VOA标准英语2009年-Non-Aligned Movement Leaders Meet in Egypt

Dozens of world leaders met at an Egyptian Red Sea resort for the 15th summit of the 118-nation Non-Aligned Movement. But the 53-year-old group has lost much of its significance since the end of the Cold War.
　
UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon (R), Egyptian, Cuban Pres. Hosni Mubarak (C), Raul Castro (L) at the 15th Non -Aligned Movement summit in Egypt, 15 Jul 2009

It was an exceptionally large turnout of international leaders, with more than 50 heads of state from every continent attending the summit in the Egyptian Red Sea port city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The outgoing head of the organization, Cuban President Raul Castro told the opening session of the summit that a new international financial system is needed to protect developing nations from the global economic crisis.

He went on to say that a global solution must be found to solve the crisis.

He said the movement has reaffirmed its insistence¹ that all nations of the world must be part of the search for effective and just solutions to the present economic crisis. He said in Havana it is believed that developing countries are the most affected² by the global economic crisis. He added that 100 million people around the world, especially the third world, suffer from illiteracy³, unemployment, hunger, poverty and curable diseases.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is chairing the summit and who will become the next head of the Non-Aligned Movement, sounded pragmatic about addressing problems facing developing nations.

He said the movement must accommodate itself with the existing international reality and be nimble and efficacious in tacking⁴ its goals.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon also addressed the summit, urging greater effort to shelter the economies of developing nations and to make the "international system more fair and balanced."

In his address to the summit, Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gadhafi recalled the developing stages of the Non-Aligned Movement until the end of the Cold War.

Colonel Gadhafi complained the U.N. Security Council does not fairly represent the nations of the world and insisted this is a threat to world peace.

He also urged world leaders to allow Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program, calling it "unfair" to prevent it from enriching uranium. But he added Iran must not be permitted to develop nuclear weapons.

Libya he insisted, had been on the point of developing its own nuclear weapon.

He said that Libya "crossed the Red Line" and came to the point where it was able to build an atomic bomb. But, he added.

"The world had changed, and we asked ourselves against whom we were going to use the bomb? So, what was the point of building it? It was costing us more than it was worth, so we stopped."

Other topics, such as terrorism, global warming and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were also addressed by the Non-Aligned leaders. The two-day summit is to end Thursday.

1 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

2 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

3 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

4 tacking   

（帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉

参考例句：

• He was tacking about on this daily though perilous voyage. 他在进行这种日常的、惊险的航行。
• He spent the afternoon tacking the pictures. 他花了一个下午的时间用图钉固定那些图片。