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REMARKS
BY SEN. THE HON MARCUS BETHEL,
ACTING
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND
THE
PUBLIC SERVICE,
ON
UNITED NATIONS DAY
FRIDAY,
24TH OCTOBER 2003
I
am indeed delighted to be here today to celebrate United Nations Day
2003 by participating in this Flag Raising Ceremony.
We are proud to celebrate United Nations Day and thus reaffirm
the commitment of The Bahamas to the world’s premier international
organization which has done much, since its inception, to establish and
maintain a peaceful world and to improve the lot of humankind.
The
United Nations was established in October, 1945, in the aftermath of the
devastation of World War II, based on its founders’ resolve that the
world should never again experience the horrors of a global war.
As the Charter of the United Nations succinctly states, “We the
Peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations
from the scourge of war which twice in our lifetime has brought untold
sorrow to mankind, … do hereby establish an international organization
to be known as the United Nations.”
This
quest continues to be central to the work of the United Nations and its
Charter continues to serve as the guiding beacon in humankind’s
journey towards the cherished goals of peace, security, growth and
development for all nations.
Accordingly,
the United Nations has carried out invaluable work in the field of
social and economic development, based on the premise that there can be
no security without development, and no development without security. For this reason, the Members of the United Nations, as well
as the specialized agencies of the UN system, have committed themselves
to eradicating poverty, fighting hunger, protecting the environment,
promoting gender equality, fighting illiteracy, and combating diseases
such as HIV/AIDS. These
goals were delineated with time frames in the Millennium Declaration
that was adopted by all Member States of the United Nations in the Year
2000. At this time, as we
celebrate the United Nations, The Bahamas joins others in reaffirming
its commitment to the implementation of these Millennium Development
Goals.
The
elaboration of the Millennium Development Goals is yet another
indication that the nations of the world have placed their faith in the
United Nations to address global issues that require the participation
and cooperation of all countries. Member
States of the United Nations are all too aware that globalization has
brought us all to a point where myriad problems are not confined within
national borders and that what affects one country ultimately will have
repercussions for others, directly or indirectly.
As the only universal multilateral international organization,
the United Nations remains the best forum for all States to come
together to resolve problems of global character, regardless of their
size or wealth.
The
world is changing dramatically and quickly and the United Nations has
recognized the need to reform itself so as to be able to respond to
these changes appropriately and effectively.
Consequently, there is an ongoing effort to revitalize the
principal organs that comprise the UN so that they can function so as to
attain the broader goals of securing and maintaining international
peace, security, and justice which comprise the foundation on which the
Millennium Development Goals are to be anchored.
It
is fitting that I should take this opportunity to pay tribute to the
Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, who has toiled
tirelessly and in the face of great odds to uphold the ideals of the
organization and to move its mission forward in tangible and meaningful
ways. I would also like to
express our gratitude to the dedicated and hard-working staff of the
United Nations system who have, unfortunately, sometimes made the
ultimate sacrifice in serving the organization.
Over
the years, the United Nations has demonstrated its strength and
resilience and has increased its membership from the 51 Member States,
in 1945 when it was
founded, to 191, in 2002, when Democratic Republic of East Timor and
Switzerland were admitted. The
Bahamas is extremely proud to have become the 143rd Member
State of the United Nations on 18th September, 1973.
Today,
then let us salute the ideals of the United Nations and its Charter and
commend them to our children and young people.
Let us continue to embrace those ideals and ensure that they
continue to be pursued by future generations.
Today, we say, “Now more than ever we need the UNITED
NATIONS.”
Thank
you very much.
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