to global governance, protection of human rights and preservation of the planet, that is, to make progress on our grand plans to create a world of peace, well-being and friendship, we will need a great deal of creativity and a great deal of generosity. Let us not fear our own courage," he said.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑) |