Mercy Global Concern - 2003

The UN more significant than ever!

On April 1st 2003, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that the Iraqi crisis has highlighted the significance that Governments and citizens around the world place in the United Nations. He pledged that the UN humanitarian aid would flow back into Iraq as soon as practicable. He pointed out the fact that people around the world had joined with Governments in a plea for a peaceful settlement of the crisis by the United Nations. He noted that these expectations were an indication of the central role the Organization is expected to play now and in the future.

The culture of human rights derives its greatest strength from the informed expectations of each individual. Responsibility for the protection of human rights lies with states. But the understanding, respect and expectation of human rights by each individual is what gives human rights its day to day resilience.

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr. Annan said he was pleased that both the United States and the United Kingdom agreed on the need to push ahead with the so called Road Map plan drawn up by the Quartet, comprised of the UN, the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation. The plan calls for Israelis and Palestinians to take serious parallel steps towards realizing the vision of two sovereign sates, living side by side in peace and security.