UN General Assembly Opens 64th Session, Headed by Libyan Diplomat Ali Al-Turaiki

UN General Assembly opens 64th session

2009-09-16 05:14:00

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) --

The United Nations General Assembly opened on Tuesday its 64th session here at the UN Headquarters in New York, with veteran Libyan diplomat Ali Abdul Salam Al-Turaiki at the helm.

"The United Nations must be reformed and must gain international legitimacy, ensuring that its voice is heard and respected and its resolutions applied," Al-Turaiki told delegates at the opening session.

"It is vital to reform the Security Council and to re-reform the General Assembly so that they can comprehensively fulfill their roles," he said.

The GA president's speech also touched upon other key issues relating to the 192-member body's work, including counter-terrorism, the Middle East peace process, development, climate change and non-proliferation.

"We have all condemned terrorism, which causes instability and endangers the international community," Al-Turaiki said. "Yet despite our joint efforts and resolutions, terrorism continues to grow and spread."

"We must address its roots and take a close look at its causes and contributing factors. This is true of terrorism carried out by individuals, groups and states; state terrorism is the harshest form of terrorism," he stated.

On the Middle East peace process, Al-Turaiki said that the Palestinian people's "aspiration towards independence and its rights to return to its land in accordance with United Nations resolutions are two fundamental conditions for the swift realization of peace and security" in the region.

Established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations.

Comprising all 192 members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter.

It also plays a significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.