Only multilateral cooperation can solve challenges of present age – Annan

Hailing the first-ever meeting of Asian and African regional organizations as a real opportunity “to build a strategic bridge across the Indian Ocean,” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for multilateral cooperation as the only way of meeting the challenges of the present age.

“As Asia and Africa strive to reduce poverty, achieve sustainable development, undertake political and economic reform, and promote peace and stability, regional and interregional cooperation can play a significant role,” Mr. Annan declared in a message to the first Asian-African Subregional Organizations Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, ending today.

“In a globalized world, the consequences of war, trade, epidemics, migration and environmental degradation are felt well beyond their immediate locale,” he said in his message to the two-day conference, delivered for him by Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary f the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

“Indeed, these and many other key challenges of our times can be met only by looking beyond the traditional parameters of the nation-State, and by pursuing multilateral engagement and action,” he added.

Mr. Annan noted that the UN system has strived to deepen its partnerships with civil society groups, the private sector and many other actors in order to tackle the full spectrum of common concerns: poverty reduction, good governance, disaster prevention, environmental protection, employment generation, and advancing the role of women in society among other issues.

“Recent years have also seen subregional organizations play either leading or very important roles in trying to resolve protracted conflicts, despite meagre resources and poor infrastructure,” he declared. “Building up and strengthening capacity in these and other vital areas, such as peacemaking and peacekeeping, must remain a high priority.”